'■i^^H-;::'::': 



o.^' 










...■" o 






^o. ^ 









^ 


.;v^t 






♦p 


; •> 


•^<^., 


/» < 










& 




S^ ■ 



^p. * O , " *^ 



"-^..^^ .\t<^ 



... \ / /^■••- 



'> 



c o " ° . O jj!* . " • ^ <*fi ,0^ " " " •. O 




<'*v 






.•iq 



.' V. 



^ 









.^ 










.^^•■ 










''ifS^'' Y^'' "'"^o '-^ 



. ° " ° » 'O 



'^^ '=To' y ^o -r,,-^ ^0' 



rv 







o ^ 



^^ .' 



0^ c°.-». "^b A*^ 












^^ 



^>«., ^^■'\'^^i^^ J'^° 






• cCn^,,.* .. ^ 



^"i^ -5- 



^-Jv" 






^bv" 



Wr^- ^ 









A 










■ V'l^o.*- 










'^<.<^' 















>^^^> \/ ;:^:v \,^ iMA\ \/ ^ 







































^v-^ 






o .1 i> 






'^V^' ,/ ^ 



^o 







THIRTY-FIRST 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 

4/^ BUREAU OF 
AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



1909-1910 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1916 



"^*W0T-»n? 



L9^ 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



Smithsonian Institution, 
Bureau of American Ethnology, 

Washington, D. C, August 4, 1910. 
Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith the Thirty-first 
Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, for the 
fiscal year ended June 30, 1910. 

With appreciation of your aid in the work under my charge, 
I am 

Veiy respectfully, yours, 

F. W. Hodge, 
Ethnologist-in-Charge. 
Dr. Charles D. Waloott, 

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



CONTEXTS 



REPORT OF THE ETHNOLOGIST-IX-CHARGE 

Page 

Systematic researches 7 

Sperial researches 17 

Publications 20 

lUustrations 22 

Library 22 

Manuscripts 23 

Removal of offices 23 

Property 24 

Administration 25 

Note on the accompanying paper 25 

ACCOMPANYIXG PAPER 

Tsimshian Mythology, by Franz Boas, based on texts recorded by Henry W. 

Tate (pis. 1-3; figs. 1-24) " ." 27 

3 



REPORT OF THE 
ETHNOLOGIST-IN-CHARGE 



THIRTY-FIEST MMAL REPORT 

OF THE 

BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



F. W. Hodge, Ethnologist-in-Charge 



SYSTEMATIC RESEARCHES 

The operations of the Bureau of American Ethnology 
during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910, conducted in 
accordance with the act of Congress approved March 4, 1909, 
authorizing the continuation of ethnological researches 
among the American Indians and the natives of Hawaii, 
under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, were 
carried forward in accordance with the plans of operations 
approved by the Secretary June 1, 1909, and Januarj- 7, 
1910. 

During the first half of the fiscal year the administration of 
the Bureau was under the inmiediate charge of Mr. William 
H. Holmes, who, on January 1, 1910, severed his official con- 
nection with the Bureau in order to resume his place as head 
curator of anthropology in the United States National 
Museum and to become curator of the National Gallery of Art, 
as well as to enable him to take advantage of the facilities 
afforded b}^ the change for publishing the results of his various 
archeological researches. Mr. F. W. Hodge was designated 
on the same date to assume the administration of the Bureau 
under the title "ethnologist-in-charge." 

In view of the approaching change and of the necessity for 
devoting much of his time to affairs connected with the 
Department of Anthropology of the National Museum and the 
National Gallery of Art and the administration of the Bureau, 

7 



8 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

Mr. Holmes found it impracticable to give attention to field 
research during the remainder of 1909. Good progress was 
made in the preparation of the Handbook of American 
Archeology, to which he had devoted much attention during 
the year and to which reference has been made in previous 
reports. 

The systematic ethnological researches of the Bureau 
were continued as in previous years with the regular force 
of the Bureau, consisting of eight ethnologists, increased 
to ten toward the close of the year by the appointment of 
two additional members of the staff, and finally decreased 
by the death of one member. In addition, the services of 
several specialists in their respective fields were enlisted 
for special work, as follows : 

Prof. Franz Boas, honorary philologist, with several assist- 
ants, for research in the languages of the American aborigi- 
nes, particularly with the view of incorporating the results 
in the Handbook of American Indian Languages. 

Miss Alice C. Fletcher and Mr. Francis La Flesche, for 
continuing the revision of the proofs of theu" monograph 
on the Omaha Indians, to be published as the "accom- 
panying paper" of the Twenty-seventh Annual Report. 

Miss Frances Densmore, for researches in Indian music. 

Mr. J. P. Dunn, for studies of the tribes of the Algonquian 
family residing or formerl}^ resident in the Middle West. 

Rev. Dr. George P. Donehoo, for investigations in the 
history, geogx'aphy, and ethnology of the tribes formerly 
living in western Pennsylvania and southwestern New 
York, for incorporation in the Handbook of American 
Indians. 

Mr. William R. Gerard, for studies of the etymology of 
Algonquian place and tribal names and of terms that have 
found then' way into the English language, for incorporation 
in the same work. 

Prof. H. M. Ballon, in conjunction with Dr. Cyrus Thomas, 
for bibliographic research in connection with the List of 
Works Relating to Hawaii, in course of preparation for 
publication. 



ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 



The systematic ethnological researches by meml^ers of the 
regular staff of the Bureau are summarized as follows : 

Mr. F. W. Hodge, ethnologist-in-charge, when administra- 
tive work permitted devoted his attention almost exclusively 
to the editing of the Handbook of American Indians (pt. 2), 
which was so far advanced toward completion at the close 
of the fiscal year that it seemed very probable the volume 
would be ready for distribution within about six months. 
As the work on part 2 was in progress, advantage was taken 
of the opportunity afforded ])y the necessary literary research 
in connection therewith to jirocure new data for incorpora- 
tion in a re\'ised edition of the entire work, which it is pro- 
posed to issue as soon as the first edition of part 2 has 
appeared. The demand for the handbook is still very great, 
many thousands of requests haAang been received which 
could not be supplied owing to the limited edition. 

With the exception of a brief trip, Mr. James Mooney, 
ethnologist, remained in the office throughout the entire 
fiscal }'ear, occupied chiefly in the elaboration of his study of 
Indian population, with frequent attention to work on the 
Handbook of American Indians, and to various routine 
duties, especially those connected with supplying informa- 
tion to correspondents. The investigation of the former and 
present population covers the entire territory north of Mexico, 
from the discovery to the present time, and involves the close 
examination of a great body of literature, particularly docu- 
mentary records of the various colonies and of the official 
reports of French and Spanish explorers and commanders, 
together with such special collections as the Jesuit Relations 
and the annual Indian reports of the United States and Cana- 
dian governments from the beginning. It is also necessary, 
first, to fix and differentiate the tribe, and then to follow 
the wasting fortunes of each tril^e and tribal remnant under 
change of name and habitat, further subdivision, or new 
combination, to the end. For better handling, the whole 
territory has been mapped into fifteen sections, each of 
which has its own geographic^ and historical unity, and can 
thus be studied separately. The investigation includes a 



10 BUREAU OF AMEKICAX ETHNOLOGY 

summary of the Indian wars, and notaljle epidemics Avithin 
the same region from the discovery. No similar investiga- 
tion has ever before been attempted, even the official Indian 
reports being incomplete as to identity of tribes and number 
of Indians not directly connected with agencies. 

In January, 1910, by request of those organizations, 
Mr. Mooney was designated to represent the Bureau of 
American Ethnology at the joint meeting of the Mississippi 
Valley Historical Association and the Nebraska State His- 
torical Society, held at Lincoln, Nebraska, and delivered 
several addresses, with particular reference to the utiliza- 
tion of the methods and results of the Bureau in local 
ethnologic and historical research. 

At the request of the Secretary of the Interior, Dr. J. 
Walter Fewkes, ethnologist, continued the excavation and 
repair of the prehistoric ruins in the Mesa Verde National 
Park, in southern Colorado, begun in the previous year. 
Doctor Fewkes commenced work on Cliff Palace in May, 
1909, and completed the excavation and repair of this cele- 
brated ruin in August. He then proceeded to northwestern 
Ai-izona, and made a reconnoissance of the Navaho National 
Monument, visiting and studying the extensive cliff and 
other ruins of that section, knowledge of the existence of 
which he had gained many years ago during his ethnological 
researches among the Hopi Indians. At the close of this 
investigation Doctor Fewkes returned to Washington and 
prepared for the Secretary of the Interior a report on the 
excavation and repair of Cliff Palace, which was published 
by the Department of the Interior in November. A more 
comprehensive illustrative report on the same ruins, giving 
the scientific results of Doctor Fewkes's studies during the 
progress of the excavation of Cliff Palace, was prepared for 
publication as Bulletin 51 of the Bureau of American Eth- 
nology and is now in press, forming a companion publication 
to his description of Spruce-tree House, published earlier in 
the fiscal year as Bulletin 41. Doctor Fewkes prepared also 
a report on his preliminary researches in the Navaho National 
Monument, which is in type and will be published as Bul- 
letin 50. Dming the remainder of the winter and spring. 



ADMIXISTRATIVE REPORT 11 

Doctor Fewkes Avas occupied in the preparation of a mono- 
graph on Casa Grande, an extensive ruin in Ai'izona, exca- 
vated and repaired by him during previous years. He gave 
some time also to the elaboration of an account of antiquities 
of the Little Colorado Valley, a subject to which he has 
devoted considerable study. This work was interrupted in 
May, 1910, when he again departed for the Navaho National 
Monument for the purpose of continuing the archeological 
studies commenced during the previous field season. At 
the close of the year Doctor Fewkes was still at work in this 
region. 

Owing to the large amoiuit oi' material in process of 
puljlication as a result of his own researches or assigned to 
him b}^ reason of his special knowledge of the subjects 
involved. Dr. John R. Swanton, ethnologist, devoted the 
year entirely to office work. Much of this time was spent in 
proof reading (1) Bulletin 43, Indian Tribes of the Lower 
Mississippi Valley and Adjacent Coast of the Gulf of Mexico, 
the result of personal field investigations and historical 
study ; as well as in proof reading (2) Bulletin 46, a Choctaw 
Dictionary, by the late Cyrus Byington; and (3) Bulletin 47, 
on the Biloxi Language, by the late J. Owen Dorsey, arranged 
and edited by Doctor Swanton, who incorporated therein 
the related Ofo material collected by him in 1908 and added 
a brief historical account of the Ofo tribe. In connection 
with his researches on the Southern tribes or tribal remnants. 
Doctor Swanton has revised and rearranged the Attacapa, 
Chitimacha, and Tunica linguistic material collected by the 
late Dr. Albert S. Gatschet and has put it almost in final 
form for the press. With the aid of several texts recorded 
in 1908, Doctor Swanton has spent some time in studying 
the Natchez language, preparatory to further investigations 
among the survivors of this formerly important group, now 
in Oklahoma. The I'emainder of his energies has been 
devoted chiefly to researches pertaining to the Creek Con- 
federacy, with the aid of books and documents in the library 
of the Bm'eau and in the Library of Congress, in anticipa- 
tion of field in^'estigation among the Creek tribes to be 
undertaken, it is expected, later in 1910. 



12 BUREAU OF AMEfilCAX ETHNOLOGY 

iVIi-s. M. C. Stevenson, ethnologist, continued her researches 
among the Pueblo tribes of the Rio Grande Valley, New 
Mexico, giving special attention to the Tewa gi'oup. As 
during the previous year, her studies were devoted chiefly to 
the pueblo of San Ildefonso, which offers better facilities for 
ethnologic investigation than the other Tewa villages, 
although her inquiries were extended also to Santa Clara and 
Nambe. Owing to the extreme conservatism of the Tewa 
people, Mrs. Stevenson found great difficulty in overcoming 
their prejudices against the stud}^ of the esoteric side of their 
life, but with patience she succeeded finally in gaining the 
warm friendship of many of the more influential headmen, 
and by this means was enabled to pursue a systematic study 
of the Tewa religion, sociology, and philosophy. Like most 
Indians, the Tewa are so secretive in everything that pertains 
to their worship that one not familiar with their religious life 
is readily mislead into believing that the ceremonies held in 
the public plazas of their villages which, Avith few exceptions, 
are more Mexican than Indian in outward character, consti- 
tute the sole rites of these people, whereas it has been found 
that the Tewa still adhere as strictly to many of their ancient 
customs as before white men came among them, although 
some of their "ceremonies are now less elaborate than they 
were in former times. 

While the creation myth of the San Ildefonso Indians differs 
somewhat from those of the Zuni and of other Pueblo tribes, 
it is the same in all essentials. According to their belief they 
were created in an undermost world, and passed tlirough 
three other worlds before reaching this one. The tribe is 
divided into the Sun or Summer, and the Ice or Winter, 
people, the former having preceded the latter in their advent 
into this world, and their final home was reached on the 
western bank of the Rio Grande almost opposite the present 
pueblo. This place is marked by an extensive ruin. 

Every mountain peak, near and far, within sight of San 
Ildefonso is sacred to the Tewa people, and they make pil- 
grimages at prescribed intervals to lofty heights far beyond 
the range of their home. The names of these sacred moun- 
tains, with a full description of each, AA'ere procured. 



ADMIXISTEATrVE EEPOKT 13 

The philosophy of all the Pueblos is closely related in a 
general way, yet there are marked differences in detail. 
Although Mrs. Stevenson has penetrated the depths of the 
Tewa philosophy, she has not been able to discover any dis- 
tinctive features, it l^eing a composite of Zuni, Sia, and Taos 
beliefs. The great desire of all these people, and the burden 
of their songs and prayers, is that rain, which in their iDelief 
is produced by departed ancestors working behind the cloud- 
masks in the sky, should come to fructify the earth, and that 
they may so live as to merit the l:)eneficence of their deities. 
The entrance to this world is believed to be through a body 
of water which the Tewa of San Ildefonso declare existed 
near their village until certain Zuni came and spirited the 
water away to their own country. Further studies, no 
doubt, will shed more light on these interesting beliefs, and 
render clearer the origin and relations of Tewa and Zmii 
concepts. 

There are but two rain priests among the Tewa of San 
Ildefonso: one pertaining to the Sun people, the other to 
the Ice people, the formei' taking precedence in the general 
management of tribal affairs. The rain priest of the Sun 
is the keeper of the tribal calendar and is the supreme head 
of the Sun people. The governor of San Ildefonso, who is 
chosen vu'tually by the rain priest of the Sun people, is 
elected annually, and has greater power than that accorded 
a Zmii governor. The war chief, whose religious superior is 
the war priest, who holds the office during life, is also elected 
annually, and also is a person of great power. There are 
three kivas, or ceren^ouial chambers, at San Ildefonso, one 
belonging to the Sun people, another to the Ice people, and 
one used jointly for certain civic gatherings, for rehearsal of 
dances, and for other purposes. The religion of the Tewa 
of San Ildefonso consists in worship of a supreme bisexual 
power and of gods anthropic (embracing celestial and ances- 
tral) and zoic, the latter especially associated with the sacred 
fraternities. The fundamental rites and ceremonies of 
these fraternities are essentially alike among all the Pueblos. 
Their them'gists are the great doctors, whose function is to 
expel disease inflicted by witchcraft, and those of San 



14 BUREAU OF AMERICAX ETHXOLOGY 

Ildefonso have as extensive a pharmacopoeia as the Zuiii 
theurgists. The behef of the Tewa in witchcraft is intense, 
and is a source of great anxiety among them. Accused 
wizards or witches are tried by the war chief. 

Many of the San Ildefonso ceremonies associated with an- 
thropic worship are identical with those of Taos, while others 
are the same as those observed by the Zuiii, although neither 
the ritual nor the paraphernalia is so elaljorate. Some of 
the songs used in connection with the dances at San Ilde- 
fonso are in the Zuni tongue. It is to be hoped that fiu-ther 
comparative stud}' among these people will reveal to what 
extent the ceremonies have been bori'owed, like that of the 
Koh'-kok-shi of the Zuni, which is asserted to have been in- 
troduced b}^ M^ay of Santo Domingo generations ago by a 
Laguna Indian who had visited Zuni. 

j\Irs. Stevenson devoted much attention to a stud)- of Tewa 
games, finding that those regarded as of the greatest im- 
portance to the Zuni in bringing rain have been abandoned 
l3y the San Ildefonso people. The foot race of the latter is 
identical with that of Taos, and is performed annually after 
the planting season. As complete a collection and studv of 
the Tewa medicinal plants were made as time permitted. 

The material culture of the Tewa also i-eceived special at- 
tention. Weaving is not an industry at San Ildefonso, the 
only weaver in the tribe being a man who learned at Laguna 
to make women's belts. Basketry of various forms is made 
of willow. The San Ildefonso people, like other Pueblos, 
have deteriorated in the ceramic art, and they have now 
little or no understanding of the symbols employed in pot- 
tery, except the common form of cloud and rain. Their 
method of irrigation is the same as that observed by the 
neighboring Mexicans, who, having accjuired extensive tracts 
of land from the San Ildefonso land grant, work with the 
Indians on the irrigating ditches for mutual benefit. The 
San Ildefonso people raise a few cattle and horees, but no 
sheeji. Much of their land is o^oied in severalty, and their 
chief products are corn, wheat, and alfalfa. The women 
raise melons, squashes, and chile. 



ADMIXISTEATIVE REPORT 15 

AVhile nian-iages, Ijuptisnis, and burials are attended with 
the rites of the Cathohc Church, a native ceremony is always 
performed before the anival of the priest. ^\Tiile their 
popular dances of foreign admixture are sometunes almost 
depleted by reason of intoxication, no such thing happens 
when a pureh' Indian ceremony is performed, for the dread 
of offending their gods prevents them from placing themselves 
in such condition as not to be able to fulfill their duty to the 
higher powers. 

Mrs. Stevenson not only prepared the way for a close stud}^ 
of the Tewa of Nambe by making a warm friend of the rain 
priest of that pueblo, but found much of interest at the Tigua 
pueblo of Taos and Picuris, especially in the kivas of the latter 
village. It was in an inner chamber of one of the Picuris ki^'as 
that the priests are said to have observed their rites during 
the presence of the Spaniards. Another interesting feature 
observed at Picuris was the hanging of scalps to a rafter in an 
iipper chamber of a house, the eastern side of which was open 
in order to expose the scalps to \'iew. At Picm-is the rain 
priests, like those of Zuni and San Ildefonso, employ paddle- 
shaped bone implements (identical with specimens, hitherto 
undetermined, found in ruins in the Jemez Mountains and 
now in the A^ational ^Museum) for lifting the sacred meal 
during their rain ceremonies. 

During a \'isit to Taos Mrs. Stevenson obtained a full 
description of an elaborate ceremony performed immediately 
after an eclipse of the sun. 

After her return to Washington, in February, Mrs. Steven- 
son devoted attention to the preparation of a paper on the 
textile fabrics and dress of the Pueblo Indians. For com- 
parativ^e studies it was necessary to review a large number 
of works on the general subject and to examine collections 
pertaining thereto. ]Mrs. Stevenson also prosecuted her 
studies of medicinal and edil)le plants. 

During the entire fiscal year Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt, ethnolo- 
gist, was engaged in office work devoted chiefly to studies 
connected -s^ath the Handl)Ook of American Indians, espe- 
cially part 2. A number of articles designed for this work 



16 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

had been prepared l^y other collaborators, but were recast 
by Mr. Hewitt in order to embody in them the latest views 
regarding their subject-matter. Mr. Hewitt also conducted 
extensive researches into the history of the Indians of the 
Susquehanna River dm'ing the seventeenth century, and 
their relations with neighboring peoples, resulting in the 
discovery that a number of important tribes were desig- 
nated by the names Susquehanna, Conestoga or Andastes, 
Massawomek, Erie, Black Minquas, Tehotitachsae, and 
Atrakwayeronon (Akhrakwayeronon) . It is proposed to 
incorporate this material into a bulletin, with several early 
maps, in order to make it available to students of the his- 
tory of the Indians of Pennsylvania and New York, and 
their relations with white people. Mr. Hewitt also devoted 
about two months to the translation of Onondaga native texts 
relating to the New Year ceremony, and began work on the 
classification of the late Jeremiah Curtin's Seneca legends, 
with a view of preparing them for publication b}^ the Bureau. 

As custodian of the linguistic manuscripts in the Bureau 
archives, Mr. Hewitt spent considerable time in installing 
this material, comprising 1,704 items, on its removal from 
the former quarters of the Bm'eau to the Smithsonian 
building. He was frequently occupied also in receiving 
manuscripts and in searching and charging those required 
by collaborators either for temporary or for prolonged use. 
Much time and labor were also devoted by Mr. Hewitt to 
the collection and preparation of data of an ethnological 
character for replies to correspondents. 

Dr. Cyrus Thomas, ethnologist, wiiile not engaged in revis- 
ing the proofs of Bulletin 44, Indian Languages of Mexico 
and Central America and their Geographical Distribution, 
prepared by him with the assistance of Doctor Swanton, 
devoted his attention to the elaboration of the List of 
Works Relating to Hawaii, with the collaboration of Prof. 
H. M. BaUou. Toward the close of the fiscal year Doctor 
Thomas undertook an investigation of the relations of the 
Hawaiians to other Polynesian peoples, but unfortunately 
this work was interrupted in May by illness which termi- 
nated in his death on June 26. Doctor Thomas had been a 



ADMIXISTRATIVE REPORT 17 

member of the Bureau's staff since 1882 and, as his memoirs 
pubUshed by the Bureau attest, one of its most industrious 
and proHfic investigators. 

As the result of a special civil-service examination held 
March 3, 1910, the staff of the Bui'eau was increased by the 
appointment, as ethnologists, of Dr. Tiinnan Michelson on 
June 1 and of Dr. Paul Radin on Jiuie 3. 

Doctor Radin immediately made preparations to resume 
his researches among the Winnebago Indians in Nel^raska 
and Wisconsin, commenced under personal auspices three 
years before, and by the close of the fiscal year was making 
excellent progress toward completing his studies of this 
important Siouan group. 

About the same time Doctor Michelson departed for Mon- 
tana with the puipose of studying the Blackfeet, Northern 
Chej'enne, and Northern Ai-apaho, Algonquian tribes, whose 
relations to the other members of the stock are not definitely 
known. It is the intention that Doctor Michelson obtain a 
view of the relations of the Algonquian tribes generally, in 
order that he may become equipped for an exhaustive study 
of the Delaware and Shawmee tribes, so important in the 
colonial and later history of the United States. Doctor 
Michelson reached the Blackfoot country on June 16, and 
within a few days had recorded a considerable body of ethno- 
logical, mythological, and linguistic material relating to the 
Piegan division. 

SPECIAL RESEARCHES 

The special researches of the Bureau in the linguistic 
field were conducted, as in the past, by Dr. Franz Boas, 
honorarj' philologist," whose work during the fiscal year 
resulted in bringing nearly to completion the first volume of 
the Handbook of American Indian Languages. The whole 
matter is in type, 735 pages were in practically final form at 
the close of the fiscal year, and the sketches of only three 
languages remained to be revised before paging. Besides 
the purely technical work of revising and proof reading, the 
most important work on the first volume was a thorough 
revision of the Algonfjuian sketch by Dr. William Jones, who 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 ■; 



18 BUREAU OF AMEEICAN ETHNOLOGY 

had planned to make certain additions to the manuscript, 
l:)ut whose unfortunate death in the Philippine Islands left 
his researches on the Algonquian languages incomplete. 
The revision was assigned to Dr. Truman Michelson, who 
made a careful comparison between Doctor Jones's descrip- 
tion of the language and his published collection of texts. 

Considerable progress was made on the preparation of 
the second volume of the Handbook of American Indian 
Languages. Owing to expansion of a number of the original 
sketches, which was due to the lapse of time since the)' were 
first recorded, the first volume had increased so much in size 
that it became necessary to relegate the Takelnia to the 
second volume. 

At the beginning of the fiscal year Dr. Leo J. Frachtenl^erg 
carried on in^'estigations imder the direction of Doctor Boas 
among the Coos Indians of Oregon. He succeeded in col- 
lecting a considerable body of texts from the survivors, 
and at the same time revised the material collected several 
years ago by Mr. H. H. St. Clair, 2d. Doctor Frachtenberg 
completed his studies of the grammar of the language, and 
the manuscript of this sketch for the second volume was 
delivered and is partly in type. Toward the end of the year 
Doctor Frachtenberg made preparatory studies in the Alsea 
language of Oregon, based on manuscript texts collected 
a number of years ago by Prof. Livingston Farrand on 
an expedition due to the generosity of the late Mr. Henry 
Villard. The completion of the ethnological research work 
among the Alsea has been provided for by a contribution 
of funds by ^Irs. Villard, which will make it possible to 
complete also the linguistic investigation of the tribe during 
the field season of 1910. In June Doctor Frachtenl:)erg 
visited two survivors of the Willopah tribe who were said 
to I'emember the language, but unfortunately only about 300 
words could be obtained, and practicallj' no grammatical 
fonns. 

Further preparatory work on the second volume of the 
Handbook of American Indian Languages was carried on by 
Mr. James Teit, who elucidated the details of the distribution 



ADMINISTRATIVE EEPOET 19 

of the Salish dialects of the State of Washington. Part of 
this work was supported by the generosity of ^Ir. Homer E. 
Sargent, of Chicago. 

The special researches in Indian music were continued 
in behalf of the Biu"eau by Miss Frances Densmore, who 
has done so much toward presei'ving the vanishing songs 
of the Indians. The principal new phase that has arisen 
in Miss Densmore's work is the importance of the rhythmic 
unit in Chippewa songs. Her observations indicate that the 
rhythmic phrase is the essential element of the song; indeed 
Miss Densmore is inclined to think that the fii"st idea of the 
song may be a mental rhythm assuming the form of a short 
unit, and that its expression follows the overtones of a 
fundamental which exists somewhere in the subconsciousness 
of the singer. The tabulated analyses show that 99 out 
of 180 songs to appear in Bulletin 45 (in press) begin on the 
twelfth or fifth, and 34 begin on the octave — a total of 133 
out of 180 beginning on the principal overtones. Of 180 
songs, 120 end on the tonic, and yet the tonic does not usually 
appear until near the close of the song. 

Melodic phrases are seldom recurrent. In the oldest 
songs the words are sung between repetitions of the rhythmic 
unit, and have a slight rhythm and small melod}' progres- 
sions. Rhythm varies less often than earlier words or 
melody in repetition, especially when the rhythm is com- 
prised in a definite unit. AU these facts emphasize the 
importance of the rhythm, and also have a bearing on the 
problem of the development of primitive music, which 
it is designed to treat in a practical rather than in a theoretical 
way. 

The independence of voice and drmii noted Ijy Miss Dens- 
more in prexdous studies Avas further sho\Mi by the data col- 
lected during the year; also the prominence of the descending 
interval of the minor third, and the marked use of overtones 
in the choice of melodic material. 

The songs collected comprise a group of 40 secured at 
Ponima, a remote village on the Red Lake Reservation, 
Minnesota, and the series of war songs which Miss Densmore 



20 ■ BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

is now completing and which she expectts to finish before the 
close of the calendar year. It is the intention to combine the 
analyses of these with the analyses contained in Bulletin 45 
of the Bureau, always bringing forward pre\'ious work, in 
order that the results may be cumulative. It is Miss Dens- 
more's desu-e, before leaving the C'hippewa work, to analyze 
about oOO songs collected from a representative nimiber of 
localities, as the data derived from systematic analyses of 
that number of songs should be a safe basis for what might 
be termed a scientific musical study of primitive song. 

I\Iiss Alice C-. Fletcher and Mr. Francis La Flesche have 
continued the proof revision of their monograph of the Omaha 
Indians to accompany the Twenty-seventh Annual Report, 
a part of which was in page form at the close of the fiscal year. 

Mr. J. P. Dunn pursued his studies of the Algonquian tribes 
of the jMiddle West under a small allotment of funds by the 
Bureau, but comparatively little progress was made, as it 
was found advisable to hold the investigations somewhat in 
abeyance until two important manuscript dictionaries — one 
of the Peoria, the other of the Miami language — known to 
exist, could be carefully examined, with a view of avoiding 
repetition of effort. Mr. Dunn was enabled, however, to 
revise and annotate completely a text in the Miami and 
Peoria dialects recorded by the late Doctor Gatschet. 

PUBLICATIONS. 

The editorial work of the Bureau was conducted by Mr. J. G. 
Gurlej', who from time to time, as pressure required, had the 
benefit of the aid of Mr. Stanley Searles. All the publications 
of the Bureau have passed imder Mr. Gm-ley's editorial super- 
vision, with the exception of part 2 of Bulletin 30 (Handbook 
of American Indians), which has been in special charge of 
Mr. F. W. Hodge, editor of the work, assisted by IVLrs. F. S. 
Nichols. In order to facilitate progress in the publication 
of the Handbook of American Indian Languages, the editor 
thereof, Dr. Franz Boas, assumed entire charge of the proof 
reading in January, thus enabling Mr. Gurley to devote more 
time to the numerous other publications passing through 
press. 



ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 21 

In all, the manuscripts of seven publications — Bulletins 
37, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50, and 51— were prepared for the Govern- 
ment Printing Office, while proof, reading was continued on 
nine publications — the Twenty-seventh Annual Report and 
Bulletins 30 (part 2), 38, 39, 40 (part 1), 41, 43, 46, and 47, 
which were in hand in \-arious stages of progress at the begin- 
ning of the fiscal year. The number of publications issued 
was five— Bulletins 38, 39, 4 1, 48, and 49. The Twenty-seventh 
Annual Report is in type and a substantial beginning was 
made toward putting it into page form. The proof of the 
"accompanying paper" on the Omaha Indians, by Miss 
Fletcher and Mr. La Flesche, was critically read by the 
authors and is in condition to be completed in a few months. 
Bulletins 37 and 43 are practically ready for the bindery, 
and Bulletins 40 (part 1) and 45 are neai'ly as far advanced. 
Bulletin 44 had the l:)enefit of revision ])y the principal au- 
thor. Dr. Cyrus Thomas, shortly before his death, and a second 
galley proof was received. The fii'st galley proof of Bulletins 
50 and 51 was placed in the hands of the author. Doctor 
Fewkes, for revision. Owing to the condition of the Bu- 
reau's allotment for printing and binding, as reported by 
the Public Printer, and on his suggestion that the work for 
the fiscal year be curtailed. Bulletins 46 and 47 were not 
carried beyond the first galley stage. Appended is a list 
of the publications above mentioned, with their respective 
titles and authors : 

Twenty-seventh Annual Report (1905-6), containing ac- 
companying paper entitled "The Omaha Tribe," by Alice 
C. Fletcher and Francis La Flesche. 

Bulletin 37. Antiquities of Central and Southeastern Mis- 
souri, by Gerard FoAvke. 

Bulletin 38. Unwi'itten Literature of Hawaii, l)y Nathaniel 
B. Emerson, A. M., M. D. 

Bulletin 39. Tlingit Myths and Texts, by John R. Swan ton. 

Bulletin 40. Handbook of American Indian Languages 
(Part 1), by Franz Boas. 

Bulletin 41. Antiquities of the Mesa Verde National Park: 
Spruce-tree House, by J. Walter Fewkes. 



22 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

Bulletin 43. Indian Tribes of the Lower Mississippi Valley 
and Adjacent Coast of the Gulf of Mexico, by John R. 
S wanton. 

Bulletin 44. Indian Languages of Mexico and Central 
America, and their Geographical Distribution, by Cyrus 
Thomas, assisted by John R. Swan ton. 

Bulletin 45. Chippewa Music, by Frances Densmore. 

Bulletin 46. A Dictionary of the Choctaw Language, b}^ 
Cyrus Byington ; edited by John R. Swanton and Hemy S. 
Halbert. 

Bulletin 47. A Dictionary of the Biloxi and Ofo Languages, 
Accompanied with Thirty-one Texts Biloxi and Numei-ous 
Biloxi Phrases, by James Owen Dorsey and John R. Swanton. 

Bulletin 48. The Choctaw of Bayou Lacomb, St. Tammany 
Parish, Louisiana, by David I. Bushnell, jr. 

Bulletin 49. List of the Pulilications of the Bm-eau of 
American Ethnology. 

Bulletin 50. Preliminary Report on a Visit to the Navaho 
National Monument, Arizona, by Jesse Walter Fewkes. 

Bulletin 5L Anticjuities of the Mesa Verde National Park: 
Cliff Palace, by Jesse Walter Fewkes. 

ILLl^STRATIONS 

The preparation of the illustrations for the publications 
of the Bureau and of photographs of Indian types continued 
in charge of Mr. DeLance}' Gill, illustrator, assisted by Mr. 
Henry Walther. This material consists of 97 Indian por- 
traits from life, 121 negatives and 29 drawings for the Bureau 
publications, 15 copies of negatives, and 676 photographic 
prints. As in the past, special attention was devoted to the 
photographing of the members of visiting deputations of 
Indians, since by this means fa\'orable opportunity is afforded 
for permanently {:)ortraying the features of many of the most 
prominent Indians l)elonging to the various tribes. 

LIBRARY 

The library of the Bureau continued in immediate charge 
of Miss Ella Leary, librarian. During the year about 1,500 
volumes and about 600 pamphlets were received and cata- 
logued; and about 2,000 serials, chiefly the publications of 



ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 23 

learned societies, were received and recorded. One thousand 
five hundred vohimes were sent to the bindery, and of these 
all but 600 had been bound before the close of the fiscal year. 
In addition to the use of its own library, it was found neces- 
sary to draw on the Library of Congress from time to time 
for the loan of about 800 volumes. The librai-y of the 
Bm'eau now contains 16,050 volumes, about 11,600 pamph- 
lets, and several thousand unbound periodicals. Although 
maintained primaril}^ as a reference library for the Bureau's 
staff, its value is becoming more and more kno"mi to students 
not connected with the Smithsonian Institution, who make 
constant use of it. During the year the lil^rary was used 
also by officers of the executive departments and the 
Library of Congress. 

MANUSCRIPTS 

During the first half of the fiscal year the manuscripts 
were under the custodianship of 111'. J. B. Clayton, and on 
his indefinite furlough at the close of 1909 they were placed 
in charge of Mr. J. N. B. He-nit t, as previously noted. 
Nineteen important manuscripts were acquired during the 
year, of which se^•en are devoted to Chippewa music and 
are accompanied with the original graphophone records, 
five relate to the history of the Indians, and seven pertain 
to Indian linguistics. This enumeration does not include 
the manuscript contriliutions to the Handbook of American 
Indians and the Handl^ook of American Indian Languages, 
nor the manuscripts submitted for publication by the 
members of the Bureau's regular staff. 

REMOVAL OF OFFICES 

Quarters in the Smithsonian building having been assigned 
by the Secretary for the use of the Bureau, and funds having 
been pro\aded by the sundry civil act for the removal of the 
Bureau's property, the work of transfer was commenced on 
December 10, 1909, by removing the library from the third 
floor of the Adams Building, 1333 F street NW., to the 
eastern gallery of the bird haU on the main floor of the 
Smithsonian building. The task was made diflficult o\^'ing 
to the necessity of removing the old stacks and the books 



24 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

at the same time, but order was fairly established in about 
a fortnight and the Ubrary again put in service. Not only 
is more space for the gi'owing library afforded by the new 
quarters, but increased light and facilities for research make 
the new library far superior to* the old. The northern half 
of the gallery was made more attractive by painting and by 
carpeting with Hnoleum. It is yet larking in necessary 
space, but this difficulty will be overcome when that part 
of the southeastern gallery still occupied by the National 
Museum is vacated. 

The offices and photographic laboratory of the Bureau 
were removed between December 20 and 31, the former to the 
second, thu'd, and fourth floors of the north tower of the 
Smithsonian building and one room (that occupied by the 
ethnologist-in-charge) on the third floor of the northeastern 
range; the laboratory to one of the galleries of the old 
National Museum building, while the stock of publications 
was given space on the fourth floor of the south tower. 
Although the quarters of the Bureau are now somewhat 
scattered, the facilities for work are far superior to those 
with which the Bureau in its rented offices was obliged to 
contend, and there is less danger of loss by fire. The cost 
of the removal, including the taking down and rebuilding of 
the library bookcases, necessary painting of walls and wood- 
work, linoleum floor covering, and electric wiring and fixtures, 
aggregated $1,000, the sum appropriated for the purpose. 

PROPERTY 

In addition to the books and manuscripts already referred 
to, the property of the Bureau consists of a moderate amount 
of inexpensive office fm'niture, chiefly desks, chau's, filing 
cases, and tables, as well as photographic negatives, appara- 
tus, and supplies, typewriters, phonographs, stationery, and 
the undistributed stock of its publications. The removal 
of the Bureau and the assignment of its members to less 
crowded quarters made it necessary to supply a few addi- 
tional articles of furniture, especially for the library. The 
entire cost of the fmiiitui-e acquu'ed during the fiscal year was 
$243.17. 



ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 25 

ADMINISTRATION 

Pursuant to the plans of the Secretary, the clerical and 
laboring work of the Bureau was concentrated after the 
removal to the Smithsonian building by placing the routine 
correspondence and files, the accounts, the shipment of pub- 
lications, the care of supplies and other property, and all 
cleaning and repairs, in immediate charge of the office of the 
Smithsonian Institution. This plan has served to simplify 
the administration of the affaii's of the Bureau, has prevented 
duplication of effort, and has resulted in a saving of time and 
funds. 

NOTE ON THE ACCOMPANYING PAPER 

The accompanying memoir on Tsimshian [Mythology, by 
Dr. Franz Boas, is based on a collection of myths and tales 
recorded by the late Hemy W. Tate, himself a Tsimshian. 

These stories are classed as of two distinct types — myths 
and tales — so distinguished by the Tsimshian, as indeed by 
all the tribes of the North Pacific coast. The incidents nar- 
rated in the former are believed to have happened when 
animals appeared in the form of human beings, whereas the 
tales are historical in character, although they may contain 
elements of the supernatural. In the myths animals ap- 
pear as actors, and often incidents are mentioned which 
describe the origin of some feature of the present world ; but 
incidents of a similar character are by no means absent from 
the tales, especially in those cases in which animals appear 
as individual protectors and in which a supposed revelation 
is used to explain certain customs of the people. Doctor 
Boas calls attention to the fact ''that in the mind of the 
Indian it is not the religious, ritualistic, or explanatory char- 
acter of a tale that makes it a myth, but the fact that it per- 
tains to a period when the world was different from what it 
is now." 

Most important in the mythology of the Tsimshian are the 
Raven myth and the Transformer myths. The incidents 
composing the former have a very wide distril^ution among 
the tribes of the North Pacific coast ; indeed they may be 
traced from the Asiatic side of Bering Strait eastward and 



26 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 

southward as far as the southern part of Vancouver Island. 
The component incidents of the Raven myths comprise 
origin tales, incidents based on Raven's voraciousness, and 
his amorous and other adventui'es. In the author's discus- 
sion of the myths of the Transformer or culture hero of the 
Tsimshian, he introduces comparisons with the same mj^tho- 
logical conception among other tribes of the northwest 
coast. 

In order to afford a proper understanding of the people 
whose mythology is here presented. Doctor Boas follows 
the first section of his memoir (that devoted to the myths 
and tales themselves) with a description of the Tsimshian, 
based on their mythology, a section on Tsimshian society, 
and a comparative study of Tsimshian mythology. In the 
appendices are Bellabella and Nootka tales, a summary of 
comparisons, a list of Tsimshian proper names and place 
names, a glossary, and an index of references. 

F. W. Hodge, 

Ethnologist-in-Cfmrge . 



ACCOMPAXYING PAPER 



TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 



FRANZ BOAS 



BASED ON" TEXTS RECORDED BY 
HENRY W. TATE 



29 



PREFACE 

The following collection of Tsimshian myths was recorded durmg 
the last twelve years by Mr. Henry W. Tate, of Port Simpson, British 
Cohmibia, hi Tshnshian, his native language. Mr. Tate died in April, 
1914. The translation of the tales as here presented was made by 
me, based on a free interlinear rendermg by Mr. Tate. 

A comparison of the form of the tales with those recorded by me 
on Nass River and on a number of points on the lower Skeena River 
shows very clearly that Mr. Tate felt it incumbent upon hunself 
to omit some of those traits of the myths of his people that seem 
inappropriate to us, and there is no doubt that m this respect the 
tales do not quite express the old type of Tsimshian traditions. A 
few of the tales also bear evidence of the fact that Mr. Tate had read 
part of the collection of tales from the Kwakiutl pubhshed by myself 
in conjunction with Mr. George Hunt.' A few others indicate his 
familiarity with my collection of tales from Nass River. At the time 
when I received these tales I called his attention at once to the 
necessity of keepmg strictly to the form hi which the traditions are 
told by the Tsimshian ; and by far the greater part of the tales bear 
mternal evidence of being a faithful record of the form m which the 
traditions are transmitted among the people. 

Christian mfluences are evidently very strong among all tribes of 
northern British Columbia, and a study of the collection of talcs 
recorded by Doctor Swanton among the Haida and Tlingit ^ shows 
also very clearly that the coarseness of their tales has been very 
much toned down. It is necessary to bear these facts in mind in 
comparative studies based on the material presented here and on 
that recorded by Doctor Swanton. I have also had the personal 
experience that uiformants were reluctant to express themselves 
freely in the traditional form, being impressed by the restrictions of 
what we call proper and improper. 

The collection here jiresented evidently contams the bulk of the 
important traditions of the Tsimshian. A small number of these 
were recorded by me in 18S8, and published in my collections of 
myths from the North Pacific coast.^ We have from the same 
linguistic group a collection of Nass River tales. ^ One of the tales 
of Mr. Tate's series was published by me with text in the ZeitscJirift 
fur Ethnoloyie .- Another group of these tales was published with 
text in the Publications of the American Ethnological Society. 

1 Publicatiom of the Jcsup North Pacific Expedition, .'ol. ra (1902 and 1905). 

2 See Bibliography on pp. 39 et seq. 

• 31 



32 PREFACE 

The series contained in the present vohime is given without text, 
partty for the reason that it has been impossible to revise phonetics 
and grammar of the texts, partly because there is no immediate 
prospect of carrying through such a revision. 

In the second part of the present paper a description of the life, 
social organization, and religious ideas and practices, of the people, 
is given as it appears from their mythology. 

In the third part I have discussed certain aspects of the social life 
of the Tsimshian. 

In the fourth part a discussion is presented of the mythology of the 
Tsimsluan in its bearing upon their general mythical concepts and in 
relation to the phenomena of dissemination of myths ua northwestern 
America. 

Tlie music contained in the present volume was reproduced as 
written by Mr. Tate. I presume no claim for accuracy can be made 
for it. 

I am indebted to Mr. C. M. Barbeau for the phonetic equivalents 
of some Tsimshian names used by Mr. Tate; to Dr. E. Sapir for those 
of some Nootka names. In an appendix I have given a number of 
hitherto unpublished BeUabella talcs collected by Professor Living- 
ston Farrand and of Nootka tales collected by Mr. George Hunt. 

I wish to express my thanks to Miss Harriet A. Andrews for her 
efhcient help in the preparation of the volume, and to Dr. H. K. 
Haeberlin for assistance in the preparation of the index of quotations. 

Franz Boas. 

Columbia University, New York, 
Summer of 1916. 



CONTEXTS 



Bibliography 

Alphabet 

Brief description of the Tsimshiaii 

I . Tsimshian myths 

1. Txii'msEm. The Raven legend (notes, p. 
(1 
(2 
(3 
(4 
(5 
(6 
(7: 

(s: 

(9: 
(lo; 
(11 

(12 
(13 
(14 
(15 
(16 
(17 

(18 
(19 
(20 
(21 
(22 
(23 
(24 
(25 
(2G 
(27 
(28 
(29 
(30 
(31 
(32 
(33 
(34 
(35 
(36 
(37 
(38 



567). 



655). 



Origin of Txa'msEm 

Origin of daylight (notes, p. 641) 

Stone and Elderberry Bush (notes, p. 663) 

Origin of fire (notes, p- 663) 

Txii'msEm uses the sinews of the tomtit (notes, p. 

Origin of tides (notes, p. 656) '. 

Giant gambles with Gull (notes, p. 653) 

Giant obtains the olachen (notes, p. 653) 

Giant learns how to cook olachen (notes, p. 653) 

Giant and the gulls 

Txa'msEm and the steelhead-salmon (notes, p. 674) 

Txa'rasEra and I.agobola' (notes, pp. 666, 721) 

Txii'msEm and the crab (notes, p. 721) .• 

Origin of the bullhead (notes, p. 685) 

Txii'msEm frightens away the owners of a whale (notes, p. 687). 

Txii'msEm finds a lieautiful blanket (notes, p. 722) 

Txii'msEm and his slave (notes, p. 689) 

Txii'msEm kills his slave (notes, p. 691) 

Fishermen break off Txa'msEm's jaw (notes, p. 684) 

Txii'msEm and the himter (notes, p. 692) 

Txii'msEm and the children (notes, p. 686) 

Txii'msEm and the salmon woman (notes, p. 668) 

Txii'msEm makes war on the south wind (notes, p. 658) 

Txii'msEm makes a girl sick and then cures her (notes, p. 722). . 

Txii'msEm pretends to build a canoe (notes, p. 720) 

Txii'msEm \'i8its Chief Echo (notes, p. 702) 

Txii'msEm kills Little Pitch (notes, p. 683) 

Txii'msEm kills Grizzdy Bear (notes, p. 680) 

Txii'msEm kills Deer (notes, p. 703) 

Txii'msEm imitates Chief Seal (notes, pp. 694, 696) 

Txii'msEm imitates Chief Kingfisher (notes, pp. 694, G96) 

Txa'msEm imitates the thrush (notes, pp. 694, 690) 

Txii'msEm and Cormorant (notes, p. 678) 

Txii'msEm and the Wolves (notes, p. 720) 

Txii'msEm and Chief Grouse (notes, p. 716) 

Txii'msEm returns to the Wolves (notes, p. 720) 

Txii'msEm invites the monsters (notes, p. 718) 

The further history of Txii'msEm (notes, p. 723") 

2. The meeting of the vrild animals (notes, pp. 723, 728) 

3. The story of the porcupine-hunter (notes, p. 723) 

4. The story of Grizzly Bear and Beaver (notes, p. 723) 

5. Story of the porcupine (notes, p. 724) 

6. Beaver and Porcupine (notes, p. 724) 

7. Story of the deluge (notes, p. 727) 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 3 33 



Page 
39 
42 
43 
58 
58 
58 
60 
62 
63 
63 
64 
65 
65 
66 
66 
67 
68 
70 
71 
71 
72 
72 
73 
74 
75 
75 
76 
79 
81 
84 
85 
86 
87 
88 
90 
91 
91 
92 
94 
94 
96 
100 
100 
106 
108 
111 
112 
113 
113 



34 CONTENTS 

I. Tsimshian mj'tlis — Continued. rage 

8. Sun and Moon (notes, p. 727) 113 

9. Am'ala' (Very Dirty) (notes, p. 723) 116 

10. The four great chiefs of the winds (notes, p. 732) 121 

11. The story of Naiq (notes, p. 734) 125 

12. The feast of the mountain goats (notes, p. 738) 131 

13. The giant devilfish (notes, p. 739) 135 

14. The hunter's -vrife who became a beaver (notes, p. 739) nS 

15. The winter hunters and the mosquito (notes, p. 740) 141 

IG. The hunters (notes, pp. 741, 759) 145 

17. The hunter and his wooden wife (notes, p. 744) 152 

18. Plucldng Out Eyes (notes, pp. 746, 759) 154 

19. The spider and the widow's daughter (notes, pp. 747, 750) 158 

20. Prince Snail (notes, pp. 747, 749) ICl 

21. The Otter who married the princess (notes, pp. 747, 751) 1G6 

22. The widow and her daughter (notes, pp. 747, 750) 172 

23. The mink who married a princess (notes, pp. 747, 762) 177 

24. The chief who married the Robin and the Sawbill Duck (notes, p. 759) 179 

25. The princess who rejected her courin (notes, p. 767) 185 

26. The bear who married a woman (notes, p. 747) 102 

27. The prince who was taken away by the spring salmon (notes, p. 770). . 192 
2S. The town of Chief Peace (notes, p. 779) 297 

29. Sucking Intestines (notes, pp. 634, 781) 214 

30. Burning Leggings and Burning Snowshoes (notes, p. 781) 216 

31. Hakiuia'q (notes, p. 783) ' 221 

32. The prince who was deserted (notes, p. 783) 225 

33. The princess and the mouse (notes, pp. 747. 791) - - . . 2 ;2 

34. The young chief who married his cousin (notes, p. 792) 238 

.35. The storj' of Asdi-wa'l (notes, p. 792) 243 

36. Waux, the son of Asdi-wa'l (notes, p. 792) 243 

37. The blind G-it-q!a'°da (notes, p. 825) 246 

38. Local winter in G-it-q!a'°da (notes, p. 829) 230 

39. The drifting log (story of the Eagle Clan) (notes, p. 831) 253 

40. The story of Asdilda and Omen (story of the Eagle Clan) (notes, p. 832). 260 

41. Explanation of the beaver hat (story of the Eagle Clan) (notes, p. 834). 270 

42. The AVater Being who married the princess (story of the Ganha'da) 

(notes, p. 834) '. 272 

43. The Story of Part Summer (story of the GanhaV.a) (notes, p. 834) 278 

44. Explanation of the abalone bow (story of the Ganha'da) (notes, p. 835). 234 

45. Story of GunaxnesEmg-a'd (story of the Ganha'da) (notes, pp. 747, 835). 235 

46. Story of the Ganha'da (notes, p. 846) 2S5 

47. G'it-na-gun-a'ks (story of the G'ispawadwE'da) (notes, p. 846) 285 

48. The four chiefs and Chief Grizzly Bear (story of the G'ispawadwE'da) 

(notes, p. 847) 292 

49. Gau'6 (story of the G'ispawndwE'da) (notes, p. 847) 217 

50. Story of the G'ispawadwE'da (notes, p. 855) 2)7 

51. Tsauda and Halus (story of the Wolf Clan) (notes, p. 855) 297 

52. Story of the Wolf Clan (notes, p. 857).' 306 

53. The Prince and Prince Wolf (story of the Wolf Clan) (notes, pp. 759, 

858) 317 

54. The ghost who fought with the great shaman (notes, p. 859) 322 

55. Great Shaman (notes, p. 859) 331 

5fi. Storj' of the ghost (notes, p. 860) 336 

57. The man who bound up his ^vrinkles (notes, p. 860) 339 



CONTENTS 35 

I. Tsimshian mji:hs — Concluded. Page 

58. The brothers who %'isited the sky (notes, p. 861) 344 

59. Six hunters (notes, p. 861) 345 

60. The Land Otter (notes, p. 862) 345 

61. The deluge (notes, p. 862^ 346 

62. The cannibal (notes, p. 863) 350 

63. Origin of the cannibals (notes, p. 863) 353 

64. Story of the Wolf Clan (notes, p. 863) 354 

Supplement: Three war tales 355 

(1) Fights between the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts and the G'it-dzi'° 355 

(2) War between the Tsimshian and the Tlingit 370 

(3) War between the Haida and the Gi-spa-x-la'°ts 380 

I I . Description of the Tsimshian, based on their my thologj' 393 

Introductorj- 393 

Towns, houses, household goods, and manufactures 394 

Dress and ornament -398 

Fishing, hunting, and food-gathering 398 

Food 404 

Travel 407 

Playing and gambling 409 

Quarrels and war 410 

Social organization 411 

Family life 419 

Chiefs, attendants, slaves, council 429 

Visitors and festivals 437 

Marriage and death 4 10 

Ethical concepts and emotional life 443 

Religious and magical practices 448 

Current beliefs 452 

Mythical concepts 453 

Shamanism 473 

III. Tsimshian society 478 

Social organization 478 

Comparative notes on the social organization of the Tsimshian 515 

Birth, marriage, and death 530 

Burial 534 

War 536 

The potlatch 537 

Religion 543 

Secret societies 546 

Shamanism 558 

IV. Comparative study of Tsimshian mythology 565 

Introductory 565 

1. The Raven and Transformer myths of the Northwest coast 567 

The Raven m\-th 507 

Transformer myths 586 

Introductions of Ti'ansformer tales .586 

Transformer myth of northern Vancouver Island 589 

Transformer myths of the west coast of Washington 597 

Transformer myths of the Gulf of Georgia and FraSer River 601 

Transformer mj-ths of the Shuswap and Chilcotin 610 

The myths of Hog Fennel and Old One 615 

Comparison of ('ulture-Hero tales of the Northwest coast 618 



36 ' COXTENTS. 

n'. Comparative study of Tsimsliiau mythology — (Concluded. 

1. The Raven and Transformer myths of the Northwest coast — Concluded. Page 

The Raven myth of the Tsimahiau 620 

Introduction to the Ra\'en myth i 021 

Raven's adventures (see p. 33) 641 

Additional ad\-eutures . ()51 

Raven obtains fresh water 051 

Raven j^aints the 1 lirds ^ 064 

Raven carves salmon out of -^-arious kinds of wood 606 

Raven marries the dead twin 007 

Raven al>ducts the daughter of tlie salmon chief 671 

Raven gets the soil 674 

Wliy Crow and Raven are black 677 

Raven and Eagle gather red and Idack cod 692 

Raven marries Hair-Seal-Woman 702 

Raven steals salmon eggs 705 

Raven steals his sisters' berries 705 

Raven's gizzard is.torn out 706 

Raven kills the seals 706 

Raven pretends to be dead 706 

Raven bums his sister's groins 707 

Raven deserts Master Fisherman on u lonely island 710 

War with the Thunderbird 7U 

Wren kills the Bear 718 

Raven judls off the arm of a chief 719 

Raven is set adrift 720 

Tsimshian mytlis Nos. 2-63 i see p. 34 ) 723 

Nass myths 803 

The Wolves and the Deer 803 

The stars 803 

War between the dwarfs and the birds 807 

Ts'ak- 808 

Growing Up Like One WTio Has A Crrandmother '. 809 

She WTio Has A Labret On One Side 870 

The Sqidrrol 870 

TsBgu'ksk" 870 

The spirit of sleep 871 

The owl , 871 

The boys who became supernatural beings 871 

Conclusion 872 

Appendix I. Bellabella and Xootka tales 883 

A ppendix 1 1 . Summary of comparisons 930 

Appendix III. List of Tsimshian proper names and place names 959 

Appendix IV. Glossary 907 

Appendix V. Index to references 980 



nXUSTEATIONS 



Page 

Plati; 1 . House at Port Simpam 506 

2. Houses at Port Simpsim 506 

3. House-posts at G'itsIala'sEr (after G. T. Emmonsi 506 

Fio URE 1 . Rear elev;jtioii of house 46 

2. Plan of house 47 

3. Front elevation of house '. 48 

4. Stone maul 49 

5. Stone adze 49 

6. Box made of bent wood 50 

7. Large box for keeping blankets 51 

8. Food tray 52 

9. Cedar-bark mat 52 

10. Painted hat made of spruce root 52 

1 1 . Halibut hook 53 

12. Fish rlub 53 

13. Bow 53 

14. Stone mortar 54 

15. Painted skin blanket 54 

16. Legging with porcupiue-quill embroidery 55 

17. Painted apron with embroidery 55 

18. Legging with porcupine-quill embroidery ornamented with puffin 

beaks 56 

1 9. Spoon made of mountain-goat horn 56 

20. Ladle made of mountain-sheep horn 57 

21. Large c<ipper plate 57 

22. Mask inlaid with haliotis shell 539 

23. Head mask attached t« frame set with sea-lion bristles, and with 

trailer ornamented vrith weasel skins .540 

24. Chief's rattle 541 

37 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Adam, Leonhard. Stammesorganisation uiifl Hauptlingstum der Haida und Tsim- 
shian. Zeilschriftfiir vergleichende Rechtswisseiischaft, xxx, 1913, pp. 161-268. 

Boas, Franz. 1. Fourth to Seventh, and Ninth to Twelfth Reports on the North- 
Western Tribes of Canada. Reports of British Association for the Advancement of 
Science: 1888, pp. 233-255; 1889, pp. 797-893; 1890, pp. 553-715; 1891, pp. 407- 
449; 1894, pp. 453-463; 1895, pp. 522-595; 1896, pp. 569-591; 1898, pp. 628-688. 

2. Die Tsimshian. Zeilschrift fiir Ethnologic, xx, 1888, pp. 398—405. 

3. Notes on the Eskimo of Port Clarence, Alaska. Journal of American Folk- 
lore, vn, 1894, pp. 205-208. 

4. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacilischen Kii.ste Amerikas. Berlin, 

1895. 

5. The social organization and the secret societies of the Kwakiutl Indians. 

Re-port of U. S. Actional Museumfor 1S95, pp. 311-738. Washington, 1897. 

6. The decorative art of the Indians of the North Pacific coast. Bulletin of 

American Museum, of Natural History, ix, pp. 123-176. New York, 1897. 

7. Tsimshian texts. Bulletin 27 of the Bureau of American Ethnology . Wash- 
ington, 1902. 

8. and Hunt, George. Kwakiutl texts. — I. Publications of the Jesup North 

Pacific Expedition., ui. Leiden and New York, 1902 and 1905. 

9. and Hunt, George. Kwakiutl texts. — II. Ibid., x. Leiden and New 

York, 1906. 

10. Eine Sonnensage der Tsimschian. Zeilschrift fur Ethnologic, xh, pp. 

776-797. Berlin, 1908. 

11. The Kwakiutl of Vancouver Island. Publications of the Jesup North Pacific 

Expedition, v, pp. 301-522. Leiden and New York, 1909. 

12. Kwakiutl tales. Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, n. 

Leiden and New York, 1910. 

13. Tsimshian texts, new series. Publications of the American Ethnological 



Society, in. Leiden and New York, 1912. 

14. Traditions of the Ts'Ets'a'ut. Journal of Amcriran Foil-Lore. ix. pp. 

* 257-268; x, pp. 3-5-48. 
15. The mythology of the Bella Coola Indians. Publiratiims of the Jesup 

North Pacific Expedition, i. pp. 25-127. Leiden, 1898. 

16. Chinook texts. Bulletin 20 of the Bureau of Ethnology. Washington, 1894. 

17. Kathlamet texts. Bulletin 26 of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Wash- 
ington, 1901. 
Chapman, Rev. John W. 1. Notes on the Tinnoh Tribe of Anvik, Alaska. Congres 

International des Americanist es, xv Session, ii, pp. 1-38. Quebec, 1907. 
2. Ten'a texts and tales. Publications of the American Ethnological Society, 

VI. Leiden and New York, 1914. 
Dawson, George M. 1. Report on the Queen Charlotte Islands, 1878. Appendix A, 

On the Haida Indians of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Geological Survey of 

Canada, Reports of Progress for 1S78-1S79. Montreal, 1880. 
2. Notes on the Indian tribes of the Yukon district and adjacent northern 

portion of British Columbia. Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Canada, 

1887, pp. 191B-213B. 
Deans, James. Tales from the totems of the Hiderj-. Archives of the International 

Folk-Lore Association, n. Chicago, 1899. 

39 



40 BIBLIOGRAPHY 

DoRSEY, G. A. The geography of the Tsiinshian ludiaup. Ameriran Antiqiiarian, 

1897, pp. 276-282. 
Emmons, George T. 1. The basketry of th« Tlingit. Memmrs of Ihe Amcrkan 

Museum of Natural History, m, pp. 229-277. New York, 1903. 

2. The Chilkat blanket. Ibid., pp. 329-401. New York, 1903. 

3. The Kitselas of British Columbia. American Anthropologist, n. f., xiv. 

1912, pp. 4G7-471. 
4. The Tahltaii lutlians. University of I'l'nnsijhmnia, The Museum, Anthro- 



pological Publications, iv, pp. 1-120. 
Erman, a. Ethnographische Wahrnehmungen unci Erfahrungen an den Kiisten 

des Berings-Meeres. Zeilschriflfiir Ethnologic, ii, 1870, pp. 29.'>-327, 369-39:5; iii, 

1871, pp. 149-175, 205-219. 
Farr.\.\d, Livingston. Traditions of the Chilcotin Indians. Publications of th^e 

Jesup North Pacific Expedition, n, pp. 1-54. New York, 1900. 
GoLDER, A. F. TLingit myths. Journal of American Folh-Lore,y.y., \^~ ,^\).2^(i-2^b 

(a translation, wdthout credit, of Vemiaminoft's Tlingit Tales [.see Erman , above] ) . 
Hardisty, William L. The Loucheux Indians. Annual Report of the Smithsonian 

Institution for the year 1866, pp. 311-320. Washington, 1872. 
HiLL-TouT, C. 1. " Sqaktktquaclt," or the benign-faced, the Oannes of the Xtlaka- 

pamuq, British Columbia. Folk-lore, x, 1899, pp. 195-216. 
. 2. Studies of the Indians of British Columbia. Report of the sixty-ninth 

meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, pp. 497-584. 

Dover, 1899. 

— 3. Notes on the Sk'qo'mic of British Columbia. Report of the seventieth 



meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, pp. 472-549. 

Bradford, 1900. 
— 4. Report on the ethnology of the Si'ciall of British Columliia. Journal of 

the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, xxxiv, 19(M, pp. 20-91. 
5. Report on the StsEe'lis and Sk'au'lits tribes of the Halkome'lEm division of 

the Salish of British Columliia. Ibid., pp. .'51]-37(i. 
6. Report on the ethnology of the StlatlumH of British <'oIumbia. Ibitl., 

XXXV, 1905, pp. 120-218. 
7. Report on the ethnology of the southeastern tribes of Vancouver Island, 

British Columbia. Ibid., xxxvii, 1907, pp. 306-374. 
Jette, Rev. Pere Jules. 1. L'OrganLsation sociale des Ten'as. Cmigrh Inter- 
national des Amerii-anisles, xv session, i, pp. 395-409. Quebec, 1907. 
2. On Ten'a folk-lore, .foumal of the Anthropological Institute, xxxviii, 

pp. 298-367. 1908. 
Krause, Aurel. Die Tlinkit-Indianer. Jena, 1885. 
Lutke, Feodor. Voyage autour du monde, 1826-1829. Partie historique. 3 vols. 

Paris, 1835. 
Mayne, R. C. Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island. London, 

1862. 
Nel.son, E. W. The Eskimo about Bering Strait, Eighteenth Annual Report of the 

Bureau of American Ethiwlogy, pp. 3-518. 
Petitot, Emile. Traditions indiennes du Canada Nord-Oucst. Paris, 1886. 
Shotridge, Louis and Florence. Notes on the Chilkat, The Museum. Journal, 

University of Pennsylvania, iv, pp. 81-103. 1913. 
SwANTON, John R. 1. Haida texts and myths. Bulletin .'9 of Ihe Burexiu of Amerij-an 

Ethnology. Washington, 1905. 

2. Contributions to the ethnology of the Haida. Publications of th: Jisup 

North Pacific Expedition, v, part i. Leiden and New York, 1905. 
3. Haida texts — Masset dialect. Ibid., x, part ii. Leiden and N(»w York, 



1908. 



BIBLIOCJRAPHY 41 

SwANTON, John R. 4. Social condition, beliefs, and linguistic relationship of the 
Tlingit Indians. Twcnli/sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ainerimn Ethnology, 
pp. 391-485. Washington. 1908. 

5. Tlingit myths and texts. Bulletin 89 of the Bureau of Aineru-an Ethnology. 

Washington, 1909. 

Teit, J.\mes. 1. Notes on the Tahltan Indians of British Columbia. Boas Anni- 
versary Volume, p. 348 New York (G. E. Stechert), 1906. 

2. Tradition.^ of the Thompson River Indians of British ( 'olumljia. Memoirs of 

the A>nerica7i Folk-Lore Society, vi. 1898. 

3. Mythology of the Thompson Indians. Publications of the Jesup North 

Pacific Expedition, vni. pp. 218 et seq. Leiden, 1912. 

4. The Shuswap. Ibid., n. p]). 443-789. Leiden, 1909. 

0. The Lillooet Indians. Ibid., ii, pp. 193-300. Leiden, 1906. 



WiLLOUQHBY, C. C. A now type of ceremonial blanket from the northwest coast. 
American Anthropologist, n. s., xii, 1910, pp. 1-10. 



ALPHABET 

a t^hort a with a strong leaning toward e, the strength of which depends 

largely upon the following consonant. Before m, n, w. the a'is fairly 
pure, like the continental a. Before I, I, k', it is almost i. 

d long sound, always produced with retracted lips, and therefore more 

like a in German Bar. 

y> distinctly sonant, but more strongly articulated than in English. 

E obscure, weak e, as in flower. 

e continental e with glide toward continental i. 

g- distinctly sonant, anterior palatal, with affricative glide toward ?/, 

more strongly articulated than English g. 

g distinctly sonant, middle palatal, like English g in ^rootf, but more 

strongly articulated. 

g the analogous velar sound. 

h as in English. 

i, I continental %. 

i open i', as in kill. 

k' , k'.' surd and fortis of g'. 

k, k! surd and fortis of g. 

q, q!. .'. surd and fortis of g. 

I sonant I, with full glottal articulation and long continued. 

l! the same, with great stress of articulation. 

TO as in Engli,sh. 

TO.' the same, with great stress of articulation . 

n with fuller glottal articulation than in English. 

n! the same, with great stress of articulation. 

o, o as in note, short and long. 

6 like o in German roll. 

d like aw in laic. 

p, pi surd and fortis of 6. 

T a very weak, strongly sonant, middle palatal trill. 

.s the tip of the tongue is turned up and touches the palate just behind 

the alveoli. The teeth are closed, and the air escapes laterally. The 
acoustic effect is intermediate between s and sh 

t, I.' surd and fortis of d. 

u, u like 00 in root, short, and long. 

w as in Engli.sh, but more strongly sonant. 

U'.' the same, with greater stress of articulation. 

X velar spirant, like ch in German Bach. 

y as in year, but more strongly sonant, with full breath. 

y! the same, with greater stress of articulation. 

dz, tn, ts! affricative sonant, surd, and fortis, wilh ])urer .v sound than the s 

described before. 

" indicates parasitic vowels which accompany some short and all long 

vowels. These are weak glottal stops with the timbre of the preced- 
ing vowel, a", for instance, sounds almost like dA (where A indicates 
a very weak a), i" like u, e" like it. After short vowels, the sound 
resembles a weak glottal stop. 
42 



TSIMSHIAN IMYTHOLOGY 



By Fraxz Boas 



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN i 
CuLTUEE Areas 

The North Pacific coast is inhabited by a number of distinct tribes, 
whose culture is faii'ly uniform. We may distinguish three groups of 
tribes — the northern group, which embraces the Tlingit, the Haida, 
and the Tsimshian; the central group, which mcludes the Kwakiutl 
tribes and the BeUacoola; and the southern group, to which belong 
the Coast Salish and the Nootka. Among the last-named group the 
characteristic traits of Nortli Pacific coast culture are weakest, whiJe 
in the first group they are most strongly developed. In the following 
pages I shall give a very brief description of the material culture of 
the tribe, co nfin ing myself, however, to those ])oints that may help 
give the proper background of the life to which the myths and 
tales refer. A fuller discussion of social custoiais, social organization, 
and rehgion, as well as a description of the life of the people as it 
appears in their tales and traditions, will be given later (see p. .393). 

Name 

The Tsimshian, who are the subject of the following sketch, take 
their name from tlie Skeena River, on which they cWell. In their 
own language tliis river is called K-sia'n, and they call themselves 
TslEin-sia'n. Ts.'sm- is a nominal prefix, signifjnng "the inside of a 
thing;" the initial t- of K-sia'n is a prefix indicating place names; so 
that the word would mean " Inside Of Tlie Skeena River." The loca- 
tive prefix t- occurs in the names of almost all the rivers of this area, 
as in K-lo'sEms ("Nass River"). 

The Thngit of Alaska call the Tsimshian Ts.'otsxE'n (a phonetic 
modification of the word Ts.'Ein^sia'n, m being absent in Tlmgit), the 
Bellacoola call them slxi'mr, the Bellabclla designate them as Gwe'tEla 
("Northerners"). The Haida caU each tribe by its own proper name. 

* The notes on the Tsimshian contained in the Fifth Report on the North- Western Tribes of Canada 
(Boas 1, 1S89), pp. 797-893, and those given in the Eleventh Report (Boas 1, 1S96), pp. 580 et scg., are em- 
bodied in their entirety in the following description. It also contains the notes on the Nisqa'^ (so far as 
they were not reprinted in Boas 5, pp. 651-660, 733) given in the Tenth Report (Boas 1, 1895), pp. 509- 
5S3. (See Bibliography, pp. 39 et seq.) Wherever the data given here differ from the earlier descriptions, 
the latter are superseded. 

43 



44 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The Tsimsluaii call the southern Tlingit G-id-gane'dz; the Hai'da, 
Haida; the Xa'ishi (the most nortliern branch of the Kwakiutl 
tribes), G-it!ama't; the G-imanoi'tx (the ])ranch of this tribe Ih-ing 
on Gardner Channel), G-it-la'°p; the Bellabella, Wutsda'. 

Material Cultuke 

The Tsimshian, who belong to the northern group of tribes, inhabit 
the valleys of Nass and Skeena Rivers and the channels and islands 
southward as far as Milbank Sound. They are fishermen, who subsist 
partly on the salmon that ascend the rivera of the coast in great num- 
bers; partly on deep-sea fishery, which is prosecuted on the codfish 
and halibut banks off the coast. At the same time they hunt seals 
and sea lions, and use the whales that drift ashore. The people of the 
villages along the river coui"ses and deep fiords of the mauiland are 
also energetic hunters, who pursue particularly the mountam goat, 
but also the bear and the deer. Vegetable diet is not by any means 
unimportant. Large quantities of berries are picked in summer and 
preserved for wmter use in the form of cakes. The sap of the hemlock 
and some species of kelp are also dried and stored away for use in the 
winter season. The olachen is sought for eagerly, and early in spring 
all the subdivisions of the Tsimshian tribe assemble on Nass River, 
which is the principal olachen river of the northern part of the coast. 
This fish is caught particularly on account of its oil, which is tried 
out and kept in boxes. 

Mr. Duncan, the well-known missionary to the Tsimshian, gives 
in one of his letters the following description of the preparation of 
olachen, as witnessed by him at Xass River:' 

"In a general way," he says, ''I found each house had a pit near it, about three 
feetdeepandsixoreightinchessquare, filled with the little fish. I found some Indians 
making boxes to put the grease in, others cutting firewood, and others (women and 
children) stringing the fi.'*h and hanging them up to dry in the sun; while others, and 
they the greater number, were making fish grease. The process is as follows: Make 
a large fire, plant four or five heaps of stones aa big as your hand in it; while these are 
heating fill a few baskets with rather stale fish, and get a tub of water into the house. 
\\'hen the stones are red-hot bring a deep box, about 18 inches square (the sides of 
which are all one piece of wood i. near the fire, and put about half a gallon of the fish 
into it and as mi«rli fresh water, then three or four hot stones, using wooden tongs. 
Repeat the doses again, then stir the whole up. Repeat them again, stir again; take 
out the cold stones and place them in the fire. Proceed in this way until the box is 
nearly full, then let the whole cool, and commence skimming off the grease. While 
this is cooking, prepare another boxful in the same way. In doing the third, use, 
instead of fre.sh water, the liquid from the first box. On coming to the refuse of the 
boiled fish in the box, which is still pretty warm, let it be put into a rough willow- 
basket; then let an old woman, for the purpose of squeezing the liquid from il, lay 
it on a wooden grate sufficiently elevated to let a wooden box stand under; then let 

I Quoted by Mayne, pp. 2.'>4-255, from a letter to the Church Missionarj' Society. 



BOAS] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 45 

her lay her naked chest on it and press it with all her weight. (;)n no account must 
a male undertake to do this. Cast what remains in the basket anywhere near the 
house, but take the liquid just saved and use it over again, instead of fresh water. 
The refuse must be allowed to accumulate, and though it will soon become putrid 
and change into a heap of creeping maggots and give out a smell almost unbearable, 
it must not be removed. The filth contracted by those engaged in the work must 
not be washed off until all is over, that is, until all the fish are boiled, and this will 
take about two or three weeks. All these plans must be carried out without any addi- 
tion or change, otherwise the fish will be ashamed, and perhaps never come ag;iin. 
So," concludes Mr. Duncan, 'think and act the poor Indians." 

Clams are dug on the beaches and are dried for winter use. This 
work devolves on the women; in olden tunes it was done by women 
and slaves. Mayne (p. 254) describes their preparation as follows: 

WTien a laige quantity of these clams has been collected, they make a pit, eight or 
ten feet deep; a quantity of firewood is put in the bottom, and it is then fdlcd up 
with clams; over the top is laid more firewood, and the whole is covered in with fir 
branches. In this way they are boiled for a day or more, according to circumstances. 
\Mien cooked, they are taken out of the shells, spitted on sticks, three or four feet 
long, and exposed to the sun to dry. after which they are strung on strips of the inner 
cypress bark or pliable reeds, and put away for the winter store. When the Indians 
return to their winter villages they are strung along the beams, forming a sort of 
inner roof; 

A favorite dish is snow mixed with oil. This dish is described by 
Mayne (p. 252) as follows: 

The Indians have a favorite dish at their feasts, which appears to answer to the carv'a 

of the South Sea Islands. They bring canoe-loads of snow and ice, and with tliese 
ingredients are mixed oil, and molasses if they have it: the slaves and old women 
being employed to beat it up, which they do in large bowls, until it assumes the 
appearance of whipped cream , when all attack the mess with their long wooden spoons. 

[Pp. 2r>o-2r>(}] The sea-cucumber, so well known in the South Seas as the Trepang 
or Beche de Mer (Holothurin lubulom) is . . . boiled and eaten fresh. . . . 

The lichen {L. juHafus) which grows on the pines, is also prepared for food. Twigs, 
bark, etc., being cleared from it. it is steeped in water till it is quite soft; it is then 
wrapped up in grass and leaves to prevent its being burnt, and cooked between hot 
stones. It takes 10 or 12 hours cooking, and when done, while still hot. it is pressed 
into cakes. Berries when fvesh are eaten in a way we should hardly appreciate — 
viz. with seal oil I 

Huntei-s used bow and arrow and the spear, and in traveling over 
mountains they carry a long mountain stick, provided at the tip with 
a horn of the mountain goat. 

It seems that iii former times it was difficult to lay by enough food 
for the whole year, and there seem to have been periods of famine 
toward the end of the winter before the appearance of the olachen. 
This feature is quite prominent in the tales of the Tsimshian, much 
riiore so than in the tales of the neighboring tribes. 

The industries of the Indians are based to a great extent on the 
ociuri'ence of the yellow and red cedars. The wood of the red cedar, 
which is easily split, is worked into planks, which serve for building 



46 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETH. ANN. 31 



houses, and which are utilized in a great variety of ways by the native 
woodworker. The bark of the red cedar is also used extensively for 
making mattnig, baskets, and certaui kmds of clothmg. Strong ropes 
are made of twigs of the cedar, while others are made of twisted cedar 
bark. Formerly blanlvets were woven of the inner bark of the yellow 
cedar, which was shredded and softened by careful beatmg, and then 
woven by a simple method of twming.. Tlie wool of mountain goats 
was also spun and woven. 

It may be said that the salmon and cedar are the foundations of 
Northwest coast culture. 

Part of the year the Indians live in permanent villages. These 
villages consist of large wooden houses built of cedar planks and 
arranged in a row facing the sea. A street is leveled in front of the 




'^/^/^///,^/^P^/7/7P^<;^/7^^^ 



Fig. 1. Rear elevation of house. 

houses, and the canoes are placed on runways on the beach in front 
of the village. Tradition tells of villages of several rows of houses. 
In olden times the houses of the Tsimshian were of moderate size, 
probably about thirty feet square. The following description is based 
on tlie observation of a few houses seen in the village of the G'it-qxa'hi 
in 1894 : ' Wliile the house of the Haida ^ generally has on each side of 
the central line three heavy beams whicl\ support the roof, the house 
of the Tsimshian and of the KwakiutI lias only one pair of heavy 
beams, one on each side of the doorway. In the KwakiutI house 
these two beams, wliich rest on heavy posts, stand no more than six 
feet apart.^ In the houses of the Tsimshian and Nisqa'^ (figs. 1-3) 
they stand about halfway between the central line and the lateral 

■ Boas 1, 1890, pp. C80-SS3. 

- See G. M. Dawson, Report of Progress, Geological Survey of Canada, 187S-79 (pis. HI, IV, V). 
' The Social Organisation and the Secret Societies of the KwakiutI Indians (.Hep. U. S. Xaf. .\fus. for 
I«S5, pp. 316 rts-rg.). 



BOAS] 



BKIEF DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 



47 



walls. The house of the Tlingit, as represented by Shotridge,' is 
very much like the Tsimshian house, except in minor points. The 
posts are still farther apart than in the Tsimshian house. This 
arrangement necessitates that provision be made for a ridge beam. 
The heavy beams B rest on the uprights U, which are seldom carved. 
On top of the beams thi-ee or four supports S are laid, on which rests 
the ridge beam II. The latter consists of two parts, leaving a space 
in the middle for the smoke hole. Sometimes, but not regularly, two 
additional beams R' rest on these supports. In a few cases the central 
ridge beam is then supported by a smaller support S'. The lower end 



n 



II 



II 



I 



u 



R 



Ul 



B 



U 



II 



II 



Fig. 2. Plan of house. 

of the roof is either arranged as shown in figures 1 and 2 or as indi- 
cated in figure 3. In the former case the roof supports are separate 
from the walls; beams V are laid on the uprights C, and the roof 
boards rest on the beams R, B, and V. In the latter case (fig. 3) the 
corner post P is connected with the rear corner post by a square beam 
which supports the lower ends of the roof boards. The walls of the old 
houses consist of horizontal planks of great width. The thick base 
planks of the front, rear, and sides (figs. 2, 3) are grooved, and the 



' Shotridge, pp. 86 et seq. 



48 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



1 KXn. ANN. 31 



thinnei" planks are let into these grooves. The two top moldmgs of 
the front are also thick planks, which are grooved. Over the door D 
is a short, heavy plank, on which rests a suigle thinner vertical plank. 
The construction of the back may be seen in figure 1. Sometimes the 
houses are built on steep banks, so that only the rear half Is built on 
the ground. In this case a foundation of heavy cedar trees is built. 
A short log is placed with one end in the bank, the butt end standing 
out toward the beach, where the side wall is to be. Another log is 
placed in the same manner where the second side wall is to be. A 
third heavy log is placed over the butts of the two projecting logs. 
Then two more logs are put on top of the first pair with their ends 
in the bank, and thus a foundation is buOt up to the level of the 
embankment. This is covered with a platform, and the house is 




Fig. 3. Front elovation of house. 

built about eight or ten feet back from its outer edge, so that the 
platform forms the front portion of the floor of the house as well as 
a summer seat in front of the house door. 

The fireplace was in the center of the house, just under the smoke 
hole. In the daj'time the people lived on the floor of the house. The 
seat of the house owner was in the rear of the fire. Guests used 
to sit by the side of the fire. The beds were arrang(>d on a platform 
that ran all around the walls. Provisions were also kept partly on 
this platform, partly on shelves, which were suspended from the beams 
and rafters. Sometimes young people had their bedrooms on such 
shelves. According to tradition there were some houses that had more 
than one platform, and in which the floors were c[uit e deeply excavated. 

The building of a house of this type required considerable skill in 
woodworldng.' In former times the Indians felled large trees by 



■ For detailed descriptions of the industries of the Coast Indians see Boas 11. 



BOAS] 



BRIEF DESCRIPTIOK OF THE TSIMSHIAN 



49 



means of stone chisels, stone axes, and fii-e; but the phiiiks used for 

house building were usually split off from a live tree by cutting deep 

notches into the trunk at appropriate distances and then splitting off 

pieces from the tree by means of large wedges, wliicli w(n-p driven with 

long-handled stone mauls (fig. 4) ; wliile on the 

southern part of the coast hand hammers were 

used. ^Vfter the planks had been split off, they 

were smoothed by means of stone or bone adzes 

(fig. 5). For A'ery fine work the process of 

smoothuig was contmued until the surface of the 

plank had reached a liigh degree of finish. The 

planks and boards were finally polished olf with 

grit stones and dogfish skin. The art of mak- 
ing household utensils from tliin planks of this 

kind had reached a liigh degree of perfection. 

The method pursued was that of kei-fuig the 

planks and of bending, after having subjected 

the wood to a steam bath. In tliis manner the 

sides of boxes and buckets were made. These 

were fastened to a wooden bottom either by 

means of pegs or bj- sewmg with twisted cedar 

twigs (fig. G). 

Water-tight boxes were secured by calkhig the 

joints. Large boxes of tliis tyjie (fig. 7) were 

used for storing provisions, blankets, etc.; 

smaller water-tight boxes, for cooking food, the 

box bemg filled with water, which was then 

heated by means of red-hot stones. 

Food trays (fig. 8) were made of large blocks of wood hollowed 

out by means of chisel and ax and fuiished wath a crooked 

knife, the handle of which fitted tlie hand nicelj'. 

One of the best prod- 
ucts of the woodwork of 
the natives of tills region 
is the dugout canoe, which 
is made of cedar, hollowed 
out , and worked down to 
an even thickness. After 
the cedar has been hol- 
lowed out, it is steamed 

and then spread, and thus large canoes are made of gi'aceful form 

and capable of \\'ithstanding a heavy sea. 
The basketry of the Tsimshian is not elaborate. Simple or twilled 

woven matting is made of wide strips of cedar bark (fig. 9). Water- 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 4 




Fig. -1. Slone maul. 




50 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETH. ANN. 31 



tight baskets and hats are woven of twined spruce-root work (fig. 10; 
see also illustrations of such basketry in Emmons 1). To a certain 
extent spruce-root basketry takes the place of ths small boxes which 
are exclusively used on the southern part of the coast for carrying 
water. Baskets made of woven cedar bark are largely used for stor- 
age of provisions, for keeping blankets, for box covers, for holding 
sjjoons, and for beiTying. 

For fishing, hooks and harpoons are employed. For halibut fishing 
a tackle is used with a crosspiece made of a light twig, to each end of 
which a hook is tied (fio;. 11). AHqt the fish is landed it is kUled 





Fig. 6. a, Box made of bent wood, b. Front of box. 

with a carved club (fig. 12). A great variety of forms of fish traps 
are found, in wliich large quantities of salmon are secured dm-ing the 
summer months. Traps are also used for securing land game. Small 
fur-bearing animals, as well as larger game, as bears, and deer, are 
trapped in tliis manner. 

The bow (fig. 13) is of simple construction. It is made of a smgle 
piece of yew wood, with slightly curved back, flat belly, and naiTow, 
round grip. The arrows are carried in a wooden quiver. Arrows 
with detachable heads were used for hunting sea otter, while land 
game was hvmted with arrows having bone points. 



BOAS] 



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 



51 





Fig. 7. a. Large box for keeping blanket?, b. Front of box 



52 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



lETH. ANN. 31 




Fig. S. Food Uay. 



and shellfish. 



It would seem that in olden times, practically all along the coast, the 
art of stone chipping was not in use, while rubbed slate points and 

pecked and battered 
stone hammers and 
stone mortai-s (fig. 
14) were common. 

\Mii!e the men pro- 
cure all the animal 
food except shellfi.sh, 
the women gather 
berries and dig roots 
On Queen Charlotte Islands, and perhaps also among 
1-he Tsimshian, tobacco was raised in olden times in gardens cl(>ared 

near the villages. The tobacco 
was not smoked, but chewed 
mixed with calcined shells. 

In olden times the dress of the 
Tsimshian consisted of a breech- 
clout, over which was worn a 
blanket of fur or of dressed skin. 
The front edges of blankets made 
of dressed skins were painted 
(fig. 15). Dressed skin was also 
embroidered with porcupine 
quills (figs. 16, 18), although 
this art was not as prominent among the coast tribes as it was 
among the Indians of the interior. Wealthy people used expensive 




Fio. 9. ecil:ir-bark mal. 




Ii 10 1 amie 1 hit miJe j[ |ikliooI. 

furs for maldng then- blankets, while the poor used marmot skins. 
On ceremonial occasions — that is, at festivals and potlatches — the 



BOAS] 



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 



53 



loaders dressed much more elaliorately. A painted or embroidered 
apron (fig. 17) and leggings (figs. 16, IS) decorated in the same maiuier 
were added to the blanket. The Tsirashian and Tlingit also wore 
ornamental blankets of mountain-goat wool.' Aprons and hoggings 
were made of similar material. The apron 
and leggings seem to have been parts of the 
ceremonial costume worn at dances rathci- 
than ordinary dress. 

The children of the nobility were tat- 
tooed on the back of the hands and on the 
chest with designs representing their crests. 
The helix of the ear was perforated four 
times; and large ear-ornaments made of 
long tassels of wool, with square pieces of 
abalone shell attached to them, were worn 
pendant from these perforations. Teeth of 
the killer whale were also worn as ear- 
ornaments. The septum of the nose was 
perforated, and a horizontal bar of bone, or a pendant made of 
abalone shell or of the tooth of the killer whale, was worn as a nose- 
ornament. The lower lips of women were perforated in the centei-, 
and labrets were worn in this laole. Yoimg girls wore a thin nail 




Fiii. 11. Halibut hook. 




Fig. 13. FL-JhcUib. 



with a head on the inner side. With increasing age the size of the 
labret was increased, and old women wore large wooden plugs inlaid 
with abalone shell. It is said that noble girls used to bite on a gi-een- 
stone pebble in order to wear down their incisors. 




Flij. Ki. Bow. 



Weapons were, besides bow and arrow, dagger, spear, and club. 
Warriors protected their bodies by means of armor made of rods or 
slats and a loose outer armor of heavy hide. .Ul of these were jjainted 



1 See Emmons 2. 



54 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETH. ANN. 31 



with the crest designs of the wearer. Greaves were worn over the 
shins, and the head was covered with a hchnet. 

Household utensils, canoes, and practically all objects utilized by 
the natives, are elaborately decorated. This is true particularly of 

their woodwork. The style 
of decoration is very char- 
acteristic. Only annual mo- 
tives are applied, each design 
generally consisting of a com- 
bination of various parts of 
an anunal's body, whose 
forms, although highly con- 
ventionalized, are easily rec- 
ognized. The conventional 
type of this art is based 
on the principle, so common 
in the art of children and 
of primitive people, of representing what appear to the artist 
as the essential parts of the animal, with little regard to their 
arrangement in space. This method of representation is developed 
here to a high artistic perfection. In general, the artist endeavors 




Fin. H. Stone mortar. 




Tig. 15. Painted skm blajikel. 



by distortion and dissection to fit the whole animal as nearly 
as possible into the decorative field. This is frequently accom- 
plished by spKtting the animal in two, and by representing 



BOAS] 



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 



55 



the two halves spread out; hut many other processes are used. Tlie 
forms are expressed m curved Imes, and there is a tendency to utilize 
oval fields, which may be elaborated by a group of concentric or 



■ ■V^■■:.!^^ljC^-^C■\j^;■*!??^vl^:,<•'^■<•;^■^>^^ 




Fig. 1G. Legging with porcupine-quiil embroidery. 

almost concentric elliptical or rounded designs. These peculiar 
designs resemble eyes; and the Northwest coast art may be said to 




Fig. 17. Painted apron ^ith embroidery. 



be characterized by the prevalence of the eye motive. The eye is 
used with great frequency to indicate the joints of the body, the original 
idea bemg evidently a representation of the ball-and-socket joint, the 



56 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



I ETH. ANN. "1 



curvod outline of the figure representing the socket, the iimer field 
the ball. These designs are done both in carving and paintuig. 




Fig. is. Legjing vrith porcupine-fiiiill embroidery ornamented with puflln beaks. 

The colors applied are principally' black and red, 
although gi-een and \)\ue also occur. Among the 
Tsimshian and Tlingit the same kinds of designs 
are used on blankets woven of mountain-goat wool 
and cedar bark. The animals used for ornamenta- 
tion are almost throughout those which play an 
important part in the mj'tholog}' and in the behefs 
connected with the social organization of the tribe. 
It Ls remarkable that geometrical designs are practi- 
cally absent. Only among the Tlingit, where elabo- 
rate decoration of spruce-root basketry occurs, does 
a highly developed geometrical decorative art accom- 
pany the more realistic art before described. It 
seems probable, however, that this art has been 
introduced tlu'ough contact of the coast tribes with 
the tribes of the ulterior. The decoration resembles 
the designs used in the porcupine-quill embroidery 
of Athapascan tribes, and is executed iii basketry 
by a peculiar method of "false embroideiy." To 
a limited extent, such geometric designs are used 
in quUl embroidery applied to leggings and other 
dress, and seem to have been used on old types of 

The Idealistic art, which is 




Fig. 19. Spoon made of 
inoimtain-goat horn. 



articles • of 



blankets woven of mountain-goat wool 



BOAS] 



BRIEF DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 



57 



based on woodwork, is essentially a man's art; the geometri<' art, 
which is based on basket and mat weaving, is a woman's art.' 

The products of different parts of the country and of different 
tribes were so varied, that a lively trade existed all along the coast. 
The Tsimshian sold to the Ilaida, in 
exchange for canoes, particularly 
boxes of olachen oil, cai-ved spoons of 
mountain-goat horn (fig. 19) and 
bighorn-sheep horn (fig. 20), wool 
and woolen blankets. Dentalia, 





Fig. 20. J^adle made of mountain-sheep 
horn. 

abalone shells, copper, and 
slaveys were also important 
in intertribal trade. Dried 
salmon, halibut, and other 
kinds of staple food, were 
also sold in exchange for 
fm's and other A'alua])les. It 
is said that blankets made 
of marmot skuis sewed 
together were a standard of 
value. The curious copper 
plates made in olden times of native copper, later of imported 
copper (fig. 21), represented high values. These were used only at 
potlatches. 



Fig. ::i. I.:::;:e copper plate. 



1 For details in regard to this subject see Boas ti; Emmons 1. 2: Willoughby. 



I. TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 
1. Txa'msem (The Raven Legend)* 

(1) ORIGIN OF txa'msem 

At one time the whole world was covered with darkness. At the 
southern point of Queen Charlotte Islands there was a town in which 
the animals 1 ived . Its name was Kungalas.^ A chief and his wife were 
living there, and with them a boy, theii' only child,, who was loved 
very much by his parents. Therefore his father tried to keep him 
out of danger. He built for his son a bed above his own, in the rear 
cf his large house. He washed him regularly, and the boy grew up 
to be a youth. 

Wlien he was quite large the youth became ill, and, being very sick, 
it was not long before ho died. Therefore the hearts cf his parents 
were A'cry sad. They cried on account of their beloved child. The 
chief invited his tribe, and all the (animal) people went to the chief's 
house and entered. Then the chief ordered the child's body to be 
laid out; and he said, "Take out his intestmes." His attendants laid 
out the body of the cliief's child, took out the intestines, burned them 
at the rear of the chief's house, and placed the body on the bed which 
his father had built for his son. The chief and the chieftainess 
wailed every morning under the corpse of their dead son, and liis 
tribe cried with them. They did so every day after the young 
man's death. 

One morning before daylight came, the chieftainess went agahi to 
wail. She arose, and looked up to where her son was lying. There 
she saw a youth, bright as foe, lying where the body of then- son had 
been. Therefore she called her husband, and said to him, "Our 
beloved child has come back to life." Therefore the chief arose and 
went to the foot of the ladder wliich reached to the i)lace where the 
body had been. He went up to his son, and said, "Is it you, my 
beloved son? Is it you?" Then the shining youth said, "Yes, it 
is I." Then suddenly gladness touched the hearts of the parents. 

The tribe entered again to console their chief and their chieftamess. 
When the people entered, they were much surprised to see the shiiung 
youth there. He spoke to them. "Heaven was much aimoyed by 
your constant waUmg, so He sent me down to comfort your minds." 
The great tribe of the chief were very glad because the prmce lived 
agaia among them. His parents loved him more than ever. 

1 Notes, pp. 634, 636. 

2 rrobably Haida Ku'nxalas (see Swanton 2, p. 278. town No. 31), tlie town of the Eagle l.imily 
Qlo'na qc'^awa-i. 

58 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 69 



The shining youth ate very little. He staid there a long time, and 
he did not eat at all; he only chewed a little fat, but he did not eat 
any. The chief had two great slaves — a miserable man and his wife. 
The great slaves were (called) Mouth At Each End. Eveiy morning 
they brought all kinds of food uito tlie house. One day, when they 
came in from where they had been, thej'' brought a large cut of whale 
meat. They threw it on the fire and ate it. They did this every 
time they came back from hunting. Then the chieftainess tried to 
give food to her son who had come back to life, but he declined it and 
lived without food. The chieftaiaess was very anxious to give her 
son something to eat. She was afraid that her son would die again. 
On the following day the shining youth took a walk to refresh hunself. 
As soon as he had gone out, the chief went up the ladder to where he 
thought his son had his bed. Behold, there was the corpse of his own 
son! Nevertheless he loved his new child. 

One day the chief and chieftauiess went out to visit the tribe, and 
the two great slaves entered, carryuig a large piece of whale meat. 
They threw the whale fat mto the fu'e and ate of it. Tlien the shining 
youth came toward them and questioned the two great slaves, 
askmg them, "What makes you so hungry?" The two great slaves 
replied, "We are hungry because wo have eaten scabs from our 
shin bones." Therefore the shining youth said to them, "Do you 
like what you eat?" Then the slave-man said, "Yes, my dear!" 
Therefore the prince replied, " I avUI also try the scabs you speak about." 
Then the slave-woman said, "No, my dear! Don't desu'e to be as 
we are." The prince repeated, "I wiU just taste it and spit it out 
again." Then the male slave cut off a small piece of whale meat 
and put in a small scab. Then the female slave scolded her husband 
for what he was doing. "O bad man! what have you been doing to 
the poor prince?" The shining prince took up the piece of meat 
with the scab ui it, put it into his mouth, tasted it, and spit it out 
agaiix. Then he went back to his bed. When the chief and the 
chieftainess came back from their visit, the prince said to his mother, 
"Mother, I am very hungiy." The chieftamess said at once, "Oh, 
dear, is it tine, is it time ?" She ordered her slaves to feed her beloved 
son with rich food. The slaves prepared rich food, and the youth 
ate it all. Again he was veiy hungry and ate everything, and the 
slaves gave hun more to eat than before. 

He did so for several days, and soon all the provisions in his father's 
house were at an end. Then the prmce went to every house of 
his father's people and ate the provisions that were m the houses. 
This was because he had tasted the scabs of Mouth At Each End. 
Now the provisions were all used up. The chief knew that the pro- 
visions of his tribe were almost exhausted. Therefore the great chief 



60 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

felt sad and ashamed ou account of what his sou had done, for he 
had devoured almost all the provisions of his tribe. 

Therefore the chief invited all the people in, and said, "I wOl send 
my child away before he eats all our provisions and we lack food." 
Then all the people agreed to what the chief had said. As soon as 
they had all agreed, the chief called his son. He told him to sit down 
in the rear of the house. As soon as ho had sat tlown there, the chief 
spoke to his son, and said, "My dear son, I shall send you away inland 
to the other side of the ocean." * He gave his son a small roimd 
stone and a raven blanket and a dried sea-lion bladder filled with all 
kinds of berries. The chief said to his son, "When j^ou fly across the 
ocean and feel weary, drop this round stone on the sea, and you shall 
find rest on it; and when you reach the mauiland, scatter the various 
kinds of fruit all over the land ; and also scatter the salmon roe in all 
the rivers and brooks, and also the trout roe; so that you may not 
lack food as long as you live in this world." Then he started. His 
father named him Giant. 

(2) ORIGIN OF DAYLIGHT^ 

Giant flew inland (toward the east) . He went on for a long time, 
and finally he was very tired, so he dropped down on the sea the little 
round stone which his father had given to him. It became a large 
rock way out at sea. Giant rested on it ami refreshed himself, and 
took off the raven skin. 

At that time there was always darkness. There was no daylight 
then. Again Giant put ou the raven skin and flew toward the east. 
Now, Giant reached the mainland and arrived at the mouth of Skeena 
River. There he stopped ami scattered the salmon roe and trout roe. 
He said while he was scattering them, "Let every river and creek 
have all kinds of fish ! " Then he took the dried sea-lion bladder and 
scattered the fruits all over the land, saying, "Let every mountain, 
hill, valle)', plain, the whole land, be full of fruits!" 

The whole world was still covered with darkness. When the sky 
was clear, the j^eoplc would have a little light from the stars; and 
when clouds were in the sky, it was veiy dark all over the land. The 
people were distressed by this. Then Giant thought that it would 
be hard for him to obtain his food if it were always dark. He 
remembered that there was hght in heaven, when(;e he had come. 
Then he made up his mind to bring down the light to our world. On 
the followhig day Giant put on liis raven skin, which his father the 
chief had given to him, and flew upward. Finally he found the hole 
in the sky, and he flew tlu'ough it. Giant reached the inside of the 
sky. He took ofl" the raven skin and put it down near the hole of 



' Meaning to the mainland. — F. li. sxotes, p. (;41. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 61 

the sk}-. He went on, and came to a spring neac the house of the 
cliief of heaven. There he sat down and waited. Then the chief's 
daughter came out, carrvmg a small bucket in which she was about 
to fetch water. She went down to the big spring in front of her 
father's house. 'WTien Giant saw her coming along, he transformed 
himseK into the leaf of a cedar and floated on the water. The chief's 
daughter dipped it up in her bucket and di-ank it. Then she returned 
to her father's house and entered. After a short time she was with 
child, and not long after she gave birth to a boy. Then the cliief 
and the chief tainess were very glad. They wasked the boy regularh". 
He began to grow up. Now he was beghining to creep about. They 
washed him often, and the chief smoothed and cleaned the floor of 
the house. Xow the child was strong and crept about every day. 
He began to cry, " Hama, Juima!" He was crymg all the time, and 
the great chief was troubled, and called in some of his slaves to carry 
about the boy. The slaves did so, but he would not sleep for several 
nights. He kept on crying, "Hama, hama!" Therefore the chief 
invited all his wise men, and said to them that he did not know what 
the boy wanted and why he was crying. He wanted the box that 
was hanging in the chief's house. 

This box, in which the daylight was kept, was hanging in one corner 
of the house. Its name was md. Giant had known it before he 
descended to our world. The child cried for it. The chief was an- 
noyed, and the wise men listened to what the chief told them. WTien 
the wise men heard tlie child crying aloud, they did not know what 
he was saying. He was crying all the time, "Hama, hama, hama!" 

One of the wise men, who understood him, said to the chief, "He 
is crjang for the md." Therefore the chief ordered it to be taken 
down. The man put it down. The}- put it down near the fu-e, and 
the boy sat down near it and ceased crying. He stopped crying, for 
he was glad. Tlien he rolled the md, about inside the house. He did 
so for four days. Sometimes he would carry it to the door. Now 
the great chief did not think of it. He had quite forgotten it. Then 
the boy reall}^ took up the md, put it on his shoulders, and ran out 
with it. While he was running, some one said, "Giant is rumiing 
away with the md.' ' ' He ran away, and the hosts of heaven pursued 
him. They shouted that Giant was running away with the md. He 
came to the hole of the sky, put on the skin of the raven, and flew 
down, carrjdng the md,. Then the hosts of heaven returned to their 
houses, and he flew down with it to our world. 

At that time the world was still dark.' He arrived farther up the 
river, and went down river. Giant had come down near the mouth 
of Nass River. He went to the mouth of Nass River. It was always 
dark, and he carried the md about with him. He went on, and went 

1 Notes, p. 649. 



62 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

up the river in the dark. A httle farther up he heard the noise of 
the people, who were catching olachen in bag nets in theh- canoes. 
There was much noise out on the river, because they were working 
hard. Giant, who was sittmg on the shore, said, "Thi'ow ashore 
one of the things that you are catchhig, my dear people!" After 
a while, Giant said again, " Throw ashore one of the things you are 
catching!" Then those on the water scolded him. "Where did you 
come 'from, great liar, whom they call Txa'msEm?" The (animal) 
peojile knew that it was Giant. Therefore they made fun of him. 
Then Giant said again, "Throw ashore one of the things that you are 
catching, or I shall break the Ttva!" and all those who were on the 
water answered, "^Vhere did you get what you are talking about, 
you liar?" Giant said once more, "Throw ashore one of the things 
that you axe catching, my dear people, or I shall break the md for 
you!" One person replied, scolding him. Giant had repeated liis 
request four times, but those on the water refused what he had asked 
for. Therefore Giant broke the ma. It broke, and it was dayhght. 
The north wind began to blow hard ; and all the fishermen, the 
Frogs, were driven away by the north wind. All the Frogs who had 
made fun of Giant were driven away down river until they arrived 
at one of the large mountainous islands. Here the Frogs tried to 
climb up the rock; but they stuck to the rock, being frozen by the 
north wind, and became stone. They are stiU on the rock. The 
fishing Frogs named him Txa'msEm, and all the world had the day- 
hght. 

(3) STONE AND ELDERBERRY BUSH' 

TxamsEm went along up Nass River, and came to the place where 
Stone and Elderberry Bush were quarreling, discussing who should 
give birth first. Stone wished to give birth first, and Elderberry 
Bush also wished to give bu-th first. TxamsEin hstened to what they 
were saying. Stone said, "If I give birth first, then people will 
Uve a long time; if you give bu-th first, people wUl five a short time." 
Giant went to the place where they were and looked, and, behold! 
Stone had almost given birth to her cMld. Then he went to Elder- 
berry Bush and touched her. He said, "Give bu-th fu-st, Elder- 
berry Bush." Then Elderberry Bush gave birth to her child. For 
that reason people do not five many years. Because Elderberry 
Bush gave birth to her child first, man dies quickly. If Stone had 
given birth first to her child, it would not be so. That is what our 
people say. That is the story of Elderberry Bush's children; and 
ther.efore the Indians are much trouljled because Stone did not give 
birth to her childi-en fu-st. For this reason the people die soon, and 
elderberry bushes gi-ow on their graves. 

' Notes, p. 6GS. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 63 

(!) ORICJIX OF FIRE ' 

Again TxamsEm went on, and the people began to multiply on the 
earth. However, they were distressed because they had no lire to look 
their food and to warm themselves in winter; and Giant remembered 
that they had fire in the village of the animals. Therefore he tried to 
fetch it for the people. He started, wearing his raven blanket which 
his father, the chief, had given to him before he left yonder. Soon he 
amved; but the people of his father's village refused to let him have 
fire, and sent hun away from their town. He tried in every way to 
get fire, but he failed, for the people would not let him have it. 

Finally he sent one of his attendants, the Sea Gull, to carry a 
message to the people; and this is the message the Sea Gull carried: 
"A good-looking young chief will come soon to the people to have a 
dance in your chief's house." Then the whole tribe made ready to 
welcome the young chief. Then Giant caught a deer and skinned it. 
At that time the deer had a long tad, like a wolf's taU. Giant tied 
pitch wood to the long tad of the deer. He borrowed the canoe of 
the great Shark, and they came to the village, where the cliief had a 
large fire in his house. The big Shark's canoe was full of crows and 
sea guUs; and Giant was sitting in the center of the canoe, dressed in 
his deer skin. Then all the people entered. They l)uilt a large fire, 
larger than it had been before, and the great house of the chief was 
full of his tribesmen. Then all the newcomers were seated on one 
side of the large house, ready to sing. Soon the young chief began 
to dance, and all his companions beat time with their sticks, and one 
had a drum. They all sang a song, and some of the birds clapped 
their hands, and they all sang together. 

The Deer entered at the door. He looked around, and entered 
leaping and dancing, and went around the large fire. Then all the 
people were well pleased to see liim dance. Finally he struck his tail 
over the fire, and the pitch wood on his tail caught fire. He ran out 
with the firebrand at his tail and swam on the water. Then all his 
companions flew away out of the house. The great Shark canoe also 
left. The people tried to catch the Deer, intending to kill him. He 
jumped and swam quickly, and the pitch wood at his tail was burning. 
When he arrived at one of the islands, he went ashore quickly, 
struck a fir tree with his tad, and said, "You shall burn as long as the 
years last." For that reason the deer has a short black tail. 

(5) txa'msem uses the sinews of the tomtit 2 

TxiimsEm walked along the seashore and saw a long mass of seaweed 
way out at sea. There were very large sea eggs on it. TxamsEm was 
anxious to eat them, but he could not get them because the seaweed 

i Notes, p. 600. = Notes, p. 655. 



64 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOCiY (etu. anx. 31 

was too far out to sea. Therefore he made up his mind to invite in 
all the people from the land and from the sea; and when all the guests 
were in his house, TxamsEm spoke: "Friends, I have invited you in 
because I want to borrow your sinews." All the people promised to 
help him, and first he took the sinew of the large whale. TxiimsEm 
threw it out to sea, trying to reach the large sea egg that ho saw on 
the long mass of seaweed which was floatmg on the sea. The whale 
smew, however, broke. He tried the smews of aU the different 
anunals, one at a time, but none of them were satisfactory. Finally 
he said, " Whose sinews have I not tried yet ? " Then the little Tomtit 
stood up and said, "Sn, you may take my sinews;" and he took out 
the sinews from his little belly and held them out to liim. They 
were as thin as spider web. When all his smews were out, he said, 
"Now, master, take hold of one end of my sinews and tlirow them 
out where the long mass of seaweed is; then we shall get your sea 
egg." TxamsEm could hardly hold the small sinew of the Tomtit. 
Nevertheless he tried. Finally Tomtit took hold of one end of (the 
rope made of) his own sinews, went dowai to the beach, and threw 
(the rope made of) his own sinews seaward to the place where the 
long mass of seaweed was, and caught it. Then all the pcoj)le puUed 
at it, and the sinews of the Uttle Tomtit were stronger than the sinews 
of all the other animals. Soon TxamsEm had a large sea egg. He 
ate it and kept the shell. He was well pleased to have eaten the 
large sea egg. Then he gave power to Tomtit to be a chief overall 
the animals. Then TxiimsEm went on. 

(6) ORIGIN OF TIDES ' 

Agam TxamsEm took his raven blanket and flew over the ocean with 
the firebrand in hLs hands. He arrived at the mainland and came to 
another house, which belonged to a very old woman, who held the 
tide-lme in her hand. At that tinae the tide was always high, and 
did not turn for several days, until the new moon came, and all the 
people were anxious for clams and other sea food. Giant entered 
and found the old woman holding the tide-line in her hantl. He sat 
down and said, "Oh, I have had enough, I have had all the clams I 
need!" The old woman said at once, "How is that possible ? How 
can that be? What are you talking about. Giant?" — "Yes, I have had 
clams enough." The old woman said, "No, it is not true." There- 
fore Giant pushed her, so that she fell back, and he threw tiust into 
her eyes and her mouth. Then she let the tide-hne go, so that the 
tide ran out very low, and all the clams and shellfish were on the 
beach. So Giant carried up as much as he could. The tide was still 
low when he re-entered. The old woman said, "Giant, come and heal 
my eyes! I am blmd from the (hist." Giant said, "Will you 

' Notes, p. 6.56. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 65 

promise to slacken the tide-line twice a day?" She agreed, and 
Giant cured her eyes. He had eaten all the shellfish that he had 
carrietl up. 

The old woman said, "How can you get water to drink, Giant?" 
He answered that it was under the roots of the httle alder tree.' Soon 
Giant was thirsty, and he went to tlrink water, but he could not find 
any. Finally he went up Skeena River, and there he found water; 
because the old woman had dried up all the brooks and creeks. 
Therefore the tide turns twice every day, going up and down. 

(7) GIANT GAMBLES WITH GUI>L^ 

Ho went on and made a house. He saw a sea gull flymg about, and 
said, "Hey!" The Gull continuetl to fly about, crying, "Ha, ha!" 
Then Giant ran about and made sticks, intending to gamble, and the 
Sea Gull came to hun. They began to gamble, and soon they began 
to quarrel; and Giant said, "This is my gambUng-stick." Sea Gull 
said, "No, it is my gambling-stick." Therefore Giant threw the Gull 
on his back and stepped on his stomach, so that the GuU vomited 
one olachen. Giant took it, and the Gull flew away. 

(8) GIANT OBTAINS THE OLACHEN ^ 

On the following day Giant made a little canoe of elderberry wood , 
went do\\ai the river, and landed at the beach m front of the house of a 
great chief, Kuwask. After he had rubbed the spawn of the olachen 
over the inside of his canoe, he entered, and said, "Oh! my clothes 
are wet, because the Tsimshian were working hard last night, fishing 
for olachen. Many persons caught two or three canoe-loads of 
olachen up the river last night." Then the people in the chief's 
house said, "Oh, how could olachen get there? Their time has not 
come yet. They wiU go up four months and a half hence." They 
did not believe what Giant said, and contmued, "You are a liar, you 
are a liar!" Giant said, "Look at the inside of my canoe! There 
are spawn of olachen in it." The young men went down, and saw 
that the whole inside of the canoe was full of olachen spawn; and 
when they lifted up the stern-sheets, they found the tail of an olachen. 
Therefore the young men returned, went up, and said, "It is true," 
and showed the olachen tail. Then the gi-eat chief said, "Perhaps 
those foolish young olach^ns have gone(?)." Moreover, he said, 
" Go and ask the several chiefs in the village — ask Burst Under The 
Stern Sheets, ask Stick To The Hot Stone, ask HaK Eaten By Tlie 
Goose, ask Dried In Olachen Box.^ See what they say!" Then the 
person went to ask them. He was sent by the chief, and they all agreed. 
Therefore the chief ordered the men who were standing in the four 

' See p. 69. ' Notes, p. 053. 

8 The.se are names of the various olachen chiefs, and refer to the conditions of the fish during the process 
of catchmg and trying out the oil.— F. B. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 5 



66 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

corners of his house to break the corners. They did so, and the 
olachen went down into the water. Therefore Giant ran down to 
the water, stepped into the river, and shouted to the olachen to go 
up the river. He said, "Go up on both sides of the river!" Then 
he went aboard his canoe, filled it with olachen, and paddled along to 
Nass River, shouting all the while. Therefore on Nass River the 
olachen fishing bcgms Aery early in spring. 

(9) GIANT LEARNS HOW TO COOK OLACHEN ' 

Giant camped at a certain place. lie did not know how to cook 
his olachen. A woman came to the place where he had camped, and 
Giant spoke kindly to her, like a brother to his sister. Her name was 
Tsowatz. She was the Oil Woman, of dark complexion. Giant 
asked her, "Tell me, how shall I cook my olachen?" Oil Woman 
told him, "You must heat stones; and when they are red-hot, pour 
four pails of water into a large cedar box. " Thus spoke Oil Woman 
to Giant. She said also, "Make a pair of tongs of cedar wood for 
handling red-hot stones. The tongs should be a fathom and a half 
long. Throw red-hot stones into a box ; and when the water bods, 
fiU five baskets with olachen; then heat some more stones ; and wluui 
they also are red-hot, make a large spoon of alder wood, and use it for 
taking the stones out of the cedar box. When you have done this 
two or three times, the fish wiU be done. Before the fish is done, 
pour more water into the box before you take out the first lot of stones. 
Then, after you take out the first lot of stones, put in the second 
lot. Then take them out again, and put in the third lot of red-hot 
stones to cook the fish with; and when the oil appears on top of the 
water, you will have all the grease you want." Thus spoke the Oil 
Woman to Giant, and Giant was glad to receive the instruction of 
Oil Woman. He took her gladly to be his sister. 

(lO) GL\NT AND THE GULLS 

TVTido he was still encamped there, a gull appeared over Giant. 
He called him Little GuU. Then two Gulls came to him; and Giant 
asked them, "How shall I roast my olachen, friends?" The two 
Gulls taught liiin how to roast the olachen. They built a frame of 
elderberry wood and put it in good order. The space between the 
elderberry sticks was about three finger-widths, and they were as long 
as the fore arm. They placed the olachen on the elderberry frame. 
Then the GuUs said to Giant, "Put on your mat of spi-uce roots and 
your cedar-bark raincoat, and your gloves, and wrap your blanket 
around jour knees, and start a fire imder the frame, and sit there and 
keep the fire a-going until the olachen are done on one side. Then 

'This and the following story contain the olachen taboos practiced bj- the Tsimshian.— Notes, 
p. 653.— F. B. 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAKT MYTHS 67 



turn them over. When you turn the frame over, say 'Lawa!' Then 
put it in good order again, and put them on the frame -with the other 
side towards the fire. Then, when one of the oLichen bursts on 
account of the heat of the fire, say 'Oh, oh! some more olachen are 
coming up!' " Giant was very glad to receive the instructions of the 
two Gulls. Before the olachen was done, the two Gulls began to eat 
Giant's olachen; and they cried while eating, "Gunax h-aa, gunax Jiaa!" 
Then many guUs came, crying "Gunax Turn, gunax Juia !" and ate all the 
olachen on the frame. Now Giant was sad. He took the GuUs and 
threw them into the fire, and ever since that tiine the tips of their 
wings have been black. 

(Note of the Recorder. — Tlie place where he camped at that time 
was called Ijittle Crabapple-Tree Place. And so we know nowadays 
how to cook olachen, for Giant taught the people how to cook olachen. 
AH these works he did in order to support the people whom he made 
out of the elderberry tree. The first tiling he did was to leave his 
father; the second was to fly over the sea to the maudand; the third, 
to scatter all kinds of fishes in the rivers and streams; the fourth, 
to scatter all kinds of berries over the dry land; fifth, he ascended to 
heaven and brought down dayhght and north wind ; and as the sixth 
thing, ho went to the village of his father and brought the fu-e; 
seventh, he went to the old woman and obtained from her the tide- 
line; eighth, he called the Gull to gamble with him, and in their 
quarrel he stepped on the GuU's stomach and made him vomit 
olachen; ninth, he went to the olachen \'illage and deceived the 
chief; tenth, he met the Oil Woman; eleventh, he called two Gulls 
to teach him how to roast the olachen. And this is the end of his 
works to fill the wants of the new people whom he had made.) 

(ll) txa'msem axd the steelhead salmon' 

Now Giant's name was changed to TxiimsEm. He went on, and saw 
a steelhead salmon jinuping in the river. Then he made a plan. He 
kicked the rock and made a deep hole. He said with a loud voice, 
" Ha, steelhead salmon ! come up to me to the beach ! " He was stand- 
ing above the hole which he had kicked into the rock. Suddenly the 
steelhead salmon hit his heart, and TxamsEm lay there like one 
dead. After a while he opened his eyes, and saw that the salmon had 
jumped over the hole that he had made. He kicked the rock again, 
and made a second hole. Again he said, "Come up to me, big steel- 
head salmon, and we will see who is the stronger!" He stood there, 
ready to catch the steelhead salmon. Again suddenly the steel- 
head salmon hit his heart, and he lay there like one dead. After 
a whUe he opened his eyes and saw the steelhead salmon IjTng in the 
hole near the water. TxamsEm rushed down to kill it, but could not 
reach it. He kicked the rock agam, and made a third hole, and he 

1 Notes, p. 674. 



68 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

stood there above those three holes. lie repeated the same words 
as before, ''Come up to me, big steelhead salmon! Wo will see who 
is the stronger." And when he said so, the steelhead salmon hit 
him again, and he lay there like one dead. His heart was swollen. 
Wlien his eyes opened again, he saw the steelhead salmon again, 
which lay right in the middle of the last hole. He went down slowly 
and caught it; and he was very glad to have the steelhead salmon, 
for ho was very hungry. 

He did not know how to prepare his food, so he sat down and eased 
himself. Then he asked Ids excrements, "What shall I do, excre- 
ments?" They answered, "Steam it in a hole, steam it m a hole." 
Then he gathered firewood. Then TxamsEm gathered stones, heated 
them, and when the stones were red-hot, he put them in a hole. He 
also went and gathered leaves of the skunk-cabbage to cover it. 
Then he cut the salmon lengthwise, and covered it with the skunk- 
cabbage leaves, and poured water on it. When the salmon was done, 
white crows gathered over him. Then TxamsEm said to the White 
Crows, "Grandcliildren, go and borrow for me some dishes, so that I 
may eat my salmon." The White Ci-ows went and brought mussel- 
shells to TxamsEm. When he saw them, he said, "No, that is not 
what I want. I want real dishes. Go agam and bring them!" 
They went, and brought clamshells. Then TxamsEm became angry, 
and said, "Go again and bring me real dishes." They went, and 
brought all kjnds of shells. Now TxiimsEm himself went to get real 
dishes. As soon as he had gone, all the crows came and ate Txiim- 
sEm's salmon. After they had eaten it, they put over the hole a 
large hemlock tree that stood near by. Wlien TxamsEm came back, 
he saw that the hole was empty, and all he saw was that the ground 
was covered with the crows' excrements. He looked up, and, 
behold! multitudes of crows covered the branches of a large tree. 
Then all the crows flew away; and TxamsEm cursed them, and said, 
"As you are flying there, you shall be all black." Therefore all crows 
are black. 

(12) txa'msem and lagobola" 

TxamsEm went down the river, and arrived at its mouth. There 
he met a man named Lagobola, and TxamsEm talked to hun. He said, 
"Brother, where have you been?" Lagobola replied, "I come from 
the south, and I heard of your fame, which has spread all over the 
world." Thus spoke Lagobola to TxamsEm. Lagobola also said, 
"I also hear about your supernatural power." Then TxamsEm 
said, "Well, Brother Lagobola, let us go to the sea tomorrow to hunt 
sea otters!" and Lagobola agreed. They were going to Dundas 
Island. TxamsEm killed three seals and two sea otters; and he 
camped there first. While he was making a fire, Lagobola came to 

' Notes, p. 666. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 69 

the place wljere he was encamped. TxamsEm invited liim up, and 
they were about to eat there. Then TxamsEm went to get fuel and 
to look for water. They began to eat; and after they had eaten, 
Lagobola said to his friend, " Wliat are you gomg to drink, TxamsEm ? 
Ai-e you going to driiik from the root of the little alder tree?"' — 
"Yes, my dear!" said TxamsEm. After they had eaten, TxilmsEm 
took his bucket and went to the root of the little alder tree, and found 
no water there, for Lagobola had dried up all the water of the brooks. 
TxilmsEm knew at once that Lagobola had caused the water to dis- 
appear. Therefore he put his one foot on Dundas Island, the other 
on the mainland at the mouth of Skeena River, filled his (basket) 
bucket, and took the water to Lagobola. Then Lagobola drank, 
and tasted the water of Skeena River. 

On the following mornhig TxamsEm and Lagobola started to hunt. 
TxamsEm said, "Go round outside Dundas Island, and I will go 
mside." Lagobola consented to this; and while they were going 
along, Lagobola took off his huntmg-cap, and a fog arose. He put 
it upside down in liis canoe, then a thick fog lay on the surface of the 
water. TxamsEm lost lus way and paddled about, but his brother 
Lagobola did not paddle. His canoe was just drifting about. Then 
TxiimsEm was scared. He cried, and called liis friend. "My ilear 
Lagobola, I know your supernatural power is stronger than mine. 
Take pity on me, my dear!" He called out to him again, but 
Lagobola did not answer. Again he called, and began to cry. 
He said, "O my dear brother!" Then Lagobola shouted, and said, 
"What is the matter with you?" Lagobola gathered the fog, took 
it off from the water, and put it in his cap. Then he put the cap on, 
and soon the fog cleared away. Then Lagobola asked TxamsEm, 
"Why are you so full of fear ?" TxamsEm said, "I did not cry, I am 
only smging in mj'^ canoe." They paddled along toward the mahi- 
land, and came to the mouth of Skeena River. Then they went up 
the river, each in his own canoe. When they reached the point 
where the current runs down, TxiimsEm said, "Let us gamble here!" 
Lagobola agreed, although he did not care. He said to TxamsEm, 
"What kind of game shall we play?" TxamsEm replied, "Let us 
have a shooting-match!" So Lagobola consented. TxiimsEm had 
said, "Whoever hits this crack shall wm the game — either I or you." 
He prepared a rock and split it, so that they might shoot at it. "Let 
us stake Skeena River against Nass River!" Then his brother 
Lagobola agi-eed. Lagobola had a nice box-quiver, but TxiimsEm had 
j ust made a bow and arrow. TxiimsEm took two stones, on which they 
sat down. They talked to each other. TxiimsEm wished to sit nearer 
to the water than his brother. Lagobola said, "You shoot fu-st, my 

1 See p. 63. 



70 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

brother!" but TxamsEm replied, "No, let us shoot at the same time!" 
Lagobola agi-eed, and they shot at the same time. Before they shot, 
TxamsEm squirted water from liis mouth, and said, "Let Lagobola's 
arrow fall a Uttle farther over there, and let my arrow hit the goal!" 
As soon as the brothers shot, Lagobola saw distinctly that his arrow 
struck the rock, while TxiimsEm's arrow fell a little to one side; but 
TxiimsEm said, "I hit it!" Lagobola said, "No, I hit it!" but 
TxamsEm repeated, "I hit it!" He was very glad while he was 
sayii^.g this. At once Lagobola said, "You won, Brother TxamsEm. 
Now the olachen will come to Nass River twice every summer;" and 
TxiimsEm said, "And the sahnon of Skeena River shall always be 
fat." Thus they divided what TxamsEm had won at Nass River. 
Then TxamsEm went down to the ocean, and Lagobola went south- 
ward to the place he had come from. 

(13) txa'msem and the crab^ 

TxamsEm went on with Ms raven blanket which his father had 
given liim, and flew over the ocean. What was he to cat ? At sun- 
rise he arrived at a sand-spit. He saw a large Crab sitting there, 
warming himself in the sun. It was very low tide. TxamsEm 
wanted to kiU him , so he flew to the place where the Crab was sitting, 
and said, ' ' Let us have a game, grandfather ! " Thus spoke TxamsEm, 
while he touched the back of the Crab. The Crab rephed, "Oh, no!" 
TxamsEm did so several times. When the tide turned, the Crab 
moved away. But TxiimsEm desired very much to have the large 
Crab. Agam he flew to him, touched him on his back, and said, "Let 
us have a game, gi-andfather!" The Crab rephed, "Oh, no!" Again 
he flew and touched him on his back, and said, "Let us have a game, 
grandfather!" Then the Crab was displeased with TxamsEm, who 
was sitting close to the water. TxamsEm came again and pushed 
him, and said, "Let us have a game, gi'andf ather ! " Then the large 
Crab caught him by the leg and walked slowly down into the water. 
TxamsEm was scared, for ho was in the claws of the large Crab. He 
said to the Crab, "Dear grandfather, let me go!" but the CVab would 
not listen to his request, and walked along the bottom of the sea. 
Soon the Ci'ab felt that TxiimsEm was dead, and let go of him. 
TxamsEm came up to the surface of the water and floated there. 
A light wind blew and drifted lum ashore. Then the tide turned 
again, and he lay there on the gi'ound. The sun rose up to the middle 
of the sky and loosened the raven blanket. By and by he opened 
his eyes, because he had been warmed by the heat of the sun. He 
arose, and saw some of Ms feathers that had come off. Then he said 
to himself, scratcMng his head, "My feathers have done well enough." 

' Notes, p. 721. 



BOiS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 71 

(14) ORIGIN OF TUE BULLHEAD^ 

TxamsEm went along the sand-point, and while walking there he was 
searching for food, but he did not find anythmg. Suddenly, behold! 
there was a fish in the water. It was not moving. TxamsEm stood 
there and wept. Ho said to the Fish, " You look like my grandfather,, 
who died a httle while ago." He wiped the tears from liis eyes, and 
said, "Come ashore! I want to talk to you a wliilc." 

Tlie Fish came toward the shore. TxamsEin thought he would 
kill it. He was much depressed because he was hungry. Now the 
Fish was almost within his reach, but it swam back into the deep 
water. The Fish knew Txamssm's intentions, and swam back from 
the shore, saying, " Do you think I do not know you. Giant ?" Then 
Giant acted as though he were going to take hold of the Fish, stretched 
out his hand, and said, "You shall have a thin tail, only your head 
shall be large and thick." It became the bulllicad. Tlie bulUiead 
is remarkably stout, because TxamsEin cursed it, and nlade it thin 
at one end, while the other end is thick. 

(15) TXa'MSEM FRIGHTENS AWAY THE OWNERS OF A WHALE ^ 

TxamsEm lived there for a wliile. Soon he made up his mind to go 
back to the mainland, for he was very hungry. He had bad luck, and 
he needed something to eat. He flew back over the sea, and soon he 
came to a village where there were many people. Behold! a large 
whale lay there on the beach. He had on his raven blanket, and ho 
flew to the j^lace where the dead whale lay, and said in the Raven lan- 
guage, " Guldge gag dze el han!" The people were worried to know 
what the Raven wanted to say. On the followmg day a number of 
gamblers were together at one place m this village. TxamsEm was 
sittmg at one end of the gamblers. The people did not know him. 
They began to talk about what the Raven had said the day before. 
Therefore the Raven asked what it was that the Raven had been 
sayhig. Then one of the party told hun that the day before, in the 
afternoon, a raven flj'ing over the dead whale had turned over above 
the whale, saymg, " Gulage gag dze el han," and that he had done so 
several times. "Oh, I see, I understand what he said! Hesaid, 'Maybe 
a pestilence wiU come to this village within a few days.'" Tlien the 
people were still more troubled; and when evening came, the chief of 
the village sent out his slave, and said, " Go out and order the people 
to move tomorrow morning!" The gi-eat slave ran out and cried, 
"Great tribe, move!" They did so the foUowing morning. Now, 
TxamsEm lived in the chief's house. He carved the large whale, and 
carried the meat into the Ikiusc. Four houses were filled with the 
meat and fat. He lived there a long time, and ate the whale meat 
and fat. 

' Notes, p. 685. - Notes, p. 0S7. 



72 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

(16) txa'msem finds a beautiful blanket.' 

Now, TxamsEm took one of the chief's dancmg-garmcnts and wore 
it. He threw away his raven blanket which his father had given him, 
and went on, not knowing where he went. He went along, and tore his 
dancing-blanket, and was very poor; but he remembered his raven 
blanket which he had thrown away. He turned back and searched 
for his raven blanket a long time. At last he found it, took it up, 
and put it on, then he was glad to have it back. He went on, and 
saw a very nice dancing-blanket like the one he had worn before. 
At once he tore his raven blanket which his father had given him, 
and took the dancing-blanket that hung before liim. Ho went on, 
dressed hke a yomig prince; but when he was walking, behold! it 
was no dancing-garment, but he had on only hchens. He sat there 
weeping, turned back, and searched for liis raven blanket, tied it 
together, and walked on, hungry and weeping. As he went along, 
behold! there were a marten blanket and a dancing-blanket hanging 
there. So he went toward them, took off liis raven blanket, and 
wore the marten blanket below, and the dancing-blanket over it. He 
went on, dressed like a young chief. Then he saw a village before 
him, and his heart rose in pride; but, behold! his garments were 
only common moss and lichens. He stood there again weeping, and 
turned back to search for his raven blanket wliich his father had 
given him. He found it, put it on, and flew toward the town. 

(17) txa'msem and his SLAVE ^ 

Before TxamsEm reached the village he transformed a piece of rot- 
ten spruce wood into a slave, whom he called Lgum. Then TxiimsEm 
took a pair of clamshells and made of them ear-ornaments, which 
he wore as princes wear abalone ear-ornaments. Then TxamsEm 
said to his slave whom he had made out of spruce wood, " Wlien you 
see me walking on the beach of that town, say, 'Do you know that 
a great chief is walking along the beach of your village, great tribe ?'" 
The slave passed several times, and repeated what his master told him. 
Sometimes he made a mistake. Then TxamsEm scolded him for 
his mistakes until he remembered what TxamsEm taught him to say. 
•They went on, and soon came to the end of the village. TxamsEm 
walked along the beach in front of the town. Then his slave shouted, 
and said, " Do you know that a great chief is walking in front of your 
town, great tribe? He is wearing his abalone ear-ornaments." 
Then the whole tribe went to see the great chief who had come into 
their town. The head chief of the town mvited TxiimsEm into his 
house, and set before him rich food of all kinds. While TxainsEm 
was eating, he saw that the chief's house was full of dried codfish. 

■ Notes, p. 722. 2 Notes, p. 689. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 73 

After the evening meal, he called to his slave to go \vith him to 
refresh themselves for a while. They did so; and when they were 
behind the house, he opened his mind to the slave. He said, "I 
saw a house full of dried codfish, so I will pretend to die. Wlien you 
go in, I will lie down, and some of the codfish oil will di'op into my 
eye. Then I shall pretend to die of this cause ; and when you tell the 
people that I am about to die, you shall order the people to move 
and to leave everything behind. Then, when you put me into the 
grave-box, don't tie it too tightly." Thus spoke TxamsEm to his 
slave. They went in again in the evening. Now, TxiimsEm lay 
down, looked up, and soon some codfish oil dripped into one of his 
eyes. He pretended to be very sick, because he wanted to have all 
the codfish in the town. The same night, after a short time, he pre- 
tended to die. Then all the people wailed for lum. The slave ran 
out and cried, "Move, great tribe, because the great chief died of 
the codfish oil!" Tlie people did so. In the morning they moved, 
and left aU the dried codfish and everything behind. Tlie slave put 
him into a box, and tied it up with cedar-bark rope. When all the 
people had left,TxamsEm asked from out of the box, "Have they all 
left?" The slave said, "Xo." The slave left the box, went to ever}^ 
house, and ate the best codfish he could find. Tlaen TxamsEm became 
very desirous of eating it. The slave had tied up the bo.x, and 
TxamsEm was anxious to get out, but he was unable to open the box. 
So the slave ate all the codfish he wanted. Then, when the slave 
had enough, he went to the box, inidid the rope with which he had 
tied the box, and TxamsEm came out with sad countenance, and ate 
the codfish that his slave had left. Tliey staid there a little longer, 
until they had devoured all the codfish in the whole village. 

(18) txa'msem kills his slave ' 

They went on and on, until they arrived at a large village. Then 
TxamsEm ordered his slave to say the same as he had at the last 
village, where TxiimsEm had pretended to die. TxiimsEm walked 
along the beach in front of the town. Then his slave shouted, and 
said, "Do you know that a great chief is walking along the beach in 
front of your town, great tribe ? He wears a costly pair of abalone ear- 
ornaments." Then the whole tribe sallied forth from then' houses 
to see the stranger. One of the head chiefs invited him in, and he 
entered with his slave and sat down. The chief gave them to eat. 
First they ate dried salmon, and then the waiters served them crab- 
apples mixed with grease. Then the chief of the house said, "Lgum, 
ask your master if he wishes to have crabapples from Galax." 
Wlien TxamsEm saw these excellent crabapples, he was very desirous 
of eating them. Therefore he said to his slave in a low voice, "Tell 

I Notes, p. 691. 



74 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. avn. 31 

them that I should hke to eat what they have there now." The 
slave said, "O chief! my master says he does not eat what you have 
there now, because he is afraid he might die." The chief of the house 
said, "Oh, I see! Then we will eat it with you, Lgum." Then 
TxamsEm sat there, looking at his slave angrily. The slave ate all 
with the chief of the house, but TxamsEm had only very little to cat. 
After they finished eating, they went out. TxamsEm was still angry 
with his slave. TxamsEm went first, followed by his slave Gahaya (?). 
Soon they came to a deep canyon. TxamsEm had placed the dried 
stem of a skunk-cabbage across, formmg a bridge. lie himself went 
across first; and when he reached the other side, he called Lgum to 
come across, but the slave was afraid to follow him. After a while, 
however, he followed him; and when Lgum reached the middle of the 
bridge, it broke. Then Lgum fell into the deep canyon, and his 
belly burst. Wlien TxamsEm saw what had happened, and saw 
the food of which he had not been able to partake, he flew down to 
the bottom of the canyon and ate the contents of the slave's stomach. 
TxamsEm simply took the food wath both his hands and ate it all. 
After he had eaten, he flew up from the bottom of the canyon. 

(19) FISHERMEN BREAK OFF TXa'mSEM's JAW* 

Again TxamsEm was very hungry. lie went on, not knowing which 
way to turn. Behold! he came out of the woods near a large town. 
There were people out m front of the town, fishing for halibut. 
TxamsEm thought they might have much bait on their hooks and that 
he would eat it. He dived and saw the bait. He took it off from the 
hooks and ate it. Then TxiimsEm went from one hook to another, 
eating all the bait. Thus the bait of all the fishermen had disappeared, 
and they did not know how it had happened. Finally one of the fisher- 
men caught TxamsEm's jaw. His jaw was caught on one of the hooks. 
Then the fisherman pulled up his line, and TxamsEm was pulled up. 
He offered resistance, but could not take the hook out of his mouth, 
and he held on to the rocks at the bottom of the sea. Then the fisher- 
men assembled, and hauled together at the fishing-line. TxamsEm 
had said to the rocks to which he held at the bottom of the sea, 
"Help me, rocks of the bottom!" and finally he said to his jaw, 
"Break off, jaw! I am gettmg tired now." Then his jaw broke off, 
and the fisherman hauled up the liae easily. Behold! the fishermen 
saw come up on the hook the great jaw with a long beard. Some 
of them laughed, but others were scared. They all went ashore at 
once, and all the people assembled in the chief's house. They looked 
at the great jaw, and were surprised to see a man's jaw with a long 
beard caught on a halibut hook. On the following day the gam- 
blers assembled at one place on the beach of the town. There they 

1 Notes, p. 684. 



BOiS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 75 

looked at the great jaw. It was a man's jaw. Now TxamsEm went 
ashore and came out of the water. He was in great pain because his 
j aw had been broken off. Then he said to himself, " I am always doing 
something to m^yself." Soon he arrived in the town, and saw the 
gamblci's sitting on the beach. So he went toward them; and while 
the people were looking at the man's great jaw, TxiimsEm came and 
sat down at the end of the line of people that were sitting there. He 
saw the people looking at the great jaw. The people handed it 
around and looked at it. After a little while TxamsEm held his 
blanket over his mouth to cover his lost jaw; and when he saw his 
great jaw, he stretched out his hand and said, "Give it to me! Let 
me look at it!" He took it and looked at it, examining it and turning 
it over and over. He said, "Oh, that is wonderful!" He made the 
people forget it, put it on, and ran away, and then the people recog- 
nized him. They said, "That is TxamsEm, the cheater." TxamsEm 
ran away as fast as he could. Then his jaw was well again. 

(20) txa'msem and the hunter ' 

TxiimsEm went on; and as soon as he came to the beach, he saw a 
hunting-canoe coming around the point, and four men m the canoe. 
He thought that the hunters would have with them many animals 
that they had caught, and he said to himself, "I will pretend to be a 
woman." Wlien the hunters' canoe approached, he assumed the 
shape of a woman. When the chief of the hunters saw the young 
woman walking along the shore, he said, "Let us take her on board 
our canoe!" They agreed, went ashore, and took her aboard. The 
chief wanted to marry her. The young woman carried a child 
along. The hunters camped in the evening, and the child was crymg. 
Its mother said, "The child wants to have a gisox.- That is why it 
cries." Then the young man cooked seal and gave it to the woman 
to let the child eat of it. Wlien the men were all asleep, TxamsEm 
arose and ate all the animals that the hunters had. Early on the 
following morning the chief of the hunters arose, and saw that his 
new wife looked like a man: therefore he shouted to wake up his 
companions. TxiimsEm arose first; and the chief of the hunters 
said, "That is you, TxamsEm, cheater!" TxamsEm ran away, and 
his child flew away into the woods as a crow. 

(21) txa'msem and THE CHILDREN^ 

TxamsEm came to another village, and saw many little children 
playing at the end of the town. They were throwing pieces of wliale 
blubber at one another. TxamsEm went toward them, stej^ped in 

' Notes, p. 692. 2 The meaning of this word is unknown to me.— F. B. ' Notes, p. 6S6. 



76 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

among the children, and ate the blubber with which they were plaj-iag. 
He ate all the blubber which the children were throwing at one another. 
Then the children stood there quietly, wondering what had become of 
it. TxamsEm questioned them. "Children, where did you get this 
blubber?" One of the largest boys told him where they got it. 
He said, "We climb up a tree and throw ourselves down. When we 
strike the ground, we say, 'High piles of our blubber,' arid at once 
there are high piles of blubber." Therefore TxamsEm also climbed 
up a tree which the children had pointed out to him. It was a very 
tall one. When he reached the top of the tall tree, he threw himself 
down; and before he touched the ground, he shouted as the children 
had told him, "High!" TxamsEm struck the ground. Then the 
children went up to him, looked, and saw that he was dead. The 
children laughed at him, and left him there. After a little while 
TxamsEm opened his eyes. He looked about, but he did not find 
anything to eat; but he had pains all over hLs body. He lay there 
on the ground, very sick from his fall from the top of the tall tree. 

(22) TXa'mSEM and THE SALMON WOMAN* 

When TxamsEm recovered from his sickness, he went on, very hun- 
gry and distressed. He went down to the beach and buUt a small 
house, made a canoe and a spear. One day he went out to try to spear 
something to eat. It was a calm day. TxamsEm took up his spear, 
when a fog arose. It lay on the surface of the water. After a while 
tlie fog cleared away, and TxamsEm beheld a bright and fair woman 
sitting in the bow of liis canoe. TxamsEm smiled at her, and she 
also smiled at him. TxamsEm said to the bright and fair woman, 
"I wish to marry you. " Thus spoke TxamsEm to her. The woman 
said at once, "Just take care. Giant! I am the Salmon. Do not do 
me any harm. " Thus said Bright-Cloud Woman to him. TxamsEm 
rephed to her, who was now his wife, "Come, mistress, let us go home 
to our house ! " They went ashore, and came to the beach in front of 
TxamsEm's house. As soon as they had gone in, TxamsEm begged 
Bright-Cloud Woman to cause the salmon to appear in the brook 
that was at the right side of TxamsEm's little house. Bright-Cloud 
Woman dechned. Early the following morning Bright-Cloud 
Woman arose quietly, went down to the creek, and put her toes into 
the water. At once a great many spring salmon jumped in the 
water. Then she woke her husbancl, and said, "See how the salmon 
are jumping at the mouth of the creek!" He arose and saw the 
spring salmon near the mouth of the creek. TxamsEm was glad. 
Then Bright-Cloud Woman called her husband to comb his hair. 
TxamsEm's hair was very ugly. His wife combed it way down his 
back, and sh.e changed TxamsEm's hair into blond hair. She also 



' Notes, p. 66S. 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 77 



made his rough skin soft and wliite. TxamsEm loved his wife very 
mucli. Soon tlie spring sahnon were coming up the river. TxamsEm 
went down and chibbed them, and Bright-Cloud Woman went and 
got them, and TxamsEm got poles and hung the salmon on them to 
dry. Earh' the following morning Bright-Cloud Woman went down 
to the creek again. She went into the water, and let the water come 
up to her knees. At once there were sahnon jumping. She came 
out of the water, went to her husband, and awakened him. She 
said, "The creek is full of silver salmon. " TxamsEm arose, went 
down, and saw the sUver salmon. The river was almost dried up, 
so full was it of salmon. 

On the foUowuig day Txam^sm went to his canoe to get wood to 
smoke his wife's salmon. He took along some salmon which he was 
going to eat while he was gettuig wood. "VMien he came to a place 
where he was going to get wood, ravens were flying over him, because 
they noticed the salmon in TxamsEm's canoe, and TxamsEm had 
nothing to cover his salmon with. Many ravens assembled, and 
TxamsEm did not want to leave his salmon in the canoe, and he also 
wanted very much to get wood to smoke all his wife's salmon. So 
finally he took out one of his eyes to watch the salmon in the canoe; 
and he commanded his eye, "If any ravens should come to the canoe, 
call me, and I will come and drive them away. I don't want them 
to eat my salmon. I am going to cut wood a Uttle farther out there. 
If they come to the canoe, then call me; and when I call you from 
out there, you shall answer so that I know that you are still in my 
canoe. " Then he went. 

As soon as he had gone, the ravens came into the canoe; and his 
eye shouted, "My eye, my eye! these ravens are about to devour 
me!" TxamsEm repUed, "Hide under the stern-board!" His eye 
repUed, "I have done so, j-et the ravens are about to devour me." 
TxamsEm went back quickly, and called to his eye while he was going 
back, "My eye, my eye! hide under the stern-board! Oh, my eye!" 
Soon he came down to the canoe, but both his eye and his salmon 
were gone. He had lost everything. He stood there on the shore, 
and he had not a chip of wood; so he went aboard his canoe and went 
home, very sad. Soon he reached his camp. His beautiful wife 
came down to meet him on the beach. She asked him, ""Why do 
you look so sad, my dear?" TxamsEm said to her, "A raven took 
away my salmon and also my eye, and so I did not get any wood. " 
Then his wife said, "I will make a new eye for you, better than the 
old one." TxamsEm went up to his house with his sore eye. His 
wife went up to the place where he lay, and said, " I wiU wash your 
eye-socket. " She took water, washed his eye, and made a new one 
for him, so that it was better than before. TxamsEm was very glad, 



78 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [rrn. ann. 31 

for he had a new eye, and he loved his wife very much. The woman 
loved him really until their salmon was all dried. 

Then TxiimsEm went into the river and clubbed all the salmon. 
He built two large houses, and filled them with good dried sabnon. 
Now TxamsEm's food became plentiful, for his wife was drying sal- 
mon, and she was roasting some of them. Their tlu'ce houses were 
fuU, and there was no place where TxamsEm did not put away the 
dried saknon. Bright-Cloud Woman did thus so many times 
throughout the year, that there was no room for any more dried 
salmon. All the storehouses of TxamsEm were fuU of bundles of 
good dried salmon. Therefore they ceased to make more dried 
salmon. On the following day he went and took a walk on the sandy 
beach next to the house. Bright-Cloud Woman staid at home. 
In the afternoon TxamsEm came home, and his wife stepped up to 
him and asked him whetlier he wanted his supper. \Mien TxilmsEm 
said "Yes," Bright-Cloud Woman gave Mm to eat. The following 
morning he went out very early, and came back in the evening. His 
kind wife was ready to give him supper. For four days they acted 
tlxis way. Then TxamsEm became proud because he had so much 
food. He spoke angrily to his wife when he came home late in the 
evening. Finally he asked his wife, "Did any one visit you while I 
was away?" Thus spoke TxiimsEm to his fair wife. Then his good 
wife spoke with kindly words. "O master, what do you think! 
Who should visit me in this lonely place?" But TxamsEm was 
angiy. Bright-Cloud Woman said to her husband, "Have pity 
on me, my dear! No stranger has done any mischief to me. I love 
you most. " Thus said Bright-Cloud Woman to her husband. Then 
TxamsEm said, "I have been gambling every day, and at one time 
I was always gaining; but now I am losing everything I have. So 
I know that some man is visiting you." Thus spoke TxiimsEm to 
his wife. The good woman wept. TxamsEm arose, went out, 
and his wife followed him secretly. TxamsEm had gone to the first 
point where he sat down and was gambling with a stump. Bright- 
Cloud Woman came secretly to where he was, and saw her husband 
gambUng with the large stump. She went away secretly. In the 
evening TxamsEm came home to his kind wife in a rage. 

One day TxiimsEm dressed up. He was gomg to take a walk. 
His wife combed his hair as she used to do every morning. He 
arose, and tried to go out; but the backbone of the spring salmon 
caught in his hair, and he scolded it. He took it and threw it into 
the corner of the house, saying, "You come from the naked body of 
a woman, and you catch my hah-!" Bright-Cloud Woman just hung 
her head and cried, but TxamsEm laughed at his wife and went out. 
Just before evening TxamsEm came in, and again the backbone of 
the sprmg salmon caught in his long blond hair. TxamsEm was very 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 79 

angry, and tlirew it into the corner of the house. He said again, 
"You come from the naked body of a woman, and you catch my long 
blond hau'!" Bright-Cloud Woman arose at once. She said to the 
dried Salmon, "Come, my tribe, let us go back!" Thus she said to 
them. She stood up and whistled. Then all the dried Salmon flew 
out of the house; and while the dried Salmon were flymg away, 
TxamsEm's blond hair became scorched and turned back to its own 
natural color, and his own rough skin came back again. And while 
his blond hair was bemg scorched, he tried to take hold of its end, 
and said, "You should not do that, hau-;" and he was uglier than 
before. Then Bright-Cloud Woman started, and led her tribe, the 
dried Salmon, and they all went into the water. TxJimsEm tried to 
put his arms around his wife, but her body was like smoke, and his 
arms went tlu-ough her, for she was a cloud. TxamsEm came to be 
very poor, and had nothing to eat and was very hungry. He was 
there all alone, no one to comfort hun. He had lost all his provisions, 
and his beautiful wife had gone. His blond hair was scorched, and 
his soft white skm had become rough again. He sat down in the 
house, weeping and sori-owful on account of the things he had lost. 

(23) txa'msem makes war ox the soltii wind ' 

TxamsEm continued to live alone in his little hut. It had been 
bad weather all the time since his wife had left hmi, for the south 
wind was blowing hard, and he could not get anythmg to eat. All 
the people were also unable to get then- food, and they were starving. 
They were also unable to get any fish; for the halibut, red cod, 
black cod, and others would not bite, and the fishermen could not 
get any bait on account of the bad weather. They all were very 
much distressed. TxamsEm's eyes were sore on account of the 
smoke which the south wind blew down thi'ough the smoke hole, and 
which filled his little hut. Then TxJimsEm called all the Fish. When 
they were in his house, he said, "O my father's tribe! let us consider 
if we can not get something to eat, the weather always being so bad! 
We shall soon die of starvation if we always stay at home on account of 
the bad weather." Then the Devilfish arose, and said at once, "O 
chief! I will speak what is in my mind. Let us go and make war 
against the Master Of The South Wind, that we may not all die of 
starvation!" Then the Halibut also arose, and said, "I am much 
pleased with what my friend said. Let us go and make war against 
him, lest we and our children die!" The Fish agreed to go and 
make war against the Master Of The South Wmd." Then the DevUfish 
also said, "Let us borrow the canoe of our brother Killer Whale, for he 
has a strong canoe, which can be used in a gale ! " The Fish consented, 

^ The form of the following story is influenced by the Kwakiutl tale printed in-Boas and Hunt, Kwakiut 
Texts (Publications of the Jemp Iforth Pacific Ezvedition. vol. m, p. 350).— Notes, p. 658.— F. B. 



80 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

ami he sent the Red Cod to borrow the canoe of the Killer Whale. 
The chief of the Killer Whales gave it to them, and they took it home. 
Then the Halibut arose, and stood up before TxamsEm, and said, 
"I come to tell you the wishes of our people, what they want you to 
do, dear TxamsEm! They say that you shall devise a way how we 
can make war against the Master Of The South Wind." So TxamsEm 
said to him, "Go and ask my brothers to get ready; we will go tomor- 
row;" aiid the Halibut went to report to the people what TxamsEm 
had said. Then TxamsEm begged his companions, Devilfish and 
Halibut, to sit in the stern of the canoe. When they were all aboard 
the large Killer- "Wliale canoe, one of the shellfish was also among the 
number. It was Cockle. Cockle decided to kick the Master Of The 
South Wind down the beach when they arrived there. Early in the 
mornmg they launched their canoe, and all the people went aboard. 
The Devilfish and the Halibut were sitting m the stern, and the 
Cockle and Red Cod in the bow, to watch any danger that might 
come to them on their way. Then KOler Wlialo went agamst the 
South Wind, going southward toward the town of the Master Of The 
South Wind. They were going a long time, and the Coclde always 
said, "I will kick the Master Of The South Wind down to the beach 
when we get there." TxamsEm heard what Cockle said; and when 
they saw the village, TxamsEm advised his three companions, Devil- 
fish, Halibut, and Cockle: "You shall go ashore first, and we others 
will stay in the canoe with the whole crew. Your comjjanion Halibut 
shall lie down at the door of the house of the Master Of The South 
Wind. Devilfish shall hide on one side of the door, so that he may 
suck out the Master Of Tlie South Wind, who shall then slip on the 
Halibut when the Cockle kicks him down the beach in front of his 
house." Thus spoke TxamsEm. Then he stopped speaking, for he 
had arrived at the beach in front of the house of the Master Of The 
South Wind. Halibut went ashore first, and lay down at the door 
of the house of the Master Of The South Wind. Devilfish remained 
sitting in the canoe. Then Cockle jumped out of the canoe and went 
to the door of the house. Tliere he opened his shell when he entered 
the house. He saw the Master Of The South Wind lying with his 
back toward the door of the house; and he was always breaking 
wind, therefore the south wind was blowing hard all the time. The 
Cockle tried to go toward the Master Of The South Wind. He opened 
his shell and tried to kick the Master Of The South Wind, but in vain. 
He tried in every way, but could not do it. Finally TxamsEm called 
hun down, so the Cockle went down to the canoe. TxamsEm took 
him up and broke him. He said to him, while he was breaking him, 
"I will break this braggart," and he ate hun. Then Red Cod jum{)ed 
into the house. He took his fire-drill and dr'dled. Soon he obtained 
fire. He took red-cedar bark from under his blanket and put it on 



BOAS] ' TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 81 

the burninji fire. Thus he made a thick smoke in the house of the 
Master Of The South Wmd. The Master Of The South Wind began to 
cough and to sneeze. Then Red Cod jumped out again. Now the 
chief, tlie Master Of The Soutli Wind, coughed and sneezed very hard. 
He arose, and kept going ))ack\vard, on and on. He stumbled because 
he was coughing so hard. He came to the door of his house; and 
when he stepped on the HaUbut, he sHpped on him, and slid right 
down to the Killer-\¥hale canoe. Then Devilfish sucked, and kept 
him from going back. TxamsEm said to his people, "Kill him with 
stones, kill him right away!" Thus spoke TxamsEm to his com- 
panions. Then he spoke again, and said, "Go on, warriors, club and 
kill hun ! " Then the chief, the Master Of The South Wind, spoke at 
once, and said, "O Chief TxamsEm! why do you intend to do this to 
me ? " TxamsEm said at once, ' ' O chief, Master Of The South Wind ! 
I do this because we always have bad weather." Then the Master 
Of The South Wind spoke again, and said, "There shall be alternately 
one fine day and one bad day." TxamsEm said at once, "Kill him! 
for what is the use of one day fine and another bad weather ? Wliat 
does that help us ? " Then the chief, the Master Of The South Wmd, 
spoke agam, and said, "There shall be two good days in succession." 
TxamsEm said, "I don't want that, either. Go on, kill him ! " Thus 
spoke TxamsEm to his warriors. Then the chief, the Master Of The 
South Wind, said, "It shall always be summer in your world." 
TxamsEm said, "That is too much. It is enough to have four days 
fine weather at a time." Thus said TxamsEm to the chief, the Master 
Of The South Wind. Then TxamsEm said again, "O chief, Master 
Of The South Wind ! don' t lie, else we shall come again and make war 
on you." Now, Devilfish let go of him. He went up to the beach, 
and entered his house. TxamsEm called Halibut and Devilfish and 
Red Cod. They all went aboard the canoe and returned home. 
When they arrived on the beach of TxamsEm's house, TxamsEm 
said at once, "Go to your places, for I have been to make war against 
the Master Of The South Wind, and he promised that it would be good 
weather for four days at a time." Thus spoke TxamsEm to them 
before they left him. Each went to his own house. Soon some 
went to dig clams, others went to get bait ; and others went to 
search for their own kind of food. Still others went fishing; and 
therefore nowadays we have good weather in our world. 

(24) TXa'mSIDM makes A GIRL SICK AND THEN CtTRES HER' 

TxamsEm went on, not knowing which way to turn. He was very 
hungry, staying in a lonely place. After a while he came to the end of 
a large town. He saw m-any people walking about, and he was afraid 
to let himself be seen. TxamsEm sat down there; and on the foDow- 

1 Notes, p. 722. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 6 



82 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [btii. axx. 31 

ing day, while he was still sitting there, he saw a largo canoe being 
launched on the beach. Aboard were many young women who went 
to pick blueberries. Then TxamsEm thought how he could enter 
the great town. Finally it occurred to him to catch a deer. He went 
into the woods and caught a deer, skinned it, put on the skui, and 
then swam in front of the large canoe which was full of yoimg women 
who were gomg to pick blueberries. Among them was a young 
princess, the daughter of the master of that large town. TxamsEm 
saw that she was among the young women. She was sitting near 
the middle of the large canoe, between two women. Now, they saw 
the stag s\vimming along in front of the canoe. Then the princess 
said to her companions, "Let us pursue him!" They did so They 
paddled along, and soon they caught and lulled the stag, and took 
him into the canoe. TxamsEm thought, "Let them put me down 
in front of the princess!" and then they took him into the canoe and 
placed him in front of the princess, as TxamsEm had wished them 
to do. Then they paddled along toward the place where the blue- 
berries were. Before they reached the blucbeny-patch, the deer 
moved his hind leg and kicked the piincess in the stomach. Then 
he leaped out of the canoe and ran into the woods. The princess 
fainted when she received the woimd, and therefore the young women 
turned back and went home. The piincess became worse as they 
went along. Finally they reached the beach in front of the house 
of the head chief. They told the people what had happened to them 
on their journey. Then they took the piincess up to her father's 
house. A great number of people were following them. The chief 
was very sorrowful because his only daughter was hurt. He called 
together all the wise men, and asked them what he shoidd do to cure 
his daughter. The wise men told him to gather all the shamans, 
and let them try to cure her woimd. There was a woimd imder 
her ribs made by the hind leg of the deer. Then the chief ordered 
his attendants to call all the shamans. The attendants went and 
called all the shamans. They gathered in the chief's great house. 
Then the shamans worked over her with their supernatural powers, 
but they all failed. The wound could not be cured by the super- 
natural powers of the shamans. The girl became worse and worse, 
until she was very ill. Still the shamans worked on, day and night. 
Three days had passed, and the many shamans had been working 
in vain. On the fourth day, behold! before the evening set in a 
canoe filled with yomig men came to town. They came ashore, and 
some people went down to meet them. Then the people who were 
going down saw a shaman sitting in the middle of the canoe. They 
went up quickly and told the chief that a shaman had come to town. 
Therefore the chief sent to hun, asking him to cure his only daughter. 
(This shaman was TxamsEm, and the crew of his canoe were his 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 83 

grandchildren the Crows.) In the evening, when he came in, he saw 
the princess lying there very ill, for he had hurt her a few days before ; 
and all the shamans who had failed before were sitting along the wall 
on one side of the house. TxamsEm pretended to be a shaman. 
He sat down near the head of the princess, who was lying downa ; and 
all the yoimg men followed him, carrying a large box which contained 
his magic powers. He took charcoal and nibbed it on his face, and 
rubbed ashes over it. He put on the crown of bcai-s' claws, placed 
a ring of red-cedar bark aroimd his neck, and put on his shaman's 
dancing-apron, and took up his large shaman's rattle. He started 
with beating of the drum; and after the drumming and beatmg, he 
began his song; and when they were singing, they pronoimced these 
words : 

"Let the mighty hail fall on the roof of this chief's house, 

On the roof of this chief's house. 

On the roof of this chief's house! " 

and as the singers pronoimced these words, hail beat on the roof of 
the chief's house terribly. (Before TxamsEm arrived in the town, 
he had ordered some of his grandchildren the Crows to take each a 
small white stone in his mouth, and said, "T\Tien we pronomice the 
words of our song, then drop the stones on the roof of the chief's 
house." Thus had TxamsEm spoken to his grandchildren the 
Crows, and they had done so.) When the mighty haU ceased, 
TxamsEm said, "Biing me a mat of cedar bark." They brought him 
the mat, and he spread it over the princess to cover her. He himself 
also went imder it with the girl, touched the wound, said, "Be cured, 
wound imder the right ribs!" and so it happened. Then the chief 
was very glad because his daughter had been cured of her iUness. 
He gave TxamsEm all khids of food. Now, the chief spoke to the 
shaman after he had fed him, and said, "Ask me whatever you wish, 
and I win give it to you." Then he made a promise tmto him: 
"Whatever you may ask me, I will give it to you, my dear, good, and 
true supernatural man, — you, who are possessed of supernatural 
powers, — for you have succeeded in restoring my only daughter." 
Then TxamsEm looked aroimd and smiled. He said, "What I want 
is that you shoidd move, and leave for me all the provisions you have; 
for my yoimg men have nothing, because we have no time to obtain 
our own provisions, for wo are going aroimd all the time healing 
those who need us." Then the chief ordered his slaves to go out, 
and ordered the people to move on the next day. Then the slaves 
ran out, cryuig, "Leave, great tribe, and leave your provisions 
behind!" The people did so. They left in the moriiuig, and left 
all their food, according to the order of their master. TxamsEm was 
very glad, because now he had much food. On the following day 
he took a walk; and while he was absent, his grandchildren assembled, 



84 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

opened many boxes of crabapples mixed with fjjrease, and ate them 
all. Wien TxamsEni came h(ime from his walk, behold ! lie saw all 
the empty boxes, and he knew that his grandchildren had done this. 

(25) txa'msem pretends to build a canoe ' 

TxamsEm did still another thing. After he had visited every 
country, he found a httle hut in which were two women — a widow 
and her daughter; and the widow was very kind to him, and fed him 
with many kinds of food. Mter TxamsEm had eaten, he said to the 
widow, "I wiU marry your daughter, " and the widow agreed. Then 
TxamsEm was gla<l that the widow's daughter was to marry him, 
for the widow's house was full of all kinds of food. The young 
woman who was the Avife of TxamsEm was very beautiful. After 
a while TxamsEm said to his young wife, "Now, my dear, you know 
that I love you very much, and therefore I shall build a nice little 
canoe for your mother. I shall go away tomorrow to look for red 
cedar. Then I wiU build a canoe iov her. I want you to get ready, 
for I want to start early in the morning. " Then the young woman 
repeated this to her mother. Early the next morning the mother- 
in-law arose and prepared breakfast for her son-in-law. Wlien it was 
ready she called her son-in-law. TxamsEm arose and ate his break- 
fast. Then he went off to search for red cedar. He came back before 
it was evening, went to his wife, and told her that he had found a very 
good red cedar of proper size. He said, " I will cut it down tomorrow. 
Then I will cut it the right length for a canoe. " His mother-in-law 
prepared supper for him, and she cooked all the food she had. After 
he had eaten his meal, he lay down; and while he was Ijnng there, he 
whispered to his wife, "When the canoe is finished, I ^\^U go around 
the island. You shall sit in the stern, your mother shall sit in the 
middle of the canoe, and I will sit in the bow. Then we shall have a 
happy time. " Thus spoke TxamsEm to his wife. Next morning 
he arose, while his mother-m-law prepared his breakfast. After he 
had taken his meal, he took his mother-in-law's stone tools and went; 
and his mother-in-law and liis wife heard him cut the tree with his 
stone ax. They also heard the large cedar tree fall, and after a while 
they heard also how he was working with the stone ax. He came 
home before it was evening, weary and sore on account of the hard 
work that he had been doing aU day long. "WTien he came home, he 
said to his wife, "Just tell your mother that I want her to boil for me 
a good dried salmon every evening, for I like the soup of dried salmon. 
It is very good for a man who is building a canoe. " She did so every 
evening. When the fourth day came, TxamsEm told his wife that the 
canoe was almost finished. By this time liis mother-in-law's pro- 
visions were nearly spent, and some of her food boxes were empty. 

1 Notes, p. 720. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 85 

A few (lays later TxamsEm started again, and on the following 
morning he went to take along some food for liis dinner. Now, the 
widow said to her daughter, "Go, my dear daughter, and see how 
long it may take until your husband has finished the canoe that he 
is building, but go secretly. " Then her daughter went to the place 
where her husband was working. Unseenshe arrived at the placewhere 
he was, and saw him standing at the end of an old rotten cedar tree 
beating it wdth a stone ax to make a noise hke a man who is working 
with an ax. His wife saw that there was a large hole in the rotten 
cedar tree, and therefore it made so much noise when TxamsEm 
was striking it. His wife left. When she came to her mother, she 
told her all about her husband. Therefore they took the canoe and 
moved to their tribe. They took away all the pro\'isions that were 
left. TxamsEm went back before it was evening. Before he 
reached his mother-in-law's liut he was glad and whistled, because 
he thought liis mother-in-law had preparetl his supper for him. But 
when he went in, he saw that everything was gone. Nothing remained 
except empty boxes and a little fire. Then he was hungry again. 

(20) txa'msem visits chief echo' 

TxamsEm remained sitting there, tliinking quietly how many hard 
thmgs he had done among men, still his needs were not satisfied. 
At last he made up his mind to try to go again to the people in order 
to get something to eat, for he was* a great eater. He went to a 
lonely place, and was very anxious to find some people in the woods. 
_Soon he came to a great plain. No trees were to be seen, just grass 
and flowers. At a distance he beheld a large house, and inside the 
large house with carved front he heard many people singing. He 
saw sparks fl^TJig up from the smoke hole, and he knew that it must be 
the house of a great chief. ^\Tien he came near the house, he heard 
something sajdng with a loud voice, "A stranger is coming, a chief 
is coming!" and he knew that they meant him. So he went in, but 
he saw nobody. Still he heard the voices. He saw a great fire in 
the center, and a good new mat was spread out for liim alongside the 
fire. Then ,he heard a voice which called to him, "Sit down on the 
mat! This way, gi-eat cliief! This way, great chief! This way!" 
He walked proudly toward the mat. Then TxamsEm sat down on 
it. This was the house of Cliicf Echo. Then TxiimsEm heard the 
cliief speak to his slaves and tell them to roast a dried salmon; and 
he saw a carved box open itself and dried salmon come out of it. 
Then he saw a nice dish walk toward the fire all by itself. TxamsEm 
was scared and astonished to see these things. Wlien the dried sal- 
mon was roasted and cut into pieces of the right length, the pieces 
went into the dish all by themselves. The dish laid itself down in 

' Notes, p. 702. 



86 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 

front of TxamsEin, and he thought wliilc he was eating, what strange 
things he was seeing now. When he had finished, a horn dipper came 
forward filled with water. He took it by its handle and drank. Then 
he saw a large dish full of cral)a2:)ples mixed with grease, and a black 
horn spoon, come forward by themselves. TxamsEm took the 
handle and ate all he coidd. Before he emptied liis dish, he looked 
around, and, behold! mountain-goat fat was hanging on one side of 
the house. He thought, "I will take down one of these large pieces 
of fat." Thus TxiimsEm thought while he was eating. Then he 
heard many women laugliing in one corner of the house, "Ha, ha! 
TxamsEm thinks he wiU take down one of those large pieces of 
mountain-goat fat!" Then TxamsEm was ashamed on account of 
what the women were saying. He ate aU the crabapples, and another 
dish came forward filled with cranberries mixed with grease and with 
water. TxamsEm ate again, and, behold! he saw dried mountain- 
sheep fat hanging in one corner of the large house. He thought again, 
"I will take down one of these pieces of mountain-sheep fat, and I 
wUl run out with it." Again he heard many women laughing, 
"Ha, ha! TxamsEm is thinking ho will take down a piece of the 
mountain-sheep fat and will run out with it. " TxarnsEm was much 
troubled on account of what he heard the women saying, and when 
he heard them laughing in the corner of the house. He arose, ran out, 
and snatched one of the pieces of mountaia-goat meat and of moun- 
tain-sheep fat; but when he came to the door, a large stone hammer 
beat him on the ankle, and he fell to the ground badly hurt. He 
lost the meat and fat, and some one dragged him along and cast him 
out. He lay there a while and began to cry, for he was very hungry," 
and his foot very sore. On the following day, when he was a little 
better, he took a stick and tried to walk away. 

(27) TXa'MSEM kills LITTLE PITCH' 

TxamsEm went on, not knowing which way to go. He was very weak 
and hungry, and sore of foot. He went on and on in the woods untU 
he saw a house far off. He went toward it, came near, and entered. 
There were a man and his wife, a veiy pretty yoimg woman, there. 
They permitted him to come in, for they had ])ity on the poor man 
who had come to their house. They asked him if he wanted some- 
thing to eat, and they gave him to eat. Then the young woman tried 
to cure his ankle, which was hurt by the stone in the house of Chief 
Echo. He was now in the house of Little Pitch. He came in, and 
the people were very kind to him. The wife of Little Pitch put 
pitch on his sore ankle. After two days he was quite well, and he 
was very glad. The young woman gave him to eat every day. The 

1 Notes, p. 683. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN. MYTHS 87 

house of Little Pitch was full of dried haUbut and of all kinds of pro- 
visions. TxamsEm made up his mind to kill his friend who had 
treated him so kindly. 

On the following evening, after he had eaten his supper, he said 
to his friend that they would go out the next morning to catch 
halibut. Little Pitch was wilhng, and said to TxamsEm, "It is not 
good for me if I go out fisliuig in the sun, because I am so weak. I 
must retm-n home while it is still chilly." TxamsEni rejihed, "I will 
do whatever you say, sir. I think we shall have plenty of time." 
Thus spoke TxamsEm. They started for the fishing-ground, and 
fished all night imtil daybreak. When the sun rose, Little Pitch 
wanted to go home; but TxamsEm said, "I enjoy fishing. Lie down 
there in the bow of the canoe, and cover yom-self \\ith a mat." Little 
Pitch lay down, and TxamsEm called him, "Little Pitch!" — "Hey!" 
he rephed. After a while TxamsEm called liim again, "Little 
Pitch!" — "Hey!" he answered again with a loud voice. TxiimsEm 
called him once more, "Little Pitch!" Then he answered "Hey!" 
in a low voice. TxamsEm called him still again. He answered, 
"Hey, hey!" ■\vith a very weak voice. "Now I will pull up my 
fishing-hncs," said TxamsEm; and after he had hauled his lines into 
the canoe, he paddled away home. 

TxamsEm paddled very hard. He called again, "Little Pitch!" 
but there was no answer; so he went to see what had happened to 
Little Pitch. As soon as he touched the mat that covered Little 
Pitch, behold! pitch was rmming out all over the hahbut. Little 
Pitch was dead, and melted pitch ran all over the hahbut. Therefore 
the hahbut is black on one side. 

TxamsEm was very glad. He paddled along until he reached the 
shore in front of Little Pitch's house, expecting to get a good supper 
from Little Pitch's wife. He took the hue, tied up his canoe, and 
went up, glad in his heart. He went on and on, but could not fuad 
any house. He searched everywhere, but could not fbid it. Only a 
little green spruce tree was standing there, with a drop of pitch 
upon one side. Finally TxamsEm remembered that his canoe was 
full of halibut; so he went down to the beach, being very hungiy, but 
he could not find his canoe. Only a spruce log with roots was there. 
Then TxamsEm felt very badly. 

(28) txa'msem kills grizzly bear' 

There was no food -with which TxiimsEm could satisfy his hunger. 
He began to cry, for he was very hungry ; and he went on, not knowing 
which way to go. Finally he arrived on one side of a large bay, and 
saw a small house on the other side, and a small canoe on the beach 
in front of the house. TxiimsEm went toward the house, and entered. 
In the house was an old man with his two wives. The house was full 

■ Notes, p. 680. 



88 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

of dried fish — halibut and other kinds — and of di'ied meat of mounlain 
goat, and there were fat and all kinds i)f dried berries. They spread 
a mat out, and let TxamsEm sit on it. They gave him some of the 
good food they had; and while TxamsEm was eating his meal, he 
said to his new friend, "Sir, may I join you tomoiTow, when you go 
out to catch hahbut?" Chief Grizzly Bear said that he had no bait; 
but TxamsEm repHed, "We shall have bait from our own bodies." 
So Chief Bear consented, and they went to bed. 

When TxamsEm knew that they were all asleep, he went out 
secretly to the creek, caught a cohoes salmon, and cut off its tail. 
Early the following m(U'ning TxamsEm went down first, launched 
Chief Grizzly Bear's canoe, and then the chii-f also went down. They 
started for the fishing-bank. When they reached the fishing-ground, 
TxiimsEm pretended to cut off part of his belly, and to tie it on to 
his hook for bait. Grizzly Bear saw it, but he was afraid to do the 
same. Grizzly Bear was siirprised when he saw what TxamsEm was 
doing. Then TxamsEm urged him, saying, "Go on! do the same," 
but Grizzly was afraid to do so. Then TxamsEm forced him to do 
so. He threw his knife to Grizzly Bear, and Grizzly Bear took the 
knife and cut off part of his own body. Soon he fainted. When he 
felt that he was dpng, he rushed at TxamsEni, trjnng to kill him; but 
TxamsEm jumped out and clung to the bottom of the canoe. When 
he heard that Grizzly Bear was dead, he went back into the canoe. 
Then he went ashore and hurried toward the house. 

He said to the two female Grizzly Bears, "Your husband has 
fainted, and he will die. If you want to bring him back to life, bring 
me two stones." Then the two women went, and brought each a 
small stone. TxamsEm put these stones into the fire, and, when they 
were red-hot, he told the women each to swallow one. The female 
Grizzly Bears trusted him. When the stones were red-hot, TxamsEm 
took two wooden tongs, took up the stones, and saitl to each of the 
women, "Now, dear chief tainess, open yoiu" mouth and clo.se your 
eyes!" They did so, and TxiimsEm put the hot stones into their 
mouths. Then they tuml)led about, and TxiimsEm struck them until 
they were dead. Thus TxamsEm killed three Grizzly Bears in one 
day. He went down to the beach at once and took out of the canoe 
the Grizzly Bear that he had killed. He cut it up first, and then his 
two wives. TxamsEm staid there many days. He had a good time, 
and ate aU he wanted every day. 

(29) txa'msem kills deer 1 

When TxamsEm had eaten the provisions of the Grizzly Bear, he 
went on, not knowing where to go. Soon he came to the mouth of the 
creek where there were humpback salmon. He saw a httle hut on 

1 Notes, p. 703. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 89 

the other side. He went to it, and saw a man and his wife, two per- 
sons, in the house. TxamsEm went in, and sat down on one side of 
the fire. These persons were smoking humpback sabnon, and they 
fed TxamsEm with good food; and whde TxamsEm was eating, he 
said to his new friend, "O brother-in-law! (he called the Deer his 
brother-in-law) let us go tomorrow and cut wood, for you have no 
good wood fit for smoking salmon. I know what kind of wood you 
need for your salmon." The Deer trusted him, and on the following 
morning they went out. TxamsEm saw a rotten hemlock tree, 
which, as he said, would make good wood for his brother-in-law to 
dry salmon ^vith. Therefore the people now know that this kind of 
wood is good for smoking salmon. TxamsEm cut down one of the 
trees, and cut the wood of right lengths. While he was sphtting the 
wood, his wedges jumped out. He tried it again, but the wedges 
jumped out again. When his l)rother-in-law saw the wedges jump 
out often, he stepped up to him and took hold of the wedges. When 
the Deer took off his hands, the wedges jumped out again. "Take 
hold of them again!" said TxamsEm to his brothei'-in-law. "Come 
a httle nearer!" He did so. "Don't be afraid, brother-in-law!" 
So the poor Deer put liis head close to the wedges. Then TxamsEm 
struck the wedges with his stone hanuncr, and said to the Deer, 
"Come a httle nearer to the wedges!" for the wedges always jumped 
out. Then the Deer was afraid. TxamsEm said, "Don't be afraid! 
I won't hurt you." So the Deer put his head rjuite close to the 
wedges; and while TxamsEm was striking them with his hammer, he 
sang out, " Wo wu, wo wu, wo wu!" .Alter he had done so, he hit 
the Deer's head, and the Deer fell down dead. TxiimsEm made a 
fire, and put flat stones in it. He made a hole in the ground, and 
when the flat stones were red-liot, he gathered leaves of the skunk- 
cablmge, cut up the fat deer, and put it on the hot stones. He put the 
cover on, and put water on the hot stones to steam the meat in the hole. 
"When he uncovered the fat meat that he had cooked, he was very 
happy. TxamsEm saw a large stump ' wliich was lying near the 
hole. Then he took part of the fat meat, shook it at the big Stumpj 
and said to the Stump, "Wouldn't you like to have my fat meat, old 
Stump?" He did so many tunes. ^Vfter he had eaten, he went to 
get some more leaves of the skunk-cabbage, which were to servo as 
his dish. i\iter he had left, the great Stump moved, and sat do\\^^ 
on top of the hole where the meat was. Xow TxamsEm returned. 
Behold! the Stump was on top of liis meat. He cried aloud on 
accoimt of his food. TxiimsEm went up to the Stump, and said, 
"Just sit a httle farther, friend! I will eat with you of my fat 
meat." He did all he could to move the gi-eat Stump. "Just sit a 

1 See p. 6S. 



90 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ktii. ANN. 31 

little farther off, and I will eat with you, clear friend! Oh, have 
pity on me, dear friend!" 

Finally, when the Stump had eaten all the fat meat, he moved off 
from the hole, and TxamsEm saw that only bare bones wore left in 
the hole. He took these bare bones, broke them to fijul something 
in them, and cried. 

In the evening he went into his canoe. Ho put black paint on his 
face, and paddled along, singuig — 

" Hi, hi, hi! a great party of wolve.s metus on our way home and killed mj' grandfather! 
Hi, hi, hi! a great party of wolves met us on our way home and killed my brother-in- 
law! 

O my grandfather!" 

The Deer's wife was standing in front of their house. Soon TxamsEm 
came to the beach, and she asked him, "What has hajjpened to 
you?" TxamsEm was still crying — 

" Hi, hi, hi! a great party of wolves met us on our way home and killed my grandfather! 
Hi, hi, hi! a great party of wolves met us on our way home and killed my brother-in- 
law! 

O my grandfather! " 

Then the Deer's wife shook her little short tail and ran away from 
him. TxiimsEm went mto the house of the Deer, and ate all the 
provisions in the house. 

(30) txa'msem imitates chief seal' 

After TxamsEm had eaten everything, he went on again. He came 
to a long point, and, behold! there was a house. He entered, for ho was 
very hungr3\ Tliis was the house of the Seal. Cliief Seal spread a 
now mat, and TxamsEm sat down on it. Then Seal roasted a dried 
salmon, put it in a dish, and placed it before TxamsEm. Seal took 
another dish and placed it near the fire. Then he hold up both liis 
hands close to the fire, with the back of his hands toward the fire, 
so that they gi-ew warm, and oil dripped from his lingers and ran 
into the dish, which he gave to TxamsEm to dip the salmon into. 
TxamsEm dipped his salmon into the oil and ate. Then he took 
a dish and filled it with seal bluliber, and ho put more oil over it. 
TxamsEm was very glad, for he had eaten enough in the house of the 
Seal. 

Then he left. He built a houso; and when he had finished it, he 
invited the Seal to liis new houso. The Seal came to visit him, and 
sat down in the rear of the house. TxamsEm took a dish and placed 
it near the fu-e. He held up his hands, so that they grew warm, 
and his fingers, eyes, and mouth were scorched. TxamsEm fell back 
like one dead, and he lay there a long time. Then the Seal arose. 
There was no oil in the dish. He said, "Oh, he tries to do what 

' Notes, pp. 694, 696. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 91 

I do!" TxiLmsEm was much ashamed. He arose, went into the 
woods, found some pitch, and put it on his fingers. 

People say that in oklen times all the joints of man's or woman's 
fingers had eyes and mouths until TxiimsEm held up his hands when 
he invited Cliief Seal into his house, and that man's fingers have had 
no eyes and no mouths since; when jieople ate food in those days, 
the fingers also ate. 

(31) txa'msem imitates chief kingfisher ' 

Again TxiimsEm wont on. He came to a creek, and saw a house in 
front of liim. It was a very nice house. He went toward it ; and when 
he went in, he saw a good-looking young man who was making a hook. 
Wlien TxamsEm entered, the young man looked at him, arose hastily, 
and spread a new mat on the floor. Then the young man went and 
fetched a pail of water. He took a nice dish, and roasted a dried 
salmon. He put it into the dish, and placed it before TxiimsEin. 
This young man was Chief Kingfisher. He had large stores of all Ivhids 
of provisions, and gave nearly everything to TxamsEm. At last he 
took a nice dish and stretched his foot out over it. Then he took a 
smooth stone, struck Ins ankle, and salmon eggs poured out of it and 
filled the dish. He placed it before TxamsEm, gave him a wooden 
spoon, and TxiimsEm ate it all and was very much pleased. He left 
the house of Kingfisher when he had had enough. 

Then he thought that he would invite his friend to visit him. 
Now, TxamsEin built a house better than that of young Kingfisher. 
When he had finished it, he invited Kmgfishcr, who sat down along- 
side the fire. TxamsEm took a dish, stretched out his foot over the 
dish, took a smooth stone and struck his ankle. He fell back, and 
said, "Oh, I am almost dead!" Then .young Ivuigfisher flew away 
from him, and TxiimsEm was very much ashamed. His foot was 
sore and swoUen, and he lay there a long time until it became well 
again. 

(32) txa'msem imitates THE THRUSH ' 

Agam he went, not knowing wliich way to turn. He came to a 
large river where there were many salmonl)erry bushes. There was 
a house, and TxamsEm went toward it. There he saw a fine- 
looking man, the Thrush, who invited TxamsEm to come in. The 
good-loolving joung man took some dried salmon, roasted them, put 
them in a dish, and placed them before TxamsEm, who ate. When 
he had finished eating salmon, he drank water. Then Tln-ush took a 
nice clean dish, wiped it out, arose, and took it up to the smoke hole. 
Then he sang — 

' ' Miyu guinlk gumik gumik gumih! " 

' Notes, pp. 694, 696. 



92 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. ann. 31 

After ho had done so four times, he placed the dish before TxamsEm. 
It was full of red and yellow salmonberries, which TxamsEm enjoyed 
very much. He ate them all. 

Then he thought again that he would do the same; and while the 
young man was busy, TxamsEra secretly took some of the unripe 
salmouberrios, put them into his left hand, and as soon as he had 
left the house, ho built a house for himself and invited the Tlirush 
to his new home. When his guest came in, he sat down on one side 
of TxamsEm's house. TxamsEm took a dish, lifted it up to the 
smoke hole, and put into it the unripe salmonberries that he had 
taken away from Thrush's house. He held up the dish and said, 
" Miga, miga!" He said so vc^ry often, but there remained just as 
many unripe salmonberries in his dish as he had put in, and Txiini- 
sEm's hands were tired from holding up the dish. He placed it before 
the Tlirush, who arose, saying, ''You tried to imitate me." Then 
TxamsEm was ashamed. He sat down in his house. 

(;?,3) txa'msem and cormorant' 

TxamsEm went on again, not knowing which way to turn. Ho went 
toward the sea; and, behold! he saw a house some distance away. 
He came near, entered, and sat down on one side of the fire. A man 
was there with his wife. This was the house of Chief Cormorant. 
The man's wife arose and roasted dried salmon by the fire. She put 
it mto a dish and placed it before TxiimsEm, who ate itall. She uncov- 
ered steamed halibut and seal meat, put it uito a dish, and gave it to 
TxamsEm, who ate it all. The house of Chief Cormorant was full 
of dried halibut and dried seal meat. After TxiimsEm had eaten, he 
said to Chief Cormorant, "Dear chief, let us go tomorrow to catch 
halibut!" Thus spoke TxiimsEm to Chief Cormorant. The chief 
replied at once, and said, "We will go tomorrow morning," and in 
the evenmg they prepared tlieh hooks and fishing-lines. Night came, 
and before it was daylight TxamsEm arose and called Chief Cor- 
morant. Chief Cormorant awoke at once and arose. They went 
aboard the canoe, and paddled to the fishing-ground, each with a 
mat on his knees. As soon as they came to the fishing-ground, they 
baited their hooks and tlxrew the hues mto the water. When the 
fishing-lines touched the bottom. Chief Cormorant had a bite from 
a hahbut at once, and hauled up his line with a haUbut at each end.^ 
He clubbed them and took them into the canoe. Then he threw his 
fish-lino back mto the water. Immediately he had another bite 
from two halibut. He hauled up his line and clubbed them again. 
TxamsEm felt very bad because he did not get a bite from the hali- 
but. Chief Cormorant tiu-ew out his line agam; and when his hooks 
touched the bottom, he had another bite. Then he hauled up the 

1 Notes, p. 678. 

2 The halibut-line is provided with a crosspiece, to each end of which a hook is attached. — F. B. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 93 

halibut and clubbed them. Cliief Cormorant had not been there 
long when his boat was full of large halibut, and all the haUbut had 
their heads toward Chief Cormorant; but TxamsEm caught no 
halibut at all, while the chief was filling his canoe with fish. 

The chief said to TxilmsEm, "Let us go home, for wo have enough 
halibut!" Then they hauled up their lines and paddled home with 
their canoe full of halibut. Now.TxamsEm was silent. Then Chief 
Cormorant said to his friend, "I will give you some of my halibut;" 
and TxiimsEm said to Cormorant, "Let us go ashore and refresh 
ourselves!" So they went ashore to refresh themselves. When they 
reached the beach, they stepped out of their canoe, and the sun 
shone on the sandy beach. 

Now, TxamsEm said to Cormorant, "Just stand still! I see a large 
louse on the back of your head." So the Cormorant stood there, 
while TxiimsEm went toward him. He said, "Ha! I caught j-our 
big louse. Now put out your tongue, that I may put your louse on 
it!" The Cormorant put his tongue way out; and while he was doing 
so, TxiimsEm took hold of the tongue and tore it out. Then Cor- 
morant tried to speak; but he could not, for he had no tongue. 
TxiimsEm went ilown to the canoe, and the poor Cormorant came 
do\ra and went aboard the canoe, unable to talk. Many times he 
tried to speak, but TxamsEm did not understand him. TxamsEm 
paddled back home. Wlien they arrived at the beach of Cor- 
morant's town, the people came down and saw that the canoe was 
full of halibut; but CMef Cormorant was lying in the bow of the 
canoe, covered with a mat. They questioned him, and asked, ' ' \Yliat 
is the matter with you, chief?" Then TxiimsEm lietl, saymg that 
Cliief Cormorant had not caught any halibut; that therefore he had 
put his own hook into his mouth, and had torn out his own tongue. 
The people took off the mats that covered Chief Cormorant, and saw 
that his tongue was lost. The people questioned him. He tried to 
speak, but they did not understand him. Then Chief Cormorant 
made signs with his fingers, and thus told his jieople that TxiimsEm 
had torn out his tongue on theu- way back from the fishmg-ground, 
because TxiimsEm had caught nothmg. 

Chief Cormorant's mouth was full of blood; therefore all his people 
assembled and flew around TxiimsEm, and struck at his cheeks with 
their wings, and some of them scratched his head with their claws, 
and pecked at his eyes with then- bills. TxiimsEm tried to escape; 
but the Cormorants were so many, that he was iniablc to do so. At 
last he put on his raven garment and flew away through the smoke 
hole, cryuig, "Caw, caw, caw!" He went away, starvmg and hun- 
gry. For this reason the Cormorant can not speak distinctly nowa- 
days. As TxiimsEm had cursed them, therefore all the cormorants 
have black feathers now. He himseK was badly bruised all over his 
body. 



94 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

(34) txa'msem and the wolves' 

TxamsEm went on again in the woods, lonely, without any friends. 
There was no meat for him to eat. At last he came out of the forest 
at a place where a house was standing in the valley. TxiimsEm went 
toward it. Before he arrived there, the sound of the voices of young 
men met him proceeding from the house. They asked him where he 
came from and where he was gomg. TxamsEm replied, saying that he 
was out huntmg, anil the young men were glad to learn that he was 
a hunter. Therefore they invited him in. Many people were in the 
house. They spread mats on one side of the large fire. TxamsEm 
sat down and looked around, and he saw that the house was full of 
all kinds of meat. There was some fresh meat. He smiled when he 
was looking around. Then they roasted dried salmon, and put it in 
a dish and placed it in front of TxiimsEm. He ate. The next course 
was boiled dried meat, 'and then fresh meat steamed in a hole in the 
ground. This was the house of Chief Wolf and of his people. Txiim- 
sEm was afraid. On the following day Chief Wolf said to his hunt- 
ers, "Bring me some fresh meat tomorrow, while our friend is 
staying with us!" Then all the young people got ready for the fol- 
lowing mornmg; and early in the mornuig they started, as soon as 
the sun rose. They came home one by one, bringing all kinds of 
animals. Some brought mountam goats, some venison, some black 
bear, some geese, and so on. TxamsEm did not know what to do, 
for he was afraid of the Wolves. He tried often to obtaui all those 
provisions which he saw in the house of the chief of the Wolves. 
The Wolves did not sleep in the night, and they smelt every thmg; 
therefore TxamsEm could not deceive them. 

On the following day TxamsEm intended to leave them for awhile, 
and he said he would be back after a few days. He told Chief Wolf 
that he was going for his himting-gear. Cliief Wolf ordered his 
servants to fUl a big bag with fat meat, which he was going to give 
to his fi-iend to eat on liis way. On the following morning he started. 
He had not gone long before he had eaten all the fat meat in his bag. 

(35) txa'msem and chief grouse^ 

Then TxamsEm cUmbed a mountain and saw a house on the other 
side. He went up to it secretly and looked in tlirough a knot-hole. 
Behold ! there were a woman and her two cluldi'en. He left secretly, 
and went a little farther back and sat there a wliile. Then three 
Crows whom TxamsEm had called came to him. He was going to 
pretend that one of the Crows was his wife and the two others were 
his children; so they went together toward the Uttle house. Before 
they reached there, behold! a hunter came down with fresh meat of 
mountain goats, and the two cliildren of the hunter came forth to 

1 Notes, p. 720. 2 Notes, p. "16. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 95 

meet their father. This was the house of Chief Grouse. The two 
childi'en remained outside whQe the father went in. The children 
saw a man, liis wife, and his two cliildren coming along toward them. 
Then they ran in and told their parents that a stranger was coming 
to them, and their parents were ready to receive him. Chief Grouse 
invited in the visitor and liis family. They went in, and Grouse gave 
them food until they all had had enough. TxamsEm said that he 
would camp with them for a wlule, and Cliief Grouse agreed. Early 
the following morning Chief Grouse arose and began to make aiTOws 
and darts. He made many; and on the following day Chief Grouse 
went, and TxamsEm went also. In the evening TxamsEm came 
home first. He had caught notliing. Late in the evening Cliief 
Grouse came home with an abundance of meat of mountain goats 
and with fat, and his children were very glad because their father 
had brought them fat food — the fat of the intestines of mountain 
goats and the fat of kidneys. 

TxamsEm's children were very anxious to have some of the fresh 
meat and fat. On the following day Chief Grouse made more arrows 
and darts. When he had finished them, he went again, leaving very 
early. On the following morning TxamsEm also started. He foUowed 
Chief Grouse secretly; and when Cliief Grouse arrived at the foot of a 
great steep chff, he stood there with his bow in his hand, ready to 
shoot. He began to shoot his arrows at the cracks of the cliif, and 
TxamsEm saw what he was doing. After Cliief Grouse had shot all 
his new arrows, he shouted four times; and all of a sudden a bright 
young man stood by his side, and Cliief Grouse stood still by the side 
of the bright young man. Then the bright young man questioned 
Chief Grouse: "Whose arrows are these?" — "O dearest supernatural 
helper! aU these are your arrows." Then the bright young man 
vanished from the sight of Cliief Grouse; and, behold! a mountain 
goat fell from the high cliff down to the place where Grouse was 
standing. After TxamsEm had seen this, he went away secretly. 
Chief Grouse got four large mountain goats. He cut them up, and 
late in the evening he came home mtli all the fat of the mountain 
goats. Again his people welcomed their father gladly, because 
he came home ^^-ith much fresh meat. Cliief Grouse fed TxamsEm 
and his family with the fresh meat and fat. 

Then TxamsEm questioned Chief Grouse: "Are you going to hunt 
tomorrow?" — "No, I shall not go," answered Chief Grouse. "Well," 
said TxamsEm, "I will go myself tomorrow early in the mornhig." 
Early the next morning TxamsEm went out right to the place where 
Cliief Grouse had gone the other day, and he began to shoot his new 
arrows. When he had finished shooting, he shouted with all his 
might at the foot of the high chff. He shouted four times, and 
immediately a bright young man stood by liis side. He asked 



96 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. Ann. 31 

TxamsEm, "Whose darts and arrows are these?" and TxamsEm 
stood there speechless. He did not know what to answer to the 
youno; man. The bright young man asked Iiim again, " Wliose darts 
and arrows are these?" TxamsEm was doubtful what to answer, 
for he had not heard what Cliief Grouse had answered when the 
supernatural being was standing at his side the day before. TxiimsEm 
rephed after the second question, "These arc my own darts and 
arrows, my own, my own tsidan, Raven's tsidan, his own tsidan.'"^ 
Then the supernatiu'al briglit young man was angry, because 
TxamsEm was proud and hud not answered the right way. He said 
to TxamsEm, "I shall break your bad arrows," and he threw them 
down the steep rock. Then the bright young man vanished fnnn his 
side, and TxiimsEm turned back. He had not a single arrow left. 
He had only his bow and liis hunting-knife. He felt very bad, 
tin-ned back, and cut his own belly with liis knife. He took out 
part of Ids own intestines, and ])ut them around his walking-staff. 
Late in the evening he came home, and liis cliildren were glad when 
tlicir father came home u-ith his staff with the intestines wound 
around it. Then the cliildren sang a song — 

" Only my father brouchf home intestines of wild animals! " 

Then they unwrapped the intestines from the staff, and TxamsEm 
was sitting down by the side of the fire without a word, looking at 
liis cliildren while they were unwrapping the intestines from the 
staff. Soon the children had taken off the intestines, and they tlirew 
them on the fire to cook them; and as soon as they were scorched, 
TxamsEm fell back fainting. Therefore Ms wife and his two childron 
flew away from liim. Thus Cliicf Grouse perceived that it was 
TxamsEm. He took liis dead body and threw it down the steep 
mountain. 

After TxamsEm had lain there a while, he came back to life, arose, 
and sat down at the foot of the high cliff. He felt that his belly was 
empty, for he had no intestines. Therefore the raven has no intes- 
tines now. 

(3G) TXa'mSEM returns to the WOLVES^ 

TxiimsEM went on, and the wound in his l)c]ly pained him 
much. He went a long way, not knowing wliich way to turn. StUl 
he remembered his promise to Chief Wolf to return to him soon. 
Therefore he searched everywhere trying to find the Wolves' village. 
After a while he met two hunters, and asked them, " Will you tell mo 
where tlie village of Chief Wolf is ?" The two young men said, " We 
belongto Chief Wolf's people."—" Will you take me tohim?"— " Yes, " 
rephed the two hunters, "come and go with us!" TxamsEm was 

1 The meaning of this word is unknown to me. — F. B. 2 Notes, p. 720. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 97 

glad to follow them. They ran as fast as they could, and TxamsEm 
followed them; but he soon was tired of runnmg, for he was very 
hungry, and Ms belly gave him pain. Therefore he was very weak, 
and walked a long time. Before evening set in, the two young men 
had left him behind, and TxamsEm camped in the woods, under a 
large spruce tree. On the following morning, when he awoke, he tried 
to get up; but he was very weak, for he had had notlung to eat for 
three or four days. Wlien the sun rose up in the sky, a little tomtit 
was flying about near TxamsKm, who called him. Then the little 
bird came to him. TxamsEm said to liim, "Will you kindly tell me 
where Chief Wolfs town is«" The little Tomtit replied, "Oh, 
yes! I will do it. Follow me." TxamsEm thanked liim, and said 
to Tomtit, "Don't fly zigzag when we are on our way, for I am very 
weak, and my body feels heavy, for I have had notliing to eat for 
four days and a half." So little Tomtit questioned him, and said, 
" Sir, where have you been ever since ? ' ' Now, TxamsEm told him his 
story, and said, "I have been in camp with Cliief Grouse — his family 
and my fainily. We went out hunting every morning, and I always 
killed many mountain goats, and my partner had none. Therefore 
he was angry with me, and struck me down with liis club, knocking 
me over the back of my head, and I lay on the ground almost dead. 
Then he took me by tlie leg and threw me down the side of a high 
cliff. He also cut my belly before he threw me down. " 

Therefore tlie little bird said, "Now let us go!" They went 
together, the little Tomtit fl>ang all the time, and the big TxamsEm 
walking slowly after him. Every time the Tomtit jumped, he said, 
"Tsiap, isiap!" aU along their way. Wlien he said ''Tswp!" he 
meant, "This way, old friend!" 

Before they arrived at the town of Chief Wolf, Tomtit came to 
TxamsEm's side, and said, "Now I will go bark home, for I am afraid 
of the Wolves." Thus he said to TxitmsEm. TxiimsEm saw the 
smoke rising from the village of Chief Wolf, and he was glad to see 
the smoke yonder. He walked on quickly, and arrived at the end 
of the village. Some young men came out to meet him; and when 
they reached him, they ran around him, taking up his scent. Txam- 
sEm was afraid of them, because they were smelling around him. 
The young men asked him where he came from and where he was 
going. He replied, "I just intended to visit Chief Wolf's village, 
since I promised to come back again, and now I am back here." 
The young men continued to ask him, "With whom have you been 
all this time?" TxamsEm said, "I just want to see Chief Wolf." 
Then they led him to the house of their chief. As soon as TxamsEm 
entered, all the people m the house raised their noses because they 
smclled the bloody wound in TxiimsEm's body. Therefore the 
chief asked him, "What has happened, that your bodv is fillod with 

.50633°— 31 ETH— IG 7 



98 TSIMSIIIAN MYTHOLOGV lETii. ANN. 31 

blood?" TxamsEm replied, saying, "As I was going to got my 
hunting-gear, I met a person on tlic way — a man and his wife and 
his two children. He asked me to accompany him to his hunting- 
ground. I did so, and went with him. One morning I went hunthig 
with him, and I killed more mountain sheep than he did, and also 
some black bears. Then I went home to fetch my family to our 
camp. On the following morning we went again to his hunting- 
ground, and I killed more than I did before. Therefore he was 
angry with me, and struck me with his club; and I fell to the ground, 
and lay there for a while. He also cut my belly and took out my 
intestines, and he threw me down a steep cliff. I must have lain 
there a long time; but at last I revived, and I tried to get up, but I 
was weak. After a while I felt a little better. I remember that you 
were a kind friend to me, and so I have come here to see you before I 
die." 

Then Chief Wolf questioned him, and asked, " How far is that from 
here?" — ^"Oh, it is quite a long way off." — "How many days since 
it happened?" He answered, "P^our or live days ago." — "Have 
you had anything to eat since that time?" — "Oh, no!" Chief Wolf 
took pity on TxJimsEm wlicn he told his story, and he asked TxiimsEm 
whether it was a long way off, because he wanted to take revenge on 
TxiimsEm's enemy. Chief Wolf believed the deceitful TxamsEm. 
Now, Chief Wolf ordered his attendants to give his friend TxiimsEm 
fat food, and they did as the chief had ordiered them. They gave 
him all kinds of rich meat and fat. Therefore TxamsEm became well 
again, for he was eating rich food every day. 

He staid among the Wolves for a long time. Every house was 
full of rich meat and of fat; but he was not satisfied, for he wanted 
the rich food for himself. So, on the following evening, as soon as 
he had finished eating, he said to Chief Wolf, "I will go out with 
your young men when they go out hunting. I think I can do better 
than they." Thus he said. Chief Wolf smiled, and said, "All 
right, friend! I hope they won't leave you behind, for my attend- 
ants run as quickly as birds fly, so I am afraid that they will leave 
you behind." In the evening all the young men made ready for 
the next day, and very early the following morning they started. 
TxamsEm was up also. They all went, and TxamsEm accompanied 
two young Wolves. As soon as they arrived at the foot of one of 
the high mountains, they looked up, and, behold! the top of the moun- 
tain was full of mountain sheep. TxamsEm said to his companions, 
"I will remain here while you go up there." The two young Wolves 
consented. They climbed up one side of the high mountain, trying 
to get up to the mountain sheep. Soon they arrived there; and the 
two young Wolves killed almost all of them, and threw them down 
one side of the high mountain, letting them slide down to TxiimsEm. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 99 

When the}^ had thrown down ;dl I hey had killed, they refreshed 
themselves; and TxamsEm gathered all the game, covered it with 
hemlock leaves, and left only four or five nncovered. When the 
two young men had refreshed themselves, they went down, and found 
very few carcasses. TxilmsEm sat there without saying anything. 
They asked him, "Are these mountain sheep all that came down V — 
"Yes, that is all." Then the t^<^o young men raised their noses to 
smell, and soon found the pile of hemlock leaves. They scratched 
them off, and found the animals. Then they asked TxamsEm, 
"Who hid those animals here?"— "Where?" said he. "I did it, 
for I was afraid that some one might come and take them away, for 
you staid away a long time." So they took them all out, and 
gathered them in one pile. TxiimsEm was ashamed. Therefore 
the two young Wolves went away, howling, until all the Wolves 
gathered together to carry the carcasses down. They all took them 
down to the chief's house. 

TxamsEm came down also. Now, Chief Wolf's house was full of 
mountain sheep, and all the Wolves were glad. TxiimsEm sat there 
alone. No one spoke a word to him. Then tlie chief gave a great 
feast to his people. TxiimsEm looked pitifully at the chief's face; 
therefore Chief Wolf fed him with good food. Wlien the feast 
was over, two young men went secretly to the chief, and told him 
that his friend had hidden the animals that they killed before they 
came down. After these men had spoken. Chief Wolf asked his 
friend how he liked hunting. TxiimsEm said, "It delighted me verv 
mucli, sir."--" Will you go again with these men?" — "Yes," was 
his answer, "but I want to go alone." — "All right! you shall go." 
On the followuig morning the men started out hunting again, and 
TxamsEm went last. He followed secretly behind them. Soon two 
young men saw that on the top of a mountain there were manv 
mountain sheep. They went up, and TxiimsEm looked at them 
secretly. They killed as many as they could, and let them slide 
down the side of the high mountain. Then they lay do\\Ti on the 
ground on top of the mountain to refresh themselves. After they 
had been there some time, TxamsEm took many carcasses down to 
the beach and hid them from the Wolves. The two yoinig men 
missed some of the mountain she(>p; but they smelled all along the 
way that TxiimsEm had dragged them, and so they soon found the 
pile of carcasses. They questioned TxiimsEm, who was standing by 
these carcasses. "Wlio dragged them down here? Wliero are 
they?" — "I killed them myself." — "No, you dragged them down 
here." These two young men were angry with him. So one of 
them went away, and the other one remained to watch over the 
game; and the one that had gone away began to howl. Soon all 
the Wolves came that way, howling; but TxiimsEm stood there, 



100 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ixx. 3i 

ready for them, put on his raven {rarmont , and flew away. The chief's 
son decided to kill the man who had dragged dowTi these animals. 
They rushed at him; but TxamsEm ran as fast as he could toward 
alog that floated a little way out on the water. He flew, and alighted 
on it. Then the Wolves went away with the carcasses, but TxiimsEm 
paddled to the north country on the floating log. He drifted to 
Cape Fox with the tide. Therefore the canoes do not capsize in 
stormy weather when they cross over there. We <all tlie place 
"Alouth Of Nass River" up to this time. 

(37) TXA'mSEM invites THE MONSTERS ' 

TxamsEm had been away from this country for a long time, many 
years; and when he came back from the nortli, wearing the old 
raven garment, he gave a great feast to all the monsters on one of 
the outer islands. Wlien his guests came into the bay on the outer 
side of that island, TxamsEm went out to meet them. The water 
was full in front of the new carved hoase that TxamsEni had built. 
This was the first potlatch to which he invited all kinds of monsters; 
and when they came mto the bay, TxamsEm stood in front of his house 
and began to address his guests. "O chiefs! I am so glad to see that 
you have come to my potlatch. 1 have been away from this country 
for a long time, therefore I am glad to see you agaui. I want to say 
something else. I wish you would stay there and become rocks." 
Tlien all the monsters became rocks. He continued, "And I will 
also become a rock." As soon as TxamsEm said this, the devilfish 
went down quickly. Therefore the devilfish stays now at the bottom 
of the sea. The people were much plea.sed because all the monsters 
had been turned into stone; and TxamsEm himself became a stone 
shaped like a raven, and only the devilfish remains alive. The people 
say that nowadays, when a devOfish comes out of the water, the 
people cry, "Caw, caw, caw!" like a raven, and the devilfi.sh dies 
when he hears the raven cry. That island is full of stones shaped 
like all kinds of monsters — whales, killer whales, sharks, and so on — 
and the raven stands in front of his carved house even now.^ 

(38) THE FURTHER HISTORY OF TXA'mSEM " 

There was a great chief among the Gi-lu-dza'r named T!Em-nunx. 
Three j-ears before the white people reached thLs country the great 
chief T !Em-nunx gave a great feast to all the Tsimshian tribes. He 
built a very good carved house, carved on the outside, and with 
carved timbers inside even better than the outer carving. After he 
had fuiished his house, he invited all the Tsimshian chiefs to his new 
carved house; and when the chiefs came in, they were delighted to 

1 Notes, p. 718. 2 See p. 13S. = Notes, p. 723. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 101 

see the beautiful carvings in T!Ein-iiunx's house: and the Tsiinshian 
people spread the fame of his house, telling how nice it was; and all 
the people around the Tsimshian talked about the beautiful carved 
house of T!Em-niinx. And so all the people round about came to see 
the house. Fmally all the animals also heard of the fame of TlEm- 
nunx's house. 

Xow, TxamsEm also heard about this. Every day suice Chief 
TiEm-nunx had finished his house it was full of people, and every 
night all kinds of animals came in to see the carved timbers. This 
beautiful house was buOt on tlie Skeena River, at the mouth of 
K-lax-g"ils River, where the G'i-lu-dza'r tribe lived. 

After a while, before spring, when the people were ready to go to 
Nass River to fish for olachen, one midnight Chief TlEm-uiinx could 
not sleep, and he saw that the door of his house was secretly opened. 
Tlien he called his wife, and asked her what it might be. Tliey 
looked, and saw a great man enter. He crept along, came in, and 
began to look at the carved timbers. Before the giant had fiaished 
lookmg over the house, the chief was filled with fear, and groaned. 
Therefore the giant stepped out quickly. 

On the following morning the chief invited his whole tribe in, and 
told them what had happened in his house on the previous niglit. 
Therefore all his men agreed to watch the followuig night ; and when 
night came, three men lay in wait at the door. One of the chief's 
men had a gun loaded ■with five bullets; and before midnight the 
door was secretly opened again, as had happened before; and, 
behold! a great man crept in and looked at the carvings which he 
had not been able to examine the night before. Tlien the tliree men 
who lay in wait for him shot hun. The man who had the gun was 
scared, but the others had more courage, and took the gun from him 
and shot the giant m the breast Avith the five bullets; but the giant 
took no notice of it, and the man who lay in wait faulted. The chief 
did not faint at all. When the giant had examined all the timbers, 
he went out, and the three men did not know wlu) it was whom they 
had shot. Then the people were afraid, because they had shot a 
supernatural being. 

Many years passed on. Two years after the canneries had been 
established on Skeena River, not many years ago, a young man of 
the upper Skeena River was gambling with another one. He lost 
all his goods, and also those of his wife and his two children. There- 
fore he was very sad, for his wife had nothing to wear, and they had 
no food for their children. Therefore the young ma,n went away 
from his empty, lonely house. He wandered about in the moun- 
tains. He had passed over many mountains; and after he had done 
so, he came to the border of a great plain. There he found a narrow 
trail, which lie followed. Finally he saw smoke ascending in the 



102 TSIMSHIAN MVTHOLOGV | kth. ANN. ;u 

distance. He went toward ii : aiul when lie came there, he discovered 
a deep valley. He stood at the edge of the deep valley and looked 
downi mto it. He saw a hut in it, and the smoke ascended from it. 
He looked in another direction, and he saw that the trail which he 
had followed went straight dowai m front of the little hut. So he 
went down the trail. He looked secretly through a knot-hole, and 
saw a great man lying there, with his back tmiied toward the fire. 
The great man spoke to the young man who had come secretly to hLs 
door, and said, "Come in, my dear! for I have known about you ever 
smca you left your home." So the young man went in. 

The giant sat up and looked at the yomig man. He began to 
speak, and questioned tlie yomig man. "Did you hear yoiu" own 
history about TxamsEm?" The j'oung man answered, "Yes." 
Then TxiimsEm continued, "I am he," said he. "Do you see the 
wound in my chest ? I received it in the carved house of T lEm-nunx." 
The young man was surprised, for he did not know about the carved 
house of TiEm-niinx. This giant was TxamsEm. He said to the 
young man, "I will give you some meat." He did so; and after the 
young man had had his meal, TxamsEm said, "This valley has been 
given to me to live in." As soon as the young man had entered the hut, 
he had seen two pups lying by the side of the fire. TxiimsEm called 
the young man out ; and when they had gone out, TxamsEm pointed 
Avith his finger at the mountains vv^]u(']i were all around his hut, and 
all these mountains were full of mountain sheep. Other mountains 
were full of black bears and of all other kinds of animals. TxamsEm 
also said, "Do you see these animals? They are my j)rovisions. 
They have been prepared for mo, and it lias been ordamed that 1 
shall stay here a little longer. Therefore I do not go about the world 
any more, but at a future day I shall begin to travel again: but T do 
not know when, only Heaven liimself knows." 

After he had spoken, he called the pups by name. Then the jtups 
arose and shook their bocUes, and they became two hauJiau' cubs. 
Therefore the young man was afraid; but TxamsEm sent the two 
young hauhau up one of the mountains which was full of mountam 
sheep. They went, and TxamsEm said to the young man, "Heaven 
gave me those two yomig hauhau to biing me meat every day;" 
and when TxamsEm had said these words, they heard the roaring of 
the two hauhau cubs on the mountaui, and, behold! a great number 
of mountain sheep fell from the mountain by' the side of TxamsEm's 
hut . TxamsEm skinned and carved them all. After he had cut them 
up, he took the meat and fat, wrapped them around his hunting- 
staff, and, when the fat was thick around Ids staff, TxamsEm squeezed 
the bundle four times. Then the fat was finished.- He also took 

' A fabulous animal.— F. B. 



BUASJ TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 103 

the meat ami wrapped it over the fat around his staff; autl when 
the staff was full, he squeezed it, and it was thin again. He did this 
four times, and all the meat was fmished.. 

Then TxamsEm gave it to the young man, saying, "Go back 
home!" The man replied, "I do not know my way, for it is far^ off. 
I do not tliink I shall ever get back to my house." Therefore 
TxamsEm led liim up one of the mountauis, and pointed out a certain 
direction. He said, "You shall go in the threction in wliich I point. 
Follow that narrow trail yonder. Tliis trail leads to your house. 
You will soon get home." Then the young man said, "I have been 
traveling for many days. How can I get home quickly ? ' ' TxamsEm 
replied, "I will smooth your way for you. You shall reach home 
tonight. Keep your eyes on the narrow trail; and if you hear any- 
thing beliind you on the way like thunder or terrible noises, don't 
look back, lest pciil befall you. Keep your eyes on the trail until 
you reach above your village. Then you may look back, and you 
shall know what has happened." TxamsEm said also, "Have pa- 
tience, young man! Don't look behind you!" and he made the 
young man promise not to look back on his way down to his home. 

Now he was ready, and TxamsEm told him to go as quickly as possi- 
ble. The man took his gun on his left shoulder and TxamsEm's 
staff in liis right hand. TxiimsEm said, "Go cjuickly! 'My dogs will 
soon come and they might devour you." Therefore the yoimg man 
went, and kept his eyes on the narrow trail. The trail went along the 
middle of the large plain; and while he was rumiiug along, he heard 
a great noise Uke the rolling of thunder, but the young man kept on 
going. He heard other terrible noises close behind, like the noise of 
mountain-sUdes, and the earth was quaking as he went along, but 
he kept his eyes on the narrow trail. He heard more terrible noises 
close beliind, and he ran as fast as he could to escape from the terrors 
beliind him, and the ground continued to tremble. He was full of 
fear, but he kept on, and before the sun set he arrived above his 
village and stood there. 

Then he looked back, and high mountains appeared where he had 
come from. TxamsEm had smoothed these mountains where the 
young man had passed ; and as soon as the man had passed a mountain, 
the mountain stood up again as it had been before, and that made 
a terrible noise, for all the mountains arose again in their own places. 
There was no large plain and no narrow trail to be seen. Only liigh 
moimtains covered the country behind the man. He wondered on 
account of what had happened to him. He stood there a wliile, 
thinlving that he had been in a dream, but still he held the staff in his 
right hand, and his own gun on liis left shoulder. He made up his 
mind to go down to his \-illage, and laid (\o\vu the staff and his rifle. 



104 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

He leaned Ms staff against the stump of a tree, and went down to his 
father's house. Secretly he looked in through a knot-hole, and he 
beheld his sister weephig beside the fire, and many people who were 
sittmg around the fire looked sorrowful. So he went in secretly and 
stood belihid his sister, who was sitting there weeping. He spoke to 
her. "Sistei-," said he, "is my wife still ahve?" His sister was 
surprised to see him, and all the people were glad to see him home 
again. His poor wife came in with her two children, and the man 
took the two children on his knees. He ordered his nephews to 
invite in the whole tribe. They did as their uncle had told them. 
When aU the guests were in, the man went up with his four nephews 
to where he had left liis staff, and the four young men coulil not lift 
it up: so the man himself took it down to his house and placed it in 
front, inside of the house. He ordered mats to be spread in the rear 
of liis father's house, and he took off the meat of mountain sheep 
and piled it up in a great heap. Then he took off the fat from the 
staff, and heaped up the fat by itself; and when he had taken off 
everything from liis staff, he gave part of the meal to the peoi)l(', and 
some fat, and he told them his story. 

"I went wandering among the mountains; and when 1 passed all 
the mountains and rivers ami lakes, I came to a great plain. I di<l 
not see any trees or any lulls, just nice green grass and all kinds of 
flowers. Then I found a narrow trail, which I followed," said he. 
Some one asked him, "How long did you walk after you reached the 
great plain?" He answered, "Almost fifteen days." Then the man 
continued, " I did not see the end of the gieat plain; and when I came 
to the center, I saw smoke ascending a httle distance ahead. There- 
fore I walked as quickly as I could. -Soon 1 arrived at the edge of a 
large valley; and when I looked down, I saw a Init in the bottom, 
from which smoke ascended. I went down, foUo\ving the same Jiarrow 
trail; and I went down the hill quicklj', carrying my rifle on my 
shoulder. When I came to the bottom of the valley, I went toward 
the hut. I looked in secretly, and a large man was lying there by the 
side of the fire, with his back against the fire. He said to me, 'Come 
in, sir, for I have seen you strugghng along the trail.' So I went in 
quietly, and sat down on one side of the fire, with my rifle in front 
of me. Then the great man sat up, looked at me with liis large 
rough face, and I was afraid of him. He asked if I was not afraid to 
see him. Therefore 1 took courage. Then he asked me if I knew 
Mm. Wlien I said, 'No,' he continued asking me if I knew the 
story about TxamsEm, and I said, 'Yes.' Then he told me that 
he was TxamsEin. He also showed me a large wountl in Ms chest, 
which he received in the house of a cMef named T lEm-nirnx, in whose 
carved house he had been shot. I saw two pups asleep near the fire. 



BOAS] • TSTMSHIAN^ MYTHS 105 

Then the giant told me that Heaven had placed him there in the 
bottom of the deep vallej^ and had given him food. So he did not 
need to go aroimd the country. He gave me good food to eat; and 
when I had finished, he asked me to go outside. I ditl as he told me. 
We went out together, and he pointed out the tops of all the moimtains 
round about his hut. All these mountains were full of all kinds of 
animals — mountain sheep, black bear, and so on. Then he asked 
me again if I wanted to go back to my home, therefore I told him 
that I did not know my way. Furthermore, I told liim that I 
thought I could not get home again. He smiled, and said, 'It is 
not very far from here. You will reach home tonight. I will give 
you pro\nsions for your way home.' So I consented to what he said, 
iloreover, he told me that Heaven had given him two dogs. He called 
the two pups, which came out, shook themselves, and became hauliau 
cubs. I almost fainted with fear, but they went up to where there 
were innumerable mountain sheep; and as soon as they had gone, 
behold! a great number of mountain sheep came sliding down the 
mountain. So TxamsEm cut them up, meat and fat. Then he put 
the meat and fat on his staff, and tliis you are eating now; and when 
he gave me the staff, he pointed out to me a narrow trail wliich comes 
down behind our house. He stretched out his hand over the ijlain 
foin- times, and commanded me not to look behind if I should hear 
a terrible noise. He said, ' If you look back, danger will befall you, 
and you wiU not get home; but if you look straight ahead, you will 
get home tonight.' After he had given his orders, I went, and ran 
with all my might, the staff in my right hand, and my rifle on my 
left shoulder. Wlrile I was running, I heard beliind me a terrible 
noise like roUing thunder, which made me very much afraid, so I 
ran on. Then I heard moi'e terrible noises right beliind me, and the 
ground was shaking as though rocks were being rent. I ran on. 
There was more noise, and the ground was quaking, and the noises 
were exceedingly terrible. I was almost out of breath; but before' 
the evcTiing I arrived on top of this hill above us, and I laid down my 
staff and my lifle. As soon as I reached the hiU beliind tliis village, 
I looked back the way I had come, and, behold! I saw many high 
moimtains. I was wondering. I thought I was in a dream. Finally 
I came down; and when I saw my sister weeping here, I knew that 
everything was true." 

All his people were glad to see him home again, and his relatives 
welcomed hun, and he kept the staff that TxamsEm had given to 
him, and therefore the people know that TxamsEm is stUl alive.' 

1 My cousin, Henry D. Pierce, met this man last summer. My cousin questioned him, and the man 
said that all the stories wliich I put down on these pages were laiown to the people. Many yoimg people 
have gone trying to find T:^amsEm, but they can not do it, because he hides \i\ the mountains, so (hat 
the people can not find him. — Henry W. Tate. 



106 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

2. The Meeting of the Wild Animals' 

A long time ago, when the Tsimshian lived on the upper Skeena 
River, in Prairie Town, there were many people. They were the 
most clever and the strongest among all tlie people, and they were 
good hunters, and caught many animals, going hunting the whole 
year round. Therefore all the anunals were in great distress on 
account of the hunters. 

Therefore the animals held a meeting. The Grizzly Bear invited 
all the large animals to his house, and said to them, ''We are dis- 
tressed, and a calamity has befallen us on account of the hunting of 
these people, who pursue us into our dens. Therefore it is in my 
mind to ask Him Who Made Us to give us more cold in winter, so that 
no hunter may come and kill us in our dens. Let Him Wlio Made Us 
give to our earth severe cold!" Thus spoke the Grizzly Bear to his 
guests. Then all the large animals agreed to what the chief had 
said, and the Wolf spoke: "I have something to say. Let us uu-ite 
all the small animals, — even such as Porcupine,' Beaver, Raccoon, 
Marten, Mink, down to the small animals such as the Mouse, and the 
Insects that move on the earth, — for they might come fc-rth and 
protest against us, and our advice might come to nought!" Thus 
spoke the large Wolf to the large animals in theii' council. 

Therefore on the foUowuig day the large animals assembled on an 
extensive prairie, and they called all the small animals, down to the 
insects; and all the small animals and the insects assembled and sat 
down on one side of the plain, and the large animals were sitting on 
the other side of the plain. Panther came. Grizzly Bear, Black 
Bear, Wolf, Elk, Reindeer, Wolverene — all kinds of large animals. 

Then the chief speaker, Grizzly Bear, arose, and said, "Friends, 
I will tell you about my experiences." Thus bespoke to the small 
animals and to the insects. "You know vei'y well how we are 
afflicted by the people who hunt us on mountains and hills, even 
pursuing us into our dens. Therefore, my brothers, we have 
assembled (he meant the large animals). On the previous day I 
called them all, and I told them what I had in my mind. I said, 
'Let us ask Him Wlio Made Us to give to our earth cold winters, 
colder than ever, so that the people who hunt us can not come to 
our dens and kill us and you!' and my brothers agreed. Therefore 
we have called you, and we tell you about our council." Thus 
spoke the Grizzly Bear. Moreover, he said, "Now I will ask you, 
large animals, is this so?" 

Then the Panther spoke, and said, "I fully agree to this wise 
counsel," and all the large animals agreed. Then the Grizzly Bear 

1 This story resembles, in the form of the speeches, the story of TxamsEm's war on the South Wind, 
p. 79, and has lipen influenced in form liy the Kwakiutl tales. The term "He Who Made Us" is presum- 
ably due to Christian influence.— Notes, pp. 723, 72S. — F. B. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 107 

turned to the small animals, who were seated an one side uf the 
prairie, and said, ''We want to know what you have to say m this 
matter." Then the small animals kept quiet, and did not reply to 
tlie question. After they had been silent for a while, one of their 
speakers, Porcupine, arose, and said, "Friends, let me say a word or 
two to answer your question. Your counsel is very good for your- 
selves, for you have plenty of warm fur, even for the most severe 
cold, but look down upon these little insects. They have no fur to 
warm themselves in winter; and how can small insects and other 
small animals obtain pro\nsions if you ask for severe cold in winter ? 
Therefore I say this, don't ask for the greatest cold." Then he 
stopped speaking and sat down. 

Then Grizzly Bear arose, and said, "We will not pay any attention 
to what Porcupine says, for all the large animals agree." Therefore 
he turned his head toward tlie large animals, and said, "Did you 
agree when we asked for the severest cold on earth?" and all the 
large animals replied, "We all consented. We do not care for what 
Porcupine has said." 

Then the same speaker arose again, and said, "Now, listen once 
more! I will ask you just one question." Thus spoke Porcupine : 
"How will you obtain plants to eat if you ask for very severe cold? 
And if it is so cold, the roots of all the wild berries will be withered 
and frozen, and all the plants of the prairie wUl wither away, owing 
to the frost of winter. How will you be able to get food ? You are 
large animals, and you always walk about among the mountains 
wanting something to eat. Now, if your request is granted for 
severe cold every whiter, you will die of starvation in spring or in 
summer; but we shall live, for we live on the bark of trees, and our 
smallest persons find their food in the gum of trees, and the smallest 
insects find their food in the earth." 

After he had spoken. Porcupine put his thumb into his mouth and 
bit it off, and said, "Confound it!" and threw his thumb out of his 
mouth to show the large animals how clever he was, and sat down 
again, full of rage. Therefore the hand of the porcupine has only 
four fingers, no thumb. 

All the large animals were speechless, because they wondered at 
the wisdom of Porcupine. Fmally Grizzly Bear arose, and said 
"It is true what you have said." Thus spoke Grizzly Bear to Porcu- 
pine, and all the large animals chose Porcupine to be then* wise man 
and to be the fh-st among all the small animals; and they all agreed 
that the cold in winter should be as much as it is now. They made 
six months for the winter and six months for summer. 

Then Porcupme spoke again out of his wisdom, and said, "In 
winter we shall have ice and snow. In spring we shall have showei-s 
of rain, and the plants shall be green. In summer we shall have 



108 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. ann. 31 

warmer weather, and all the fishes shall go up the rivers. In the 
fall the leaves shall fall; it shall rain, and the rivers and brooks shall 
overflow their banks. Then all the animals, large and small, and 
those that creep on the ground, shall go into the'u- dens and hide 
themselves for six months." Thus spoke the wise Porcupine to all 
the animals. Then they aU agreed to what Porcupme had proposed. 

They all joyfully went to their own homes. Thus it happens that all 
the wild animals take to their dens in winter, and that all the large 
animals are in their dens in winter. Only Porcupine does not hide 
in a den in winter, but goes about visiting his neighbors, all the dif- 
ferent kinds of animals that go to their dens, large animals as well as 
small ones. 

The large animals refused the advice that Porcupine gave; and 
Porcupine was full of rage, went to those animals that had slighted 
him, and struck them with the quills of his tail, and the large animals 
were killed by them. Therefore all the animals are afraid of Porcu- 
pine to this day. That is the end. 

3. The Story of the Porcupine-Hxjnter^ 

There was a great poicupine-himter in one of the Indian villages. 
Every year, early m the fall, he went to hunt porcupines, because thej' 
were excellent food in those days among the Indians. Every fall he 
killed many and dried theii- meat and fat; and in winter-tim(> people 
from vai'ious villages came to him to buy dried meat from him, 
and he became a very rich man. He had many valleys for his himt- 
ing-groimd, and he built a hut in each valley to dry meat and tallow. 
He had four valleys as his hunting-ground. Every year he went to 
his first camp; and after he had killed all the porcupines there, he 
went to the next camp; and when he had killed aU there, he went to 
another camp; and so on. He made a good club of yew wood with 
which to club porcupines after smoking them out of their dens; and 
when they ran out, he clubbed them and slew them. 

Therefore all the porcupines were in distress on accoimt of this man. 
One year this himter started earher than other yeara. He went to 
camp in his four valleys, and obtained a great number of porcupines. 
WTien he had fUIed three of his huts, he went to his last hunting-groimd ; 
and as soon as he arrived thei'e, he went out alone to look over the 
large rock above his hut; and when he arrived there, he saw a large 
porcupine of brown color going aromid the foot of a large spruce tree 
which stood in front of the rock. He ran after it, and, behold! 
there was a large door opened for him, and a large fire was burning 
in the center of a large house. He was invited in; so he entered, 
and they spread a mat on one side of the fire; and a great chief was 
there, seated in the rear of his house. He ordered his young men, and 
said, "Rim around the village and invite all the women to my house, 

' Notes, p. 723. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 109 

that I may dance and welcome my guest!" So they went. WTien 

all the women were in, the Porcupine arose and began to dance; and 

the song-leader began to sing, "Pronounce my name, pronounce my 

name! Strike, strike!" 

Repeat many times. 




l8^i^^^^j^^^5 ^yE^^Ei^=-L-_^ ^^ 



Aitgul wai - ya, aitgul wai - ya, yetsl yetsl. 

Porcupine ran around his own large fire; and after he had sung, he 
stood in front of his guest, and said to him, "Pronoimce my name, 
brother! Wtat is mj- name?" Thus he said, while he stood in 
front of him. Then the hunter said, "Your name is Little Porcu- 
pine." — "Yes, my name is that," said Chief Porcupuie, and stnick 
the himter's face with liis spiny tail. 

Then they began to sing again, and Chief Porcupme danced once 
more, while the himter's face was full of porcupine^ quilis. At the 
end of the song the chief stopped in front of the himter, and said, 
"Now, brother, what is my name ?" The hunter said, "Your name 
is I^ittle Ugl}' Porcuprne. " Again the chief struck the hunter's face 
with his spiny taU, and said, "That is my name. " 

They sang again, and Chief Porcupine ran aroimd the fire, while 
his attendants ki-pt on smging. Again he stopped in front of the 
hunter, and said, "What is my name, brother?" The man said, 
"Your name is Little Burnt One. " Again the chief struck him with 
his spiny tail, sapng, "Yes, that is myname," and the himter's fact- 
was full of porcupine quills. It was swollen so that he could hardly 
see out of his eyes. 

Again Chief Porcupine ran around the fire while they were singing, 
and agaiia he stopped in front of tlie lumter, and asked, "What is my 
name, brother?" Then the poor himter said, "Your name is Little 
Lean Fellow." — "Yes, that is my name," said Porcupine, and 
stinick the hunter's face with his spiny tail. 

He ran around again, and his attendants kept on singing, for this 
was the last chance for the man's hfe. Then somebody touched hun 
softly. It was the Mouse Woman. She asked him, "Do you laiow 
who has pmiished you?" The poor blind himter said, "No." — "It 
is the chief of the Porcupines," said Mouse Woman, "because you 
killed so many in years past.'' The Mouse Woman was speaking 
to him wliile Porcupine was singing. "Now, this is the last time. 
At the end of thi^ song the Porcupines will strike you all over your 
body with their s])iny tails if j'ou do not give the right answer to the 
chief's question. His name is Sea Otter On Green Mountain. " 

WTiilc the Mouse Woman was stOl talking to him, the smging 
ceased, and all the Porcupines were ready to rush on him. Then the 
chief stopped in front <>f him. and said, "Now, what is my name, 



110 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY tEm. a.nx. 31 

(loar man?" Then the pour man answered in a low voice, "Your 
name is Sea Otter On Green Mountain. " 

Then Chief Poi'cupLne ordered his peoj^le to wasli th(^ face of the 
poor man ; and all the Porcupines worked at his face, and took out the 
green contents of the stomach of the firet wife of Cliief Porcupine, 
and they rubbed it on the face of the himter, for it was full of quills. 
Then the quills came out again by themselves; and they took the 
contents of the stomach of the second wife of Qiief Porcupine and 
rubbed it on his face, and more cjuills came out, and the man's face be- 
came better than it had been before. Then the contents of the stomach 
of the third wife was nibbed on his face, and the swelling on his face 
became less, the quills became loose and fell out. Then the contents 
of the stomach of the fourth wife was rubbed on his face, and all the 
quills came out. Not a single one remamed Ln the face of the himter. 

Chief Porcupine had been chewing new green leaves. Then he 
spat in his hands and rubbed the face of the man, whose face became as 
beautiful as it had been when he was a boy. Then Chief Porcupine 
ordered his attendants to give food to the hunter. Therefore they 
brought fat mountain-sheep meat and many different kinds of food, 
and fruits of all kinds; and when the hunter felt satisfied after he had 
eaten, the chief said to him, "I will be your fri(>nd. My people are 
full of sorrow because you have slain great numbers of them, so I 
have taken you into my house to kill you right here; but since you 
have pronoimced my chief's name rightly, I will spare your life. 
Now, I will ask you kindly not to smoke the porcupines out of their 
dens; and if you need porcupine meat, do not kill so many of them; 
and when you have killed one or more, dry their meat in a good fire 
and eat them before winter sets in, so that my people may not have 
any sickness in winter, and cast their bones into the fire; and do not 
let yoiu- yomig people eat the heads of yomig porcupines, lest they 
become forgetful." 

Therefore the Indians know how to use the contents of the stomach 
of the porcupme when porcupine quilLs stick m the bodies of our people. 

Then the himter went out from that place to his own hut, w^here 
his wife was sitting weeping because her husband had been away for 
many days. While the woman was sitting there, she heard a noise 
at the door. She turned her face, and saw her husband come in. 
She was surprised, and questioned him, and the himter told her that 
he had been to the house of Chief Porcupine. Then they moved and 
went home. They took all the porcupine meat from the other camps ; 
and when he had taken them all home, he invited the people to his 
house, and told them what had happened and how he had been 
punished in the house of Chief Porcupine. 

Therefore the people nowadays know that tlie Porcupine is 
troubled by the people. Porcupine is an animal that knows how to 
sing. Porcupines know every tune in existence. 



boas] tsimshian myths 111 

4. The Stoky of (ikizzly Beak axd Beaver' 

There was a great lake close to Skeena River, where many beavers 
liuilt their houses, because it was deep water and a safe hiding-place 
and good shelter for them in %vinter-timc. There were many old 
houses, and new ones as well. They thought that their dangerous 
enemies could not reach them. 

One day the beavers thought there was no danger near them. 
Therefore they left their houses and went out for fresh an-, and they 
covered the melting ice. It was early in spring when the animals 
awoke from their winter sleep and came out of theu' dens. The 
Grizzly Bear had just come out from liis winter sleep, and as soon 
as he came out he saw many beavers that covered the ice. He went 
there secretly, fell on them, and killed many of them. Some of them 
escaped to their houses in the lake; but the great Grizzly Bear hunted 
them to their houses, and slew many of them in their houses, and 
they were very sad. The great Grizzly Bear, however, was happy 
because he had much food, and the poor weak beavers were much 
distressed. He thought that these beavers would last him through 
the summer, and finally only one beaver escaped from his paws. 

Tliis poor Beaver went away down into the water, and the great 
■ Grizzly Bear was eating the beaver meat ; and when he had enough, 
he lay do^vn and slept among the slain beavers. 

The poor lonely Beaver hid in th(^ deep water and thought about 
her great enemy. Then she plamicd to make false ground on one 
side of the lake. So she took wet soft moss and put it at the butt 
end of a fallen tree which stretched over the water at one side of the 
great lake. She did so in the night, for she was afraid to work in the 
daytime. She made it look hke dry land ai'ound the old fallen tree. 
At the end of the summer the salmon were in the creeks. Now, the 
great Grizzly Bear's beaver meat was all gone, and the great dreadful 
thing was very hungry. He was walking around the lake, searching 
for something to eat; and he went to the brooks and caught manj^ 
salmon, which were to serve as his food in winter. 

One day as he went about very hungry, walking about proudly, for 
he was stronger than any other animal, he stood there, and saw a poor 
weak Beaver sitting at the end of a fallen tree. She was sitting there 
very lonely. '\\'Tien the proud animal saw her sitting there, he asked 
with his proud voice, "What are you doing there, poor annual?" 
Thus said the proud Grizzly Bear when he saw her sitting on the end 
of an old log. The Beaver said, "Grizzly Bear shall die!" Then the 
Grizzly Beai- became angiy, and said, "Did you say I shall die?" 
but she did not even answer him. He walked down to and fro on the 
dry land at the foot of the fallen tree, on the end of which the poor 

' Notes, p. 723. 



112 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



iKTII. ANN. .'U 



little Beaver was sitting. The Beaver said again, ' ' Tla(> great Grizzly 
Bear shall die!" — "Yes," said the great monster, "I will kill you 
right there. Don't run away! I will tear you right now!" and lie 
walked toward the Beav(>r that was sitting there. He was walking 
along the log proudly, and said, "Don't run away! I wiU devour 
you!" but the bravo Beaver rephed, "Great Grizzly Bear shall die!" 
Then the proud Grizzly Bear flew into a rage; but the poor Bc^aver 
remained sitting there, and then swam out into the water. Then 
she looked back at the Grizzly Bear, and said, "Grizzly Bear shall 
die!" At once the Grizzly Bear jumped on the Beaver, who dived 
under the fallen tree where she had made the false ground in order 
to entrap the great Grizzly Bear, and the great monster struggled in 
the slough that the Beaver had made. Then the Beaver came out 
on the surface and chmbed on the log where she had been sitting 
before, and looked at the great Grizzly Bear who was struggling there. 
She said once more, "Grizzly Bear shall die!" The Grizzly Bear 
became tired out in the slough, and groaned in despair. He tried 
with aU his might to get away, but he could not, because th<> soft 
mud and moss held him. He tried to swim, but he could not do it. 
A\Tien he was about to die, he said to the Beaver, "Come and help 
me!" and the Beaver said again, "Grizzly Bear shall die!" Now, the 
great animal howled and shouted and moaned and died there in 
despair. He was drowned in the slough, because he had no pity on 
the weak animals, and tried to devour aU the weak animals. He 
thought there was no one besides himself. Yet the weak animal was 
stronger than he in wisdom, and the weak animal killed him. He 
was howling and crying, — he who had slain all the poor Beavers, — 
but no Beavers were crying or moaning when the great Grizzly Bear 
destroyed them. Therefore let not the strong oppress the poor or 
weak, for the weak shall have the "victory over the mighty. This is 
the end. 

5. Story' of the Porcupine^ 



(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 236-241.) 

The tune of the song recorded on p. 238, as given by Mr. Tate, is 
printed here. It has not been possible to correlate words and tune. 



SSi^^^^ 



^ 



^^ 



I 



-•^-0 



i 



*=T=t: 



'^ 



EfcE 



^ 



^m] 



±3t: 



* ^ 



' Notes, p. 724. 



noAS) TSIMSHIAN MYTHS . 113 

6. Beaver and Porcupine ' 

(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 226-235.) 

7. Story of the Deluge ^ 

(Printed in Boas 13. pp. 143-2.53.) 

S. Srx AND Moon ^ 

I Translated from Boas 10.) 

It was in the beginning, Ijefore anytlaing that Uvea in our world was 
created There was only the chief in heaven. There was no light in 
heaven. There were only emptiness and darkness. 

The cliief had two sons and one daughter. His people were numer- 
ous. Indeed, they were the tribe of the chief. 

These were the names of his three children. The name of the eldest 
one was Walldng About Early ; the name of the second, The One Who 
Walks All Over The Sk\'. The name of the gu'l was Support Of Siui. 
They were very strong. The yoiuiger boy was wiser and abler than 
the elder one. Therefore one day he was sad, and he pondered why 
darkness was contmuing all the tune. Therefore one day he spoke 
to his sister, "Let us go and get pitch wood!" They went and they 
cut very good pitch wood. They made a ring of a slender cedar 
twig, and measured it according to the si^e of a face. Then the}' tied 
pitch wood aU roimd it, so that it looked like a mask. After they had 
finished, they told then- sister, who was accompanying them while 
they were getting pitch wood, not to tell the people about what they 
were doing. Then The One Who Walks AU Over The Sky went to 
where the Sun rises and showed liuusclf to the people. The pitch 
wood that was tied around his face was burning. 

Suddenh' the people saw the.gi-eat light rising in the east. They 
were glad when they saw tlie Ught. Then he ran m full sight across 
the sky. He came from the east and went westward. He was carry- 
ing the pitch mask. That is the reason why he was ninning riuickly, 
because else the pitch wood would have been burned up. Therefore 
he was ninning c[uickly across the sky. Then the chief's trilje assem- 
bled. They sat down together to hold a council, and said, "We are 
glad because your child has given us light, but he is ninning too 
quickly. He ought to go a httle more slowly, so that we may enjoy the 
light for a longer time." Therefore the chief told his son what the 
people had said. His son replied, asking Imn what he should do, 
since the pitch wood wotdd burn before he could reach the west. 
Therefore he went that way every day. 

The people assembled again and held a coimcii, and refjuested him 
to go slowly along the sky. That is what they asked of him; and 

> Notes, p. 724. s Notes, p. 727. 

506,33°— 31 ETH— 16 S 



114 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 31 

therefore his sister said, ''I will hold liiin when he is niiininu: along the 
skv^" 

Then the ])eople hlessed the woman, and the father also hlessed his 
daughter. Next tune when The One Who Walks All Over The Sky 
started on his journey, Support Of Sun started too. She went south- 
ward. Her brother rose in the east, and then the ghl turned back 
and ran to meet her brother. 

The woman said, "Wait for me until I catch \ip with you!" She 
ran as fast as she could, and held her brother in the middle of the sky. 
For this reason the Sim stops for a little while in the middle of the sky. 

The woman stood fu'm, holding her brother. Therefore we see the 
Sun stopping for a little while in the middle of the sky. 

Then the people saw the Sun stoppuig for a little while in the middle 
(if the sky, and they shouted for joy. F\ill of joj', they said, "Sup- 
port Of Sun makes the Sun stop! Hau!" and the whole crowd was 
fuU of joy. 

Suddenly the chief began to scold his son, blaming his elder son 
because he was not as skillful as his younger brother. Then the elder 
one lay do^\^l prone, crymg on account of what his father said to 
him. 'When his brother, the vSun, came back, he lay dowai, for he was 
tired. Walkmg About Early spoke to his little slave when everybody 
was asleep, when all the house fellows of liis father were asleep. After 
he had spoken, he rubbed charcoal over one side of his face, and said, 
"When yoxi' see that I rise in the east," thus he spoke to his slave, 
" jimip up and shoTit, 'Hiirrah! he has arisen !' That is what you are 
to say." 

Then he left . The One Who Walks All Over The Sky slept like one 
dead, because he was very tired. He allov od his shining face to shed 
light out of the smoke hole. Then Walking About Early arose in the 
east. That is where he arose. Then the little slave jumped \xp and 
shoiited, "Hurrah! he has arisen!" 

Several people asked him, "Why do you make such a noise, bad 
slave ?" but his joy was only increasing. He jumped up, and pointed 
out where the Moon was rismg. Then suddenlj- the people looked up. 
Behold! the iloon had risen. Then all the people shouted for joy, 
and shouted, ' ' Huirah ! ' ' 

After some time all the different kinds of animals assembled to hold 
a coimcil. They agreed that the Sim should walk about every day, 
that he shoidd be the hght of day, and that he should make everything 
gi'ow; and they also agreed in regard to the Moon. 

At that time thej' held a gi'eat council. All kinds of animals assem- 
bled. Dogs were there also. The Dogs, on theh part, were wiser than 
all the other animals. Therefore they spoke fii-st in the gi-eat council 
of the airimals. The wise Dogs said, "The Moon shah rise fox'ty days." 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 115 

Then all the animals were silent. The Dogs sat d(j\vii together and 
talked secretly, and thought about what they had said. The wisest 
one among them was still standing. He was coimtmg his fingers, and 
reckoned forty days to each month. 

"While he was doing so, a man stnick the thumb of the wise one — it 
was Porcupine who struck the Dog's thumb — and said, " Wlio can live 
if there are forty days each month tlu'oughout the year ? There shall 
be only thirty days each month." And all the annuals agreed ■with him. 

They were glad. Therefore all the animals said, "We will follow 
the advice of Porcupine." Therefore what he had said happened; 
and therefore each month has thuly days, and there are twelve months 
each year. 

Then all the animals agreed tliat the Dogs should be driven away; 
and for this reason the Dog hates the Porcupme, and therefore the 
Dog hates all the animals of the woods; but the Dog liates the Por- 
cupine most of all, because Porcupme knocked down Dog's thumb 
with his spmy tail when tliey were seated together in coimcil; and 
indeed Porcupme took the position of the wise i)og away from him 
when he was standing among the animals. Therefore the Dog hates 
the Porcupine up to this day, and for that reason the Dog's thumb 
stands opposite his other fingers. The Dog had sLx fiiigei-s. On 
account of what happened then, there are onlj' twelve months. 

At that time Porcupine made the days as we have them now — 
thirty to each month. All the people enjo}- the light in heaven. 
Before that, our world was always dark. 

At that tune the animals named every month wliile the)- were 
seated together in council. They began the coimt ^^•it]l the month — 

Between October and November, 'Falling-Leaf Month." 

Between November and December, "'Taboo Montli.'' 

Between December and January, "The Intervening Month." 

Between January and February, "Spring-Salmon Month." 

Between February and March, "Month When Olachen Is Eaten." 

Between March and April, "When Olachen Is Cooked." 

Between April and May, (?) 

Between May and June, "Egg Month." 

Between June and July, "Salmon Month." 

Between July and August, "Humpback-Salmon Month." 

Between August and September, (?) 

Between September and October, "Spiuning-Tiij) Month." 

And they also divided tlie year into four seasons — spring, summer, 
autunm, and whiter. 

When The One Wlio Walks All Over The Sky was asleep, sparks 
Hew out of liis moutli. Those are the stars; and at night the moon 
receives its fight from the shining face of the Sim, who is asleep 
when ]u' is tired and when his fight shoots out of the smoke hole. 



116 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. axx. lil 

Sometimes when tlie Sim is glad he adorns hiniseK. lie takes 
his sister's red ocher to paint lus face. Then the people know what 
kind of weather it is going to be on the following day. When the 
people see the red sky m the evening, they know that it wall be good 
weather the following day; and when they see the red sky in the 
morning, they know tliat the weather is going to be bad the whole 
day. That is what the people say. 

The girl, on her part, was cast down. Therefore one day she, on 
her part, went westward. She wrung out her garments and struck 
the water witli them. Then slie returned. The cliief, her father, 
asked her, "Wlience did you come, cliild?" Thus spoke her father, 
the chief, to the girl. 

Then the gu'l said, "I just went westward." She was standing 
near her father's great fii-e, warming herseK. She wore her gai- 
meuts, and shook the water out of her garments upon her father's 
fire. Then suddenly a fog came out of the house, and the whole tribe 
enjoyed the fog. 

The people were refreshed, because it was veiy hot, and tlu^y 
agreed that the girl had refreshed them. That is where fog comes 
from nowadays: it comes from the west. Therefore the chief, the 
father, was glad when he saw that Ms cliildren were wise. He gave 
to his eldest son the duty to watch that people may know the year. 
To the next one. The One Wlio Walks All Over The Sky, he gave tJie 
duty to make all good things, such as fruit, appear on the eartli, 
and to make ever\"thing plentiful; and he blessed liis daughter be- 
cause she refreshed witli cool fog tliose who were tired. That is tlie 

end. 

i». Am' ALA' (V^nr Dirty) '■ 

Once upon a time there was a great chief who built his house on a 
sandy beach. He had four nephews. Every morning in winter tlie 
chief called his four nephews and sent them to get fuel. The young 
men also built a new large house. When the north wind blew hard, 
ajid when it was very cold, so that the water of the sea almost froze, 
the vmcle would say, "I want you to be stronger than any one else. 
When you are very strong, I shall invite all the chiefs and their 
warrioi-s to fight against you. Therefore buUd a large fire, (io 
down to the water, and bathe in the sea. Then I shall come down 
and whip you with a bundle of twigs." After he had fixiished this 
speech, he said, "Will you now go down to bathe ?" 

So the eldest one went out fii-sl, went into the ice-cold water, and 
the second and third brotfhers also went ; but the fourth, the youngest , 
would not go. He would lie in the corner of his uncle's house. They 
say that he had never taken a bath, even once, ever since he was born. 

' The translation of this name is given by Mr. Tat«, but is not clear. -■Im'i/a' means "smoke hole." 
— Notes, p. 729.— F. B. 



BOiS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 117 

He arose late every morning and scratchoil his head; and when his 
three brothers came back from then- morning bath, they laughed at 
him and gave him the nickname Dirty. 

Every morning when the three princes were bathing in the sea, their 
uncle would go to them while they were in the water and would whip 
them with t^^^gs. They were aU equally strong. One was not 
stronger than the others. But the youngest one continued to lie in 
the corner of the house, right on the ground, %vithout a bed. He had 
only a ragged deer-skin blanket to wear. When he arose late in the 
morning, steam would arise from the ground where he had lain. 
Therefore his three brothers thought that he had wet the ground wliile 
asleep. 

The three l)rothers went bathing all th(> time, and they became 
stronger than all the other people. Their uncle made a certaia law 
for them. He said, "As soon as you come out of the watei', go into 
the woods and try to pull out one of the fresh l)ranclies of a spruce 
tree." The young men did as their uncle had tokl them, aud tried to 
pull out the branch without any tools. They went every morning 
again and again, but they could not do it. 

He, however, the youngest one, Dirty, woulil sit in the water at 
midnight in the cold of winter, when the north wind was blowing, and 
before daylight he would come out of the water, and lie down agahi 
in liis bed of ashes in the corner. Therefore he slept very late in the 
morning, hke a lazy feUow, and his brothers mocked hun often because 
he had never gone bathing once. This young man would not go near 
the fuv soon after his bath, but he just wrapped himself in his old 
ragged deer-skhi blanket, and the steam rose up from his bed of ashes 
in the corner, because liis body was wet from his midnight bath ; and 
tliis is the reason why he slept late every morning while his tlu-ee 
brothers went to take their bath. 

^Vlien they all gathered around the large fire, after they had taken 
their bath, they were talking aliout the branch wliich they were to 
twist and tear out. Then Dirty said, " I shall go and twist it out 
easily." They laughed and twitted him, and said, " Oh, you miserable 
fellow! You will twist and tear out the branch of the fresh tree! — 
you, who wet your bed in the morning when you are asleep ! You wiU 
certamly be able to pull out the branch, for you are so fuU of dirt." 
They made fuu of bim and pushed him out of the house. 

The young man went to the bay south of their house, where a 
brook was rumiiug down. He was full of sorrow whUe going up the 
brook. Then he met a yomig man whose skui shone bright. He 
asked him, ""Why are you so sad this morning, my dear!" The 
young man answered, "O supernatural one! my tliree elder brothers 
make fun of me and laugh at me, and they call me Very Dirty." 
Then the supernatural being repUed, ""WTiat do you wish of me? I 



118 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ikth.asn. 31 

will grant you your wish." Then the young man said, " You soo that 
mj^ skin is not clean. I want to be clean, and I want to be stronger 
than any living being in the country." The supernatural being 
replied, "Go over there and gather the leaves of the supernatural tree 
and brmg them to me." So Dirty went to the great valley and tried 
to find the leaves, but he could not do it. He brought leaves of all 
kinds, but the supernatural being refused them. Then the super- 
natural being went himself and brought a bunch of leaves of the 
supematm'al tree. He said, "Let us go down to that pool yonder!" 
Thej'^ went, and, behold! there was a good pond, and the supernatural 
beuig washed Dirty in the pool four times. He washed him with the 
leaves of the supernatural tree, and he became very clean, and was 
a fine-looking young man, tall, and broad of chest. 

Then the supernatural l)eing said agahi, "Go down and plimge into 
the pond; and as soon as you come out of it, then you shall tear out that 
3'oung tree on the other side." The young man did as he had been 
told. He plunged into the pond and came out agaui quickly. He 
ran toward the young spruce tree and jiulled it out wath its roots. 

The supernatural being asked him, "Ai'e you now strong enough?" 
He repUed, "No, I want greater strength." The supernatural being 
said again, " Go down and plunge into the water." So he went to the 
pond and plunged uito the water. He came out of the pond, and pulled 
out a spruce tree a httle larger than the first one, with the roots. 
Agam he was asked, "Is tliis enough?" but he rephed, "No, I want 
more." Therefore he sent him again to the pond, and on coming 
out he pulled out a spruce tree with its roots. Again the supernatural 
being asked him, "Ai-e you now strong enough?" but he replied, 
''I want more." So he sent liim into the pond again; and when he 
came out of the water, he pulled out a large tree with its roots. Then 
th<> supernatural Ix'ing asked liim, "Are you now satisfied?" The 
man said, " Let me do it once more ! ' ' Imt the supernatm-al beuig said, 
"No, now it is enough." " Then he vanished from his side. 

So the young man went liack; and before he came into his uncle's 
house, he came to the tree the branch of wliich his brothers had been 
trying to pull out every morning. He took hold of it, twisted it, and 
pulled it out very easily. Then he put the branch back after he had 
puUed it out. He went dowm to his uncle's house, and the three 
brothers made fun of liim a,nd laughed at him, but he did not answer 
them at all. 

Now, the appointed day had come, and the cliief, the uncle of the 
young men, invited all the chiefs and their strong men to fight against 
tlie three brothers who had made themselves strong; and when all 
the guests were in the house, the chief said to his three nephews, " Go 
into the woods and bring down some fuel, for we have no wood to 



BOAS] ■ TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 119 

make a fire for these chiefs who are coming to my house." Therefore 
they went and broke young rotten red-cedar trees, and took them 
home to make a fire with. Dirty went and pulled out a spruce tree 
with its roots, and carried it on his shoulders, and brought it into his 
uncle's house. There he broke it up and put it on the fire. Then 
his three brothers were ashamed because he was stronger than the}'. 

Now, the day had come whi>n the warriors were to figlit against the 
brothers. One day the eldest brother made himself ready to fight 
with one of the warriors, and all the chiefs and tribes assembled in the 
house of the chief on the sandy shore, and they were all sitting there 
quietly. Then one of the G'it-qxa'la stepped forward to fight against 
the eldest brother. They joined and fought, tr^-ing to throw each 
other. They fought a long time, and at last the man from G-it-qxa'la 
threw the eldest brother. He was hm-t, and lay there, his whole 
body aching. Then the G'it-qxa'la tribe shouted for joy. 

Then the second brother stepped forth, and said, "Who is the 
strongest man ? Let him come out in front of his people, and I will 
fight with him!" Then a man of the tribe of G-i-spa-x-la'°ts came 
out. They joined and fought, as the two others had done before, 
and the man of the tribe G"i-spar-x-la'°ts vanquished the second brother, 
who was bruised all over Ins body and full of pain. 

Then the third brother stepped forth while the tribe of Gu-spa-x- 
la'°ts was shouting for joy. The third brother said, "Who will come 
and fight with me?" Then a man of the tribe of G^it-dzl'^s stepped 
forward to fight against the third brother. They joined, and the 
third brother fell, overpowered by his adversary. His skull was 
broken, and he died there. Then all the people shouted like thunder. 

Now, the chief, the uncle of the thi"ee men, was ashamed. He 
said to Dirty, "Now, Dirty, where are you?" He replied, "Here I 
am, uncle! What do you wish?" His uncle said, "Step forward 
and fight against the men who beat your three brothers!" Then he 
stepped forward, and said, "Now, you three men, come forth and 
fight me, all together!" So the three strong men came forth to 
fight with him. The tkree men attacked him at the same time; 
and Dirty squeezed their heads, and ])roke them like eggshells, and 
they all died there. Their skulls were brokeji. Therefore the chief's 
tribe shouted for joy. 

Then all the trilies made war against him; but he won a great 
victory over them that day, and a great many people were killed 
by one man. His uncle had to pay them with his goods — costly 
coppers, slaves, large canoes, elk skins, and other kinds of property. 
Thus his uncle became poor. 

Therefore the people moved away and deserted the chief's nephew 
Dirty, and one slave who remained with hun. They lived in liis micle's 



120 " TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY ' [ eth. an-n. SI 

house. The slave was very skillful in shooting wild ducks with his 
arrows, and Dirty hked to cat the wild ducks. The slave gathered the 
oil of the wild ducks in a root basket. 

Now, all the animals hcnird that this young man was the strongest 
person that ever lived. Therefore all the strongest animals came to 
his door and called liim out to fight with them. First came the 
Black Bear. Dirty came out and killed the Black Bear as one kills 
mice. Next came a Sea Lion and stood at his door. He called Dirty 
out to fight with him. The young man came out and killed him as 
one kills mice. Next the Grizzly Bear came and stood at bis door. 
He called Dhty out to fight with him, and he came out and killed 
him as one kills mice. Then the Xa°l came. (A xdH is a very 
strong and large animal. He is stronger than all the other animals 
in tills country. Sometimes he will kill many grizzly bears at one 
time.) The Xa"! also came and stood at the door of Dirty's house, 
and called Du"ty out to come and fight with him. So he came out, 
fought with him, and killed him. Thus all the strongest aidmals 
came to him, and he killed them all as one kills young mice. 

Then Dirty said to his slave, "When you see that my back is 
bent, then come and rub it with the oil of wild ducks that you have 
gathered in your root basket." 

Wlien all the animals had failed, the strong trees came. First the 
Crabapple Tree came to his door and called him out to fight with 
him. He came out and puUed it out with the roots as one plucks 
out grass; and thus all the strongest and greatest trees came. He 
pulled them out and broke them to pieces. 

When all the trees had failed, the strong birds came and tried to 
beat him. P^irst the Thunderbird came and stood at liis door, and 
called Dirty out to fight with him; and when Dirty came out, he 
threw his bolts of lightning, but Dirty took hold of him and killed 
hhn as one kills a fly; and thus all the strongest birds came. 

Now, when all the living beings had come. Dirty had a short rest. 
Next morning a long, broad Mountain stood at his door and called 
him out; and when Dirty came out, the large Mountain said to him, 
"I am the last one of your enemies. If I tbrow you down, you will 
die; but if you throw me down, I shall die. Then you shall take my 
life away from me, and you shall live as long as the world stands." 
i^iter the Mountain had spoken, they joined. Now, Dirty's back 
became bent, for the Mountain was leaning on liim; and Dirty's slave 
came to liim with the root liasket filled with oil of wild ducks, and the 
slave rubbed it over his back. This strengthened him, and Dirty threw 
the liigh Mountain and broke it to pieces. It became the sandbar with 
largo rocks at the beach of Sandy Shore. Thus Dirty took the 
Mountain's hfe. 



KOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 121 

Thus aU his enemies were destroyed by this powerful man, and liis 
fame spread all over the world, and he now rested from his fights; 
for his victory was very gi"eat, and he had more power than he had 
ever had before, for the Mountain gave him his power. 

One momhig very early the slave ran into the house and tokl him 
that a canoe had come, witli two people in it. Du-ty was lying down 
by the fireside. The two men came in and said, "Great chief, our 
poor sick chief wants you to come. He wants to see you before he 
dies. Therefore he sent us to you." Then Dirty arose, and he and 
his slave made ready to go with the two men who had come to liim. 
They went down to the canoe together. The two men paddled, and 
the canoe went quickly toward the southwest. After they had 
passed over the large sea, they saw a small island in front of them; 
and when they came nearer and nearer, the island appeared to be 
large; and there was a large town on the island, with many houses 
and many people. 

As soon as they arrived on the beach, crowds of people came down 
to meet them. jDirty went ashore, and the men guided him and the 
slave to the chief's house. As soon as he came in, behold! a chief 
lay there in the rear of the house. He was very ill. The pole sup- 
porting our world was standing on his chest; and the world had 
always been turning on his chest ever since the world began, all 
through the ages. Now, he was sick, and therefore he sent for Dirty 
to take liis place. He spoke to Dirty: "The reason why I s(>nt for 
you is that you shall lie down here and take care of the world. I 
have heard that you are a mighty man. I know that you have 
double strength — one which you obtained from a supernatural 
being, the other which you obtamed from the strong mountain. 
Liedown by my side ! I wUl put this polc-of-the-world on your chest." 

Before Dirty lay down by his side, he said to his slave, " I will give 
part of my hfe to you. Sit down by my side! You shall always 
live with me, and you shall rub my back with the oil of wild ducks 
once a year." So the slave sat down there, and Dirty lay dowii. 
Then the cliief took the pole off from his chest and put it on Du'ty's 
chest, and the chief and all liis people left the town. 

Dirty is still holding the world on his chest, and liis slave is also 
there. The oil of wild ducks is nearly gone now; and as soon as 
Dirty dies, the world will come to an end. 

10. The Four Great Chiefs of the Winds' 

There are four great chiefs in the fom* corners of the world. The 
North Wind is the first of all; the South Wind, the second; the East 
Wind, the thu-d; and the West Wind, the fourth. The three chiefs 

1 .Notes, p. 732. 



122 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

hato the North Wmd, because the North Wind makes the workl pale 
ill whiter. The South Wind wants the world to be always green, as 
in spring; and East Wind wants the same as South Wind; and also 
West Wind wishes for the same. 

Therefore South Wind made war against North Wind. South 
Wind invited his neighbors East Wind and West Wind. They 
assembled, and the strong South AVLnd went fu'st, and a strong 
southeasterly gale blew very hard. Then the East Wind also blew 
very hard, and they joined in battle. 

Finally North Wind was vanquished, and the three Winds won the 
victory over North Wind. Therefore North Wind promised that the 
world should be green for six months, but South Wind would not 
consent to it. His two neighbors, however, compelled liiiu to do so. 
Therefore South Wind agreed, and they made a law that the South 
Wind should sometimes blow in whiter with rain, wliile the North 
Wind makes everything cold and frozen; and in spring the tlu-ee 
Winds should play, in order to melt the frozen ground ; and in summer 
the West Wind was to blow softly over the land and .<-omf ort the j)ale 
world with its lovely breezes. 

Now, when they made this law, the gentle Wind said, "Let tlie 
whole world have peace once or twice a year — once before autumn, 
and once before spring." They all agreed to these words and went 
to their homes. 

South Wind had five children — four boys and one girl. The 
names of these children were Proud Rain-Wind (KscUyaxl-haiwas), 
and the next one Excrement Face ( Y !an-dzaxl), and the third one Rahi 
Under Tlie Knee (Lu-niEkmrgum ts!Em-sait), and the fourth one 
Going Behind The Mountains (Gilhak-gask) , and the ghl's name was 
Drops Of A Sprhig Of Water (Ksa-lu''wal-gwa'nEks). 

West Wind had two children. His elder son's name was Evenhig 
Clouds (SEsa'ksgum sa° tgi-ya'°sat), and his younger son's name 
was Red Evening Clouds (Bi'ltsEgum lawugumks). 

East Wmd had two children. His elder son's name was Clouds 
Falling On The Mountain Top (Hapka'bsks a na-ga-ts !uwan-sganl'st), 
and his yoimger son's name was Red Morning Clouds (Bi'ltsEgum 
ganla'q). 

North Wind's wife had two cliildren who were twins — the one 
named Frozen (Gwatk-sa), the othernamed Freezer (Ksat). 

One of the sons of Xoi-th Wind wanted to marry South Wind's 
daughter, but South Wind's sons ditl not want to l(>t their oidy sister 
marry him. The following year North Wind came to South Wmd 
and asked for his daughter for his other son, who wanted to marry 
Drops Of A Sprmg Of Water. Then South Wind consented, and let 
him have her to be his wife. Chief North Wind invited all the differ- 
ent Winds; and when the guests were all in his house, South Wind 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 123 

brought his daughter, with very strong winds and heavA- rains. 
Now, the prince and the princess were married; and after the celebra- 
tion was over, South Wind went back from tlie north to his own 
country, with strong winds and rain. 

The 3'oung princess hved with her husband in the house of her 
father-in-law and with her sister-in-law. She was always with her 
wherever she went. Xow the winter months had come on, and the 
north wind blew hard, and there was ice on all the rivere, lakes, and 
ponds. Everything was frozen. 

Xorth Wind's people said that it was a very warm season, but the 
daughter of South Wmd felt ver\' cold every day. She was sitting 
in the cold icy house without a fii'e, crying, wliile the people in the 
house felt quite warm. At night, when she was in bed with her 
husband, she was almost frozen. 

One day she went out as usual, and sat downi on the beach at 
high-water mark. Then she took her sahnon-knife, took a piece of 
yellow-cedar wood, and carved it in the shape of a duck. Allien she 
had finished it, she said to her little wedge, "Go to my father's 
comitry and tell them what is happening to me in this far country!" 
Then the wooden wedge became a wild duck. 

Chief South Wind and his cliieftainess were sittmg in front of their 
house, and one morning they saw a duck diving in the water. The 
Duck said, "Since new moon your daughter has been cast out by 
Frozen." The duck dived again, came up, and repeated the same, 
"Since new moon your daughter has been cast out by Frozen." 

Then South Wind said to his four sons, "My sons, go north and 
bring back your sister from the house of Chief Xorth Wind ! ' ' There- 
fore Proud Rain-Wind went northward tlirough the air in the form 
of a large cloud; but before ho had gone halfway a strong north wind 
began to blow, and all the clouds were driven away. The sister was 
sitting out there, and saw her brother coming. She cried aloud 
when he was driven away. 

Agam Chief South Wind said, "Xow, j'ou go, my second son!" 
Then Excrement Face went northward. Then the princess saw a 
black cloud come toward her. Wlien the black cloud had come half- 
way, the north wind began to blow very hard, and drove it away. 
Then the princess cried bitterly, and said, "Oh, my brother Excre- 
ment Face has been driven away!" 

Now Chief South Wind said to his third son, "Go up there, my 
son Rain Under The Knee!" He went; and showers of rain came, 
and soon he had passed more than half the distance. The north 
wind blew ver}' hard, and the rain froze and he was driven away. 
Then the princess cried more bitterly, and said, as before, "Oh, my 
brother Rain Under Tlie Knee has been driven away!" 



124 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY |eth. ANN. 31 

Then the father said to his hist son, "Go north, my son Going 
Behind Mountains, and bring back your sister!" At midnight 
Going Behind Mountains went swiftly northward in the shape of a 
(doud, sharp at each end. Then the north wmd began to blow harder 
and harder, but the cloud Gohig Behind Mountains was not driven 
away. Its sharp ends passed all the mountains and slowly went 
northward. The princess was crymg, fearing that her last brother 
might be driven away as the others had been, for she knew that she 
would die there on the ice if he should not succeed. 

Now, the httle cloud stopped a while and went on slowly. At last 
it reached the village of North Wind and gained a great victory on 
that day. Therefore the north wind ceased to blow. Then all the 
brothers came with heavj' rain, and all the ice was melted away, and 
the house of North Wind was full of water from the heavy rain ; and 
the sister-m-law of the princess was floating about in the house, 
saying, "Take me with you, sister-in-law, lest I perish in this cold 
water!" and the princess took the floating piece of ice and put it on 
her right leg. Therefore women's legs are cold up to this day. 

Now, when the ice was nearly melted. Chief North Winil said to 
the four princes, "Take awa}^ yom- sister, and come no more to my 
country!" 

Then the four brothers said, "We shall take away from you two 
months, and you shall have oid}- four months." Chief North Wind 
did not reply. The four brothers continued, "If you do not agree 
to tliis, we shall kill you right now." 

Therefore North Wind agreed to what they said. Therefore the 
winter lasts four months, and the tliree chiefs have among them 
eight months. 

Now, the four brothers and then- sister went to their own country ; 
and when they arrived at their father's house, the father was very 
glad to see his daughter back again. Therefore he invited the neigh- 
boring Winds with their children. He told them of the hard life that 
his daughter had led when she lived in the house of North Wind. 
He continued, "She was in such distress that I had to send my sons 
to take her back, and my sons fought for many days with the people 
of North Wind. At last my sons won the vi(-tory over them. The 
reason why I sent my sons was to take away from North Wind two 
months, and let hun keep only four months." 

West Wind said, " Let each of us have three months! North Wmd 
shall have only three months in winter. South Wind shall have 
three months in the fall, I wiU have three months in summer, and 
East Wind shall have thi'ee months in spring." Then the tliree 
chiefs agreed. Ther(>fore the seasons have three months throughout 
the year. The new law they made was [)etter than the first. 



BOAS) TSIMSHTAN MYTHS 125 

The chiefs went up to North Wind and told hiin so, and he also 

agreed, and therefore this law among the winds continues up to this 

day. 

1 1 . The Story of X.ltQ '■ 

In early times, when the people wore multiplying, and lived in 
the large town on the plains on the upper course of Skeena River 
which we call now Prairie Town — that is, where the village of our 
forefathers used to be — the people used to play the greater part of 
the night in the open air. The young men would play all kinds of 
games, and they went out night after night to the open space on the 
level ground behind their houses. There were a great many people, 
and there was a crowd of young men, of women, and of children. 
Therefore the}' made much noise when they were on their )>layground 
until late in the night. 

One night they went out again, as usual, and began to jilay before 
it was dark. They started their first game, aixd another followed; 
and when they started still another game, they saw a beautiful plume 
descending slowly from the sky above them; and the}' all desired to 
have it, because it was beautiful to look at. A very tall young man 
went first, caught it, and put it on his head. As soon as he put it 
on his head, he was taken up by the plume which had come down 
from above. Another youth saw his friend hangmg by the plume. 
He stepped up and took hold of his feet. His hand stuck to his 
friend's feet, and the plume pulled them up. Another man took 
hold of the feet of the second one, and his hands stuck fast; and so 
all the young men stuck by the plume, which pulled them up to the sky. 

Wlien the old men who were in the house heard that the cliildren 
were being taken up by the beautiful jilume, they came out, took hold 
of the heel of the last of the young men, and the old men stuck there 
too. The women came out, and one of them took hold of the heel 
of the last one of their husbands, and the women stuck fast. Then 
the children came out, and they all were taken up by the plume. 

Only one princess, the daughter of a great chief, who had just been 
delivered of a child, was left. All the people were taken up by the 
plume; and at last they dropped down from the plume, and all died. 
Their bodies formed a great pile. The young woman came out, and 
she wept l)itterly over the pil(^ of bodies; and wliile she was weeping, 
she wiped the mucus from her nose, and threw it down on the ground ; 
and, behold! there was a baby boy formed from the mucus of her 
nose. She took a piece of grindstone and put it next to her body, 
and she took a little branch of a crabapple tree, which she put in her 
bosom, and also her feather. Then she took a little piece of shell 
and put it m her bosom ; and when she came in, she wrapped the baby 
boy in marten garments. 



1 Notes, p. 734. 



126 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ans. 31 

Then she took out from lior l)osom the piece of grindstone, and it 
also became a baby boy, wliich she wrapped in a sea-otter garment; 
and she took out tlie little branch of the crabappli' tree, and it, too, 
became a baby boy. She took out the little feather, and it be- 
came a baby boy. She took out the little piece of sh(dl, ami it 
became a httle girl. .Then she gave names to the children. The first 
one, wliich originated from the mucus of licr nose, she called Nalq 
(Mucus). This was the name of the eldest one. The second one she 
named Little Gruidstone; the third one. Little Crabapple Tree; the 
fourth one, Little Feather; and the fifth one, I\Jiife Hand. 

The children gi-ew up; and whtni they became larger, they began 
to play in the open air, like the former people. Then they saw large 
piles of bones on the level ground ; and when they came home, they 
asked their mother what they were. She told them what had liap- 
pened to the people — how they had played every night until the 
chief in heaven became displeased at their noise, and how the chief 
m heaven let a beautiful plume come down; that a tall young man 
^took hold of it and put it on his head; and that it wafted all the 
former people up into the sky, young men, old men, women, and chil- 
dren. She continued, "And I am left alone. Therefore I tell you, 
beloved children, do not play always in the open, lest the Lord of 
Heaven waft you up, too." 

The young people did not heetl their mother's warning, and the 
next morning the}- played again in the open, as their fathers had 
done in the days of old. They made much noise. Then the plume 
descended agaui from heaven. They stood still, gazing at the beauti- 
ful plume which was coming down; and as they looked up with amaze- 
ment, the youngest brother, Little Feather, took hold of the beautiful 
plume, which wafted him up. When his elder brother. Mucus, saw 
Little Feather lifted from his feet, he took hold of him by the heels, 
and his hands stuck to him. The feather could hardly drag Mucus 
up, but at last his feet wcr(> lifted from th(^ ground. Then the second 
brother, Little Grindstone, took hold of his brother's feet, and he 
became a large rock on the ground. It was hard to pull him up, but 
at last his feet were Ufted from the ground. Then the third brother 
took hold of his feet, and he became a large craliapplc tree, whose 
roots were stretched out imderground; and it was hard to drag him 
up, but finally the roots broke ui the ground. 

Tlien the girl. Knife Hand, sharpened her hand; and as soon as 
Crabapple Tree's roots were hfted from the ground. Knife Hand 
climbed up her brothers' heads until she reached the head of her 
youngest brother, who had first taken hold of the beautiful plume; 
and she cut the air above the plume with her sharp hand, and the 
brothers dropped down and were hke dead. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 127 

Then the girl took the beautiful plume aud swung it over her ilcad 
brothers' bodies, and they came back to life. When they knew the 
powers of the plume, they went to the place where the bare bones 
were piled up on the gromid, and they put the bones together, and 
joined those of one person to those of another. They put a man's 
liead on a woman's body, and they put women's heads on men's 
bodies, and all the bones were mixed together; and they put one 
leg of a tall man together with another of a short man. So we see now 
that some men have no beards, for they have women's heads; and 
some women have whiskers because the\' have men's heads; and 
some people limp because they have legs belonging to different pei-sons ; 
and many other things besides these happened. Thus they assem- 
bled the bones. 

A large number of bones covered the plain; and after they had 
gathered the bones, Naki took the beautiful plume and waved it over 
the bones where they were lying on the ground. The first time he 
moved the beautiful plume, behold! there was a noise; the bones 
shook and came together. He waved it a second time, and, lo! 
suiews and flesh came to be on the bones. He waved it a third time, 
and skin covered the flesh, but there was no breath in them. He 
waved it a fourth time ; and while he thus swung the beautiful plume 
the fourth and last time, he said, "Let air from the four winds come 
and breathe upon these bodies, that they may come to life again!" 
Then the four winds blew hard, and breath came back into the bodies, 
and they were alive, stood up, an exceedingly great multitude. 

Tlien the four young men went home to their mother. Their 
mother scolded them for having taken hold of the beautiful plume, 
and the young men were ashamed on account of the scolding they 
had received. Therefore they left home, and left their sister with their 
mother. They were aliout to travel over the whole world, and they 
went on and on until the}' arrived at the foot of a high, steep moun- 
tain. Behold! there was a blind man, with a bag net, sitting on a 
platform at the foot of the mouutaui. When they came near, Nalq 
said, " I will touch his bag net, and see what he is going to do with it. " 
Ht^ touched the net, and the blmd man pulled it up (luickl}'. "^lien 
he had hauled in his net, he said to himself, "Oh, dear! I have lost 
Nalq." Thus he said. Then they laughed, because the blind man 
knew them. This blind person caught people, whom he ate. 

They traveled on, farther and farther away. After some time they 
met a raccoon who was holding a little piece of wood in its mouth. 
The youngest brother, Little Feather, kiUed the poor little raccoon 
and threw it away from then- traU. 

They went on and soon they came to a hut. Behold ! a middle-aged 
woman cami' out and made tliem welcome. She invited them into 



128 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ikth.ann. 31 

the house. She was very kind to the young people, and gave them 
to eat. She said, " Stay here a while and refresh yourselves from 
your long journey!" While they were eating, the woman asked 
them, "Did you meet my gi-anddaughter on your way here? She 
went out to get chips for a fire." The four brothers replied that 
they had not met her; that they had seen only a raccoon on their 
way, which they had killed. 

Then the wrath of the old woman was great. She said, "Oh, oh, 
oh! Let every hole close up ! Let the door close up! Let the smoke 
hole close up!" And all the openings of the house began to close up, 
and the heat began to increase, and the four brothers felt the heat 
hke that of an oven. However, before the smoke hole had closed, 
the youngest brother, in the form of bird's down, ascended with the 
smoke througli the smoke hole; and when he was outside, he ran 
quickly toward the raccoon which he had kUled. He found the place 
where it was, wafted his beautiful plume over the body of the raccoon, 
and it came to life again. ThiMi ho helped the Raccoon to gather 
wood. 

The three others, however, were dying of the heat in th(^ house. 
Little Feather returned quickly with the Raccoon; and as soon as 
they reached the door, the Raccoon called her gi'andmother, and 
said, "Grandmother, open the door for me and let me in!" As soon 
as the old woman heard her granddaughter's voice, she said, "Let 
the door open, and let all the holes open! Let the smoke hole open!'' 
And they all came out of the house safely. 

They continued their journey, and went on farther until they came 
to a large lake. Behold ! there was beautiful green grass, and a variety 
of sweet-smelling flowers were around the lake. They went around 
the lake, and, behold ! they saw a hut before them at one end of the 
lake with the beautiful sweet-scented breeze. When they came near 
the hut, a khidly old woman came forth to meet them. "Come in," 
she said, " and refresh yourselves in my house, for you have made a 
long journey. Take a rest for a while." The men all went in, and 
the old woman was very kind to them. She gave them good clean 
food, and they ate. Before nightfall she showed them the place 
where to lie down in her hut, and she let them have her good warm 
blankets. She also told them that no danger would come near them 
as long as they were in the house. Before they went to bed, she gave 
them food again, so that they should take a good comfortable rest 
and sleep well. Soon after they had their meal, they were ready to 
sleep, and they immediately went to bed. 

The eldest brother, Nalq, whispered to his brothers, "Brothers, 
don't take too much sleep tonight, lest misfortmie befall us and we 
all perish. Let some of us sleep, and others keep watch during the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 129 

niglit!" They did so. Two of them went to sleep, and two of them 
kept watch. Before they were m bed, Nalq saw fom- poles standmg 
behmd the old woman's bed, and around the end of each of these 
shredded cedar bark was WTapped. 

The old woman watched until her guests were asleep. At mid- 
night the men seemed to be asleep, but Xrdq did not sleep. He was 
watching her, and he saw sparks coming from her mouth. The 
brothers were asleep and snoring; and when she heard that they 
were fast asleep, she arose gentlj' from her bed, walked toward her 
guests, and took one of the poles vdtii the shredded cedar bark at its 
end. Then she placed the cedar bark a Httle over the first one to 
catch his breath, and then she went to the other one, and to the 
thhd one. At last she went towards Nalq, and placed the cedar 
bark over his mouth far longer than over that of the others. Then 
she went back to her bed. Xalq saw all that she was doing. Then 
she placed the pole at the foot of her bed. The cedar l)ark at the 
end of it was quite wet from the moisture of the breath of the fotu* 
brothers. Then she lay down, and was soon in a deep sleep. As 
soon as she lay down, sparks came forth from her mouth; but when 
she was in a deep sleep, only a few sparks came from her mouth. 
Nalq watched her; and as soon as the sparks ceased coming from 
her mouth, he arose from his bed and went up to her. He took one 
of the poles with the shredded cedar bark at its end, and held it a httle 
above her mouth; and he held it there a long tune, imtil the cedar 
bark was quite wet from the moisture of her breath. Then he put 
the pole at the foot end of her bed, and took away the pole in which 
she had caught the breath of her guests. Then he lay, down again. 

Early the next morning she awoke, and arose wdthout noise. 
Nalq also arose secretly. He stood at the door, which was half open, 
lookuig on at what she was doing. She went down to the beach and 
shouted. She shouted four times. Then the water of the gi-cat 
lake began to heave, and, behold! a large Frog came up from the 
water. It came toward the old woman. T\Tien the large Frog was 
near her, she said, '"Open 30ur mouth, and I will feed jou with four 
yoimg men who staid in my house last night." Thus she said to 
the Frog. Then the large Frog opened its big mouth wide, and the 
old woman threw her pole with the wet sliredded cedar bark into it; 
and the large Frog swallowed it and went home. 

Before she re-entered, Nalq went to his bed and snored loud. The 
woman started her fire and called her guests, and she prepared their 
breakfast. She was a witch, who had killed many people that 
traveled past her house. Now, she had fed her supernatural power, 
the Frog, vntli the moistm-e of her own breath; and wliile her guests 
were taking their breakfast, she felt pain iA her stomach, and became 
50033°— 31 E^— 16 9 



130 XSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

worse and worse. She began to gi'oan, and said to her guests, "I 
have brought misfortune on myself, great Nalq!" But the young 
man did not mind what she said. Soon her breath became less and 
less until she died. 

They went on their journey; and before they had gone far they 
saw another liouso. "Wlion thoy opened the door, behold ! there 
were many bodies of killed people hanging about inside the house. 
Some of them were only bones. The young men put them on the 
ground near the beautiful lake; and after they had put them in good 
order, Nalq took the beautiful plume and waved it over the bodies, 
as he had done with his own people on the plain; and those who had 
been killed all came back to life after Nalq had waved his plume 
over them four times. When they were all alive again, Nalq asked 
them what had happened to them or who had Idlled them, and they 
replied that they had died in the house of a kindly woman on the 
other side of the lake. Then the four brothers told them that she 
had killed them with her supernatural power. Nalq told them that 
there was a large Frog at the bottom of the lake. Thus he said to 
the men who had just come back to life. 

They traveled on and on until they came to a place between two 
mountains. They went on tln-ough the valley; and as they went 
along, the passage became naiTower, until they saw that way off 
the two mountains formed a cave. They went on toward the cave 
until they came near it, and there they stopped. Nalq asked his 
brothers, "Dear brothers, which way shall we go?" and his three 
brothers replied, "Let us pass through the cave!" And while they 
were still speaking, the cave closed four times, like the twiidding of an 
eye, and it remained closed behind them, and they had no way of 
escape from it. The only way they could get out was under the 
t\vinkling cave. They counted the twinkling; and after they had 
counted four times, the cave opened slowly. Then Nalq tried to go 
through first. He had three more steps to take, when the cave 
twinkled, and killed him there. Next the second brother, Little 
Grindstone, made ready. After he had counted four, he quickly 
went through ; he had two more steps to take, and the cave twinkled 
again, and killed him also. Then the third brother made ready. 
They counted four. The cave opened slowly, and I.,ittle C'ral)apple 
Tree went through quickly. He had one step more to take, and the 
cave twinkled, and killed him also. Then the last brother made 
ready. He held the beautiful plume in his hands. He coimted 
four, and the cave opened slowly. Then Little Feather fl(^w through 
the cave, and took with him the crushed bodies of his brothers. 
He laid them out in good order, took his plume, waved it over them, 
and they came back to hie. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 131 

The brothers went on their journey, and soon arrived at the city 
of the Air. One of the Au* chiefs, North Wind, invited them in, 
and gave his daughter to Nalq to be his wife. Then another cliief. 
South Wind, invited the other three brothers in, and gave his 
daughter to Little Grindstone to be his wife. Then another chief, 
East Wmd, invited the two remaining ones in, and gave his daughter 
to Little Crabapple Tree to be liis wife ; and another chief, a beautiful 
man, mvited Little Feather in, and gave him his daughter to bo his 
wife. Now they were married. 

On the following day North- Wind Woman said to lier husband, 
"Let us travel about!" Nalq made ready to go with his wife, and 
it was not long lief ore the north wind blew hard. Nalq went along 
with her. He felt cold, and mucus came from his nose. It fell on 
the water and became ice, and therefore ice goes along with the 
north wind. On the same day the South-Wind Woman asked her 
husband to travel with her. Little Grindstone was ready to go, 
and the south wind blew very hard. Then Grindstone, who fol- 
lowed her, let the water collect in his mouth, and blew it out up into 
the air, and it came down like rain. Therefore the rain goes with 
the south wind, and the people use water whenever they sharpen 
anythmg on a grindstone. Now, the following day East-Wind 
Woman asked her husband to journey with her, but Little Crabapple 
Tree was too lazy to go out with his wife: therefore the east Avind 
blew harder and harder, trying to move her husband, but the roots 
of the Crabapple Tree spread out under the ground. Then the 
whirlwind blew with the east wind, and Little Crabapple Tree's' 
roots gave way, and he went along with his wife. Therefore whirl- 
winds come with the east wind. 

Again the follomng day the West- Wind Woman asked her hus- 
band to journey with her; and before they started. Little Feather 
said to his wife, "Don't blow so hai'd, lest you fall behind me, for I 
am faster than you!" and the west wind blew gently. She went 
along with him all round the world; and therefore the west winds 
blow gently now, for she is afraid of fallmg behind her husband. 
Little Feather; and these four brothers help the four winds now and 
for all time to come, and we are always reminded of the deeds of 
these four brothers. That is the end. 

12. The Feast of the Mountain Goats ' 

Wlien the people lived in our own village on the upper course of 
Skeena River, which is named Prairie Town, there were many hunters 
among them. They often went out hunting, and succeeded in 
catching many animals. Among them were six brothers who were 

1 Notes, p. 738. 



132 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ETH. ANN. 31 

very good hunters. Every fall they used to go huutuig mountain 
goats, and they killed many goats at a time. They took only the 
kidney fat and intestme fat of the goats, and left all the meat belund. 

The goats were distressed by their actions, for the hunters did not 
burn either bones or meat. The six brothers did .this every fall. In 
the following spring they went up the same mountain and kdled 
many mountam goats, as they had done before, and tliey caught a 
kid and took it down to their home. Then the children took the 
kid to the river and threw it out into the water. The poor httle 
thing tried to swim ashore; but as soon as it got ashore, the cliildren 
took it again and threw it into the water, and they laughed when they 
saw how fumiy the htth; kid looked when it was swimming. 

The children did so many times, and the httle kid was very cold. 
Then the children built a fire, and let the kid lie down on one side of 
it to get warm; and some of the children pushed the kid into the 
fire, so that the hair began to burn, and then threw it agam mto the 
water, and they shouted with pleasure. 

Then a young man came down to hear what the noise of the children 
meant. He went down to the cliildren that were pla^dng with the 
Httle kid, and he took the poor little kid out of their hands, and 
rubbed its hair with his hands to wipe off the water from the wool. 
The name of this young man was ReaUy Black. ^ He guided the 
kid way back from the village until they reached the foot of a high 
mountain, and he said, "Go on, supernatural one, go on!" 

The people forgot what the children had done to the kid; and before 
the next fall drew near, messengers came down to the village. They 
went to every house, and invited everybody — men, women, and 
chikh'en and old people — and told them to go and build a new village 
at the foot of a high mountam, right on the prauie. 

The people of the town received this message gladly, and the chiefs 
mvited the messengers mto theh houses, as was the custom. On the 
foUowhig moi-ning the people were ready to go. They followed the 
messengers until the evening, gomg along the prairie, as the messen- 
gers told them; and before evening they saw a large new house, and 
sparks flying out of the smoke hole of the large house. The messen- 
gers ran ahead, and a great multitude of people came out and stood 
on the prairie a httle way from the front of the large house, waitmg 
for the people to meet them. When the other messengers came up and 
met them, they went towards the building; and before the guests 
entered the building, the people all came out dancing, as is the custom 
when a chief mvites another tribe. The dancers wore headdresses 
representing mountain goats, and their blankets were goat sldns. 
After they had danced, the people went into the house; and while 

1 In full, Beally Black Raven Feather.— F. B. 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 



133 



going into the house, they sang a song, as is their custom ; and when 
they were all m, one of the young men came along and went to meet 
the youth whose name was Really Black, and spoke to him. " Friend, 
I want you to go with me, and let us sit on the other side of that post 
there!" They went together, and sat down behmd the post. Then 
the chief began to dance, and they sang the firet song accompanying 
the chief's dance ; and a beautiful mountain stood in the middle of the 
buUdiug, inside the house. 

"Wlien the first song was ended, they began another one; and this 
is then song: ' 




yi yi ye a ha a 


yi yi ye a 


ha yi ye a 


a 


Na-sta sga-nis-da ha a 


yi yi ye a 


ha yi ye a 


a 


■Wil ligi-sgErEl n-na°q-i-gwa 


yi yi ye a 


ha jd ye a 


a 


Awil gun-dad wa^kgEt 


yi yi ye a 


ha yi ye a 


a 


T'in sa-k"4axsl sga-nisi 


ji yi ye a 


ha yi ye a 


a 



"O yi yi yea haa! on one side of a high mountain I laid my hoof, because the 
prince of the Mountain Goats kicked down the side of the moimtain." 

When the next song began, behold ! a mountain goat was seen coming 
along the mountain, -with one horn on its head. It came down from 
the top of the mountain, jumping, until it reached the foot of the 
mountam; and all the people said, "It looks like a real mountain 
goat." 

When the last song was being sung, the Mountain Goat leaped in 
front of the guests, and kicked the front of the house. He leaped to 
one side and kicked it agaui; and the house and the whole floor 
broke down, aiul aU the people were destroyed alongside the high 
mountain. Only the one youth, Really Black, was saved. He had 
been sittmg behind the house post, which had now become a little 
spruce tree way up on a high mountam. 

There was no way of escape for him, for the roclcs were very steep 
above and below. He began to look down below, and on the next 
morning he was crying for fear; but his friend lay by his side, sleeping 
soundly, imtil the stui was high up iti the sky. While the youth 
Really Black was still weepmg, the young man who was sleeping by 
his side woke up, and said, "What is the matter with you, friend?" 
and Really Black, full of fear, said, "It is because all my people have 
been buried by tliis steep mountain, and I have no way of escape from 
this steep place." 

Then the youth who had been asleep said, "Do you know who 
invited your people in?" Really Black said, "No." Then the 



' Music and words were recorded by Mr. Tate. The adjustment of words and music does not appear 
clearly from his manuscript.^F.B. 



134 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. anx. 31 

youth replied, "The Mountain Goats have done it, because they 
were distressed by your people hunting them every year and catching 
them; for the hunters did not take them home, but left them among 
the mountains; and there tlie bones of the Mountaui Goats would 
decay and be scattered about, instead of bemg burned — meat, skins, 
bones, and all. Therefore the Goats took vengeance on your people. 
You, however, are the one who took pity on me when the children 
of your people thi-ew me out into the river last spring, and you kindly 
led me away, back to yonder village, to enjoy my freedom, and there- 
fore I wiU help you from this steep mountam. Do not be afraid. 
You shall get down safely. I shall give you my blanket." 

Really Black felt encouraged by what his friend said to him, but 
still he was full of fear. The young Goat put on his skin, and said, 
"I shall show you what to do." Before he leaped, he said, "On the 
thumb!" and then turned his head towards a deep chasm in the rock. 
He leaped again, and said, "On the sand!" and so on, until he came 
down. Then Really Black lost sight of him. 

He began to cry agam and to weep, for he had lost sight of his 
friend, and he sat down' by the Uttle spruce tree; and while he was 
crying bitterly, a young Goat came down from above him from the 
top of a high shdmg mountain, and he came to the man who was fuU 
of fear, and said, "You see there is no danger in it. Try it!" Then 
the poor man took the Goat's garment with fear and trembling, and 
put it on himself. The young Goat told him not to be afraid, and 
that no harm would befall him. He gave his friend good advice: 
"Before you leap, say these words, 'On the thumb;' and when you 
leap to the other side, then say, 'On the sand;' and repeat these 
words all along until you get down safely; and when you get down 
safely, pick out your relatives among the bodies. Put them in good 
order, as many as you want to hve. When you have done so, jump 
over the bodies until they come back to life. You shall jump over 
them four times ; and hang my blanket on a branch of the tree below, 
and then go home with your relatives and your people." Thus 
spoke the young Goat to his friend Really Black. 

As soon as the speech of Really Black's friend was ended, he started, 
and said, as his friend had commanded Mm. He said, "On the 
thumb!" Then he jumped, wearing the skin of the young Goat, and 
his foot stuck firmly to the rock. Then he turned his head another 
way; and before he leaped he said, "On the sand!" and his foot stuck. 
Then he went down without fear, and soon came to the foot of the 
high steep mountain. There he gathered the bocUes of liis relatives, 
(put them in good order as his friend the Goat had commanded him, 
and he jumped over them four times, and all the bodies came back to 
life.) Then the young man Really Black Raven Feather hung Ms 
friend's blanket on the branch of a tree, and thej' all went home. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 135 

On the following day the young man caUed all his relatives, and 
they went to the foot of the steep mountain, where the bones of the 
goats lay, piled them up, and burned them all; and thoy walked 
around the burnt bones. They also burned the meat and the skins. 

In those days the people did not speak badly of animals of any 
kind. They burned the bones and the meat of the animals, and 
did not leave the bones on the mountains. It Ls said that when a 
hunter burned the bones and meat, then the animals would recover 
from then" sickness; but as long as the bones lay scattered on the 
ground, then the animals' sickness would grow worse and worse, and 
they could not be cured. This is what the young Goat told his friend 
behind the little spruce tree on the slope of the sliding mountain. 
This is the end. 

13. The Giant Devilfish' 

A long time ago a good hunter wont out with four men in his canoe. 
They went arountl a large island. Soon they saw Killer Whales 
jumping here and there. There were many of them, and the hunters 
went ashore to hide from them. Soon they saw a good-sized Killer 
Whale jumping out of the water at the foot of a high precipice. Sud- 
denly they saw that he floated dead on the surface, his beUy upward, 
and all the Killer Whales were floating there. 

The hunters had camped at this place in the evening. Early the 
following morning the chief hunter awoke and went out of then- hut. 
There he saw many KiUer Whales coming from all directions, for the 
prince of the KiUer Wliales had been kiUcd by the Giant Devilfish 
on the preceding day when the hunters had passed the island. The 
Living Depths Horror was the den of the Giant Devilfish at the foot 
of that great precipice. 

When the great monster had killed the prince of the IviUer Wliales, 
the chief of the Killer Whales sent his messengers to all parts of the 
world, and called liis people to his village. He gave them a great 
feast, and told them that his only son had been killed by the great 
monster who lived at the foot of the great precipice. He said, 
' ' I want you to come and help me kiU it, because it will always be 
very dangerous to our chikhen." Then all the chiefs of the Killer 
Whales agreed. Therefore they all assembled that morning when 
the hunter saw them all around on the water. 

Now, the hunters aU came out and saw them, and they heard them 
speak hke men. All the KiUer Whales have only four clans, hke 
human beings. The chief of each clan caUed his warrioi-s to kiU the 
gi-eat monster. The crests of each clan of these KiUer Whales are 
on their dorsal fins. The Eagles have a white fine in the midcUo of 
the dorsal fin; the Wolves have a long dorsal fin like a wolf's tail; 

1 Notes, p. 739. 



136 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

the Ganha'da have a short fin Hke a raven's beak; and the G'ispawad- 
WE'da have a flat short dorsal fin with a round hole in the middle. 

The chief of the Eagle Clan had been killed a few days before. 
Therefore he was the first to call his warrior to go and attack the 
monster. He jumped and dived into the deep sea and fought against 
the Giant Devilfish. (The devilfish's mouth is in the middle of its 
arms, and it draws its prey into it . In the midtUe of very many suckers 
is a skin which can be pulled back; and when this is (hawn back, 
the sawlike edge of the mouth is pressed against the victim.) 

When the first warrior had been there a while, he came up dead, 
and one sucker from the arms also came. Another one was called. 
He dived down into the deep and continued to fight \vdth the mon- 
ster. He staid a httle longer than the first one. Then he came up 
to the surface dead, and two giant arms also came to the surface. 

Thus they continued to battle until the last warrior of the KiUer 
Whales had gone and had cut off one arm. He also came up dead, 
and many dead KUler Whales were floating on the water. 

Then the cluef of the G'ispawadwE'da called his warriors to fight 
the monster. The chief said, "I will send two at a time." All the 
Whales agreed to this, and two went down to the bottom at a time. 
Then half of the arms of the monster came up with their dead bodies. 
Another two went, and brought up another half of the arms that 
remained after the fii-st two Whales had come up dead. When the 
warriors of the G'ispawadwE'da had obtained two arms, all their 
warriors had perished. 

Now, the Wolf Clan came forward, and the chief of the Wolves 
said, "I will send down four of my Wolves at a time." They all 
agreed to this. Therefore the chief sent out four warriors to fight 
the gi-eat Livmg Depths Horror. They staid there a little longer, 
and came up dead, and one giant arm came up floating on the water- 
Another four were sent down. They staid in the deep a long time, 
and then came up with many wounds on tlieh dead bodies, and 
another giant ann floated on the water. Then all the Wolves' 
warriore had perished. 

Now, the Raven Clan came forward. The thi-ee clans had already 
obtained five of the monster's giant arms, which floated among the 
dead bodies of the Killer Whales. Then the chief of the Raven 
Clan said, "You are a brave clan. You have obtained five giant 
arms of the monster of the deep. My relatives are weak. We can 
not do as much as you, but let us try all we can to do the best and 
fight against the monster!" Then he called one of his warriors. 
He called him by name. "Now, Bird Garment will go first! Kill 
that monster that has slain all our bravest people and our prince!" 
Then the young Ealler Whale jumped on the water three times. 
He went downi; and after he had been there a short time, a giant 
arm came up on the water, and Bird Garment also came up to the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 137 

sm-face. He took a short rest; and the chief called him again. 
"Where are you now, Bird Garment ?" He jumped three times, 
then he went down again. He staid a little longer, and another 
giant arm came up and drifted on the surface of the water. Bird 
Garment followed it. He had obtamed two great arms, and he 
floated on the water, weary. 

The body of this great Killer Whale was not hurt by the monster. 
He was only tired out. 

Again his chief called him, and said, "Now, my brave man 
Bh'd Garment, where ai'e you? Try once more!" Then the brave 
Killer Whale jumped on the water and dived. He staid under 
the water for a long time, and all the Killer Wliales thought that he 
had been killed by the monster of the deep. Finalty he came up 
again with a giant arm in his mouth. 

Then all the tribes of the Killer Wliales shouted for joy and struck 
their tails on the water, saying, "Bird Garment is a warrior." And 
when their shouting ceased, he said, "Only two of his long arms 
remam. Now, I desire you to be with me when I go do\vn again." 
Therefore the brave Killer WTiales took courage, and many of them 
went down with Bird Garment. They bit off those arms, and Bird 
Garment went right to the heart of that fearful monster. Fuially 
the two remainmg arms were cut off from the body, and so all 
the brave Killer Whales brought up the great monster's body, and 
the clan of Bird Garment became the first of all the clans of the 
Killer Wliales. The Killer Whales had gamed the victory over that 
great monster; but Bhd Garment was the bravest among all of 
them, for he alone cut off three arms of the monster. 

The hunters saw all these thmgs, and they understood all the 
Killer Whales had said durmg the fight with the grept monster. 

]\Iany years passed, and the young one of the old Devilfish was 
growni up. He lived in the same place, and was woi-se than the former 
one. He took down every person that passed by his place. Some- 
times be took dowTi canoes with the hunters and animals. 

One day an Eagle seated on the top of a high cliff saw a sprmg- 
salmon passing that place. He flew down swiftly and caught the 
spring salmon with his long claws. The salmon struggled on the 
water, and another Eagle came down swiftly to he\p him. Then the 
young monster came up with his mouth wide open and swallowed 
the two Eagles and the spring salmon. 

The two young Eagles were the children of an Eagle chief. He 
was very sorry to know that his two children had been caught by 
the Devilfish. He mourned many days, and his people came to 
comfort him, but he would not listen to them on accoimt of his 
great love for his children. 

At last one of his warriors said to him, "Call all the large bh'ds, 
and we will make war against the monster." Therefore the sad 



138 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

chief agreed. He sent his messengers and called all kinds of large 
bu-ds. The Thunderbuxls came, the great Mountain Eagles, Hawks, 
Ravens, and all khids of birds; and when all the bhxls were in. 
Chief Eagle told them that the monster had killed his sons while 
they were catching a sprmg salmon at the foot of the precipice. 
He continued, "My people here like to go and fight him." 

After Chief Eagle had spoken, Thunderbu-d spoke, and said, "I 
will go with you; I hate him!" Mountain-Eagle Chief also said, 
"I will go with you when you fight against him;" and Chief Hawk 
and Chief Raven said the same, and all the birds said the same. 

On the following mornmg they went to the top of the precipice. 
Chief Eagle said, "One of my warriors shall go first, and all his 
fellows shall follow him." Therefore the Eagle warrior flew right 
down; and when the great monster saw him flappuig his whigs 
above his den, he came out, his mouth first, with which he intended 
to swallow all the Eagles. He opened his mouth and devoured all 
the Eagles. 

Thunderbird came down next, thundermg and lightening; and 
when the giant monster felt the water trembling, he put out two 
long arms. The lightning struck them, and the two arms were 
killed. Then all the birds flew down. The Devilfish was very angry. 
He opened his mouth, intending to swallow all of them. 

Wlien the Raven saw the mouth open, he flew down, went right 
into the mouth, and plucked out the great monster's heart with his 
sharp beak, and so the giant monster died there. 

Thus another Raven clan also gained the victory. Therefore the 
Giant Devilfish is afraid of the Ravens up to this time. 

When the people in olden times saw a devilfish coming up under a 
canoe, sometimes a man would sing out lilce a raven, "Caw, caw, 
caw!" Then the great monster would die before it came to the 
surface of the water. The devilfish would always die when it 
heard the sound of the raven's voice; but if a person waited untU 
the monster came to the surface of the water and then sang out, 
it was in vain, and the great monster would swallow him, canoe and 
all. Therefore the hunters would watch for devilfish in the water. 
These two stories of the DevUfish are connected. This is the end.' 

14. The Hunter's Wife Who Became a Beaver ^ 

A man and his dear wife went out hunting raccoons. He went to 
his hunting-ground where they had been many times before, and he 

1 See p. 100. 

sin olden times the people were skillful hunters, because the skins and meat of animals were very useful 
to them: for their clothing was made of the skins and furs of animals. Therefore they hunted grizzly bear, 
black bear, and mountain goat. All these were very useful animals. They spim the wool of the mountain 
goat and made yam of it, and then it was woven into dancing-blankets and cloaks. The wool was used 
for many objects; and they used the skins of all kinds of animals, great and small. Therefore they were 
very good hunters. Thus it was with one family.— Henbt W. Tate.— Notes, p. 739. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 139 

built his hunting-lodge there. Many days passed by after they had 
reached this place. One morning the man went out to put up his 
raccoon traps, while his \vife staid at home in the camp. The man 
came home late m the evenmg; and two days later he went to look 
after his traps, which, hje had put up a few days before. He had 
built many all along the valley. When he came to his traps, they 
all had caught animals, and he set them agam. Then he carried the 
raccoons to the camp, and his wife was very glad to see her husband's 
good luck. Late at night he finished his work, and on the following 
morning he began to skin the raccoons, and liis wife helped him. 
They dried the skuis and the meat, and both worked all day until 
late at night. 

On the following day he went again to liis traps, and he caught 
more than he had before. His wife helped him carry the animals 
to the camp, and early the next mornmg they sldnned the animals. 
The woman was very happy because her husband had caught many 
raccoons. 

The sun was shinmg on their camp when she went to the place 
where her husband was wt)rkmg. She said, "My dearly beloved 
husband, just look at me for a while! " The man had no time to 
look at her, and did not pay attention to what his wife said. She, 
however, forced him to look at her. Wlien she thus compelled him 
to look at her, the man said, "You are no better than these raccoons. " 

Then the woman was very much ashamed, and left her husband 
weeping. She sat down on the bank of a brook that ran between 
those two moimtains. There she was sitting and weeping; but her 
husband did not pay any attention to her, because he had much 
work to do with the animals he had killed. The woman continued 
to cry. When her husband saw this, he said to her, "Stop crying, 
my dear, and come home with me!" but she rephed, "No, I won't; 
I am no better than these raccoons. I am ashamed on accotmt of 
what you have said to me. Go away! I am no better than the 
raccoons." 

She cried agam ; and so her husband went away, and went on with 
his work. She continued to weep. Before the sun went dowai she 
felt very warm, and therefore she stopped crying and went down to 
the little river to cool herseK. She took gravel and small pebbles and 
dammed up the water to make a small pool, in which she intended 
to swim. Soon the water began to rise to her knees. Then she took 
more stones and gravel to dam up the water. There was a rock 
in the middle of the pool which she had made. She went there and 
rested on it. 

When the sun went down, her husband came down and called her 
ashore; but she refused to come, and said, "I am no better than your 
raccoons. I am much ashamed on account of what you said to me. " 
Then the man saw her swimming about m the pond. Late in the 



140 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

night he went home ; but his wife was still in the water, and staid 
there all through the night. The man did not sleep. He hoard his 
wife striking the water with her apron whenever she turned. 

Early the next morning he arose and went down to look after his 
wife. Then he saw a lake below the camp, and his wife swimming 
about in it. Therefore the man stood on the shore of the lake and 
cried, "Come home, my dear wife! You know I love you better 
than any one. Come home, now! Do come home!" She rcpUed, 
"No, you love the raccoons better than me. I shall never come back 
to you. " She still worked at her dam, and she would strike the water 
with her small leather apron whenever she dived.^ 

Then the man was very sorry. He kept on watchhig for several 
days, and would call his wife to come ashore: but she would only 
reply, "I am very much ashamed on account of what you said to 
me. Go home, and tell my brothers that I am not dead. I am 
going to live in this lake all by mj^self. " 

Therefore the man went down to his village. When he reached 
home, he went to his wife's brothers and told them what had become 
of his wife. Then these six brothers went with their sister's husband 
to the hunting-ground. Wlien they reached there, behold! there 
was a large lake between the two mountains, and a beaver's house in 
the center. The six brothers stood on the shore of the lake, full of 
sorrow, together with their brother-in-law. 

Then the eldest one said, "My only sister, we have come to take you 
dowTi to our home. " Then she came swimming and stopped in front 
of them, and said, "No, I will not come. Leave me alone! I am 
well off here. My husband is not angry with me, but I am ashamed 
of myself. No, I will never go down with you, but look well after 
my poor husband ! Don't hurt him ! I intend to stay here by myself. 
Any time you want to come, visit me." After she had said these 
words she dived. Then the six brothers lifted their voices and wept. 
She emerged on the other side of the large lake. 

Then the brothers went home fuU of sorrow. After two months 
had passed, they went up to the valley again; and when they reached 
there, there was a very large lake between the two mountains. It 
covered the whole valley; and they saw their sister diving, and they 
saw also thi-ee large round objects floatuig in the middle of the large 
lake, with three young beavers on them. 

The woman had been very good-looking. Her hair was reddish. 
The brothers were standing on the shore weeping, and their sister 
came toward them. Then the eldest brother said again, "Will you 

1 In olden times men as well as women used to wear a small piece of leather as an apron. They used 
soft leather of a good quality, as wide as the palm of the hand. They used to fasten both ends in the belt 
In front and behind, and the body was bare. They wore only loose garments. The men had no coats, 
nor shirts, nor trousers, nor suits of clothing. The women also had no petticoats, as they have now. 
Thus it was with this woman.— Henkt W. Tate. 



BOis] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 141 

not come down with us?" but she could not speak a word. She 
just dived in front of them. ITer leather apron had become a beaver's 
tail, and her body was covered with dark-brown fur. She was afraid 
that her brothers had seen her children swimming about with her. 

Then the brothers went home again full of sorrow. The six 
brothers could not forget her. The following spilng they went again 
to visit her, and they found the large lake full of beavers. There 
they stood on the shore weeping; and as they stood there weeping, 
behold! a large Beaver came toward them %vith a green cottonwood 
tree in her mouth. Her face was not yet covered with hair. Then 
the eldest brother said to her, "My only sister, will you not come 
down with us to our house?" but she could not speak. She just 
dived in front of them, seeming to say that she could not do it. Tlien 
the brothers wept bitterly and went home once moi-e. 

Now, the brothers considered what ihej could do with their sister, 
and finally decided to break the dam. Therefore the following spring 
they set out, went to the lake that their sister had built, and they 
worked, trying to break down the dam. Before they started then." 
work they had seen that the large lake was full of beavers, but their 
sister was not among them. Then they worked on until the dam 
began to break dowai and the water burst out; and before the lake 
was emptied many beavers came out of the empty lake. All the 
beavers escaped and fled away from them, and scattered all over the 
land, but the mother-beaver was not with them. Therefore When 
the big lake was empty, the brothers went into the lake-bed to see 
if tlieir sister were still there. They went into the beaver houses, 
and at last they found her right in the bottom of the lake. Her 
body was all covered with fur, but her face was still the same. She 
could not speak. Her finger-nails were hke animal claws, and her 
leather apron had become a beaver tad. Slie was glad to see her 
brothers. She died right there, because she was on diy ground. 

Therefore the people say that all the beavers are females, not 
miales, because the woman w^as thek ancestor; and also because the 
woman's hair was brown, therefore all the beavers have brown fur, 
no black. This is the end. 

15. The Winter Hunters and the Mosquito^ 

In olden times the people used to hunt in the winter and travel 
way up the mountauis. Once upon a time there were ten brothers 
who went hunting. Their wives accompanied them. They went 
on and on far away from their home. They passed many mountains, 
valleys, and rivers, and after many days they finally came to the top 
of a mountain. They looked down into the valley, and, behold! 
there was smoke at the foot of the mountain. Therefore they said 

■Notes, p. 740. 



142 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

to one another, "Let us ojo down and camp in these houses!" for it 
was near the end of the daj'. 

So they shd down on their snowshoes, and soon came to the end 
of a village. The people came out to meet them when they came down, 
and each family invited one of the strangers into their house. They 
said, "We are told that ten brothers -with then- wives have arrived, 
and the youngest brother has a young wife with a child." 

The cliief of the village invited the youngest one into his house, 
and also his young wife with her child. When the chief gave them 
their supper, and while they were eating, the child began to cry. 
The mother was very himgry, and did not mind the cr^nng of the 
cliild. Therefore a middle-aged woman who was seated on the other 
side of the fire asked the young mother to let her have the child while 
she was eating, and the young woman gave her the child. 

The child kept on crjdng and screaming. Therefore the old woman 
put her mouth to the baby's ear and sang this song: "A, a, a, ye! 
A, a, a, ye! " Thus sang tlie old woman into the baby's ear. Then 
the cliild began to cry less and less until it stopped. 

The child's mother always looked over to her child while she was 
eating; and after she had finished, she went over. She thought her 
child was sound asleep. Soon after her meal she saw that her child 
was hanging on the arm of the old woman. She took her chUd from 
her, and, behold! it was dead in the arms of the old woman. 

The young mother did not ciy, but only wrapped the cliild in her 
marten blanket, and saw, when she examined it, that blood was 
oozing out of the baby's ear where the old woman had put her month. 
Therefore the young Avoman told her husband, "My dear, the inhabit- 
ants of this village are not real people; they are strange beings. 
Go to your brothers, and tell them what has happened to our cliild 
wliile we were eating our meal." 

So the young man went to liis brothers and told them what liad 
become of their httle cliUd, and gave orders to his brothers not to 
sleep, to avoid danger. He said, "Wliile these people are asleep, let 
us escape the same way that we came sUcUng down!" 

Late in the evening the people of the village went to bed. The 
two young people were fuU of sorrow on account of the death of their 
cluld. Not long after the people had gone to bed, the chief arose 
again, and crept toward the young couple. Then they made a noise, 
and coughed when the chief was close to the place where they lay; 
and when the cliief heard the cougliing, he ran away and lay down 
again in liis own place. 

After a while another man in the house arose and came toward them. 
Wlien he was near by, they coughed, and the man crept away from 
them. Thus it happened with all the brothers and their hosts. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 143 

Just before daybreak all the people of the village were sound 
asleep. Then tlie strangers went out secretly, and all met at the 
end of the village and went up the mountain. Before they reached 
the top of the mountain, they looked back, and, behold ! a multitude 
of people came in pursuit, climbing the side of the steep mountain. 

Then the few strangers were in trouble; and when they reached 
the shding snow, they held a counsel, and they agreed that when 
their pursuers were close beliind them, they woidd try to cause an 
avalanche to destroy them. 

So the ten men and ten women worked hard in the snow. They 
used their staffs with mountain-goat horn at the points to dig across 
a largo snowbank tliat hung on one side of the mountain ; and when 
the multitude that pursued them was close behind them, they threw 
do%vn a large piece of snow, and they all jjerished, and were swept 
away under the avalanche. 

Then the ten couples had a rest on top of the snow, for they were 
weary after their labor; and wliile they were there, behold! another 
multitude of jjeople came beliind them, more than before, and the 
hearts of the ten couples failed. 

Now, the youngest one said, "Let our hearts not fail us! Let us 
all have courage ! " and so they began again to work with their staffs, 
and dug out the snow; and when the many people who pursued them 
were near to them, they broke off a large piece of snow, which fell 
down over the people that pursued them, and they all perished in the 
avalanche. 

Still another multitude of people were coming along, and they also 
perished in an avalanche. They had done this several times, and at 
last the chief came up to them alone. He was a short, stout man. 
He came up to them quickly, so that the ten couples had no time to 
loosen the snow. 

This was the Mosquito Town, and the old woman in the chief's 
house drank the baby's blood tlu-ough its ear. The chief's name was 
Baboudina (?). He was pursuing the ten couples because his people 
had been destroyed by the avalanches. His proboscis was of pure 
crystal. He ran rapidly toward them, and kUled the first one with 
his crystal proboscis. 

Then he went to the other one, and the rest ran away from him, 
but he pursued them. Finally only one young woman was loft. 
She was younger than all the others, and ran faster than they. She 
was the mother of the child that was kiUod in the house of Chief 
Baboudina. She ran more quicklj' than the chief; and when she 
arrived at a lake, she ran into the water; and while she was walking 
in the water, she saw a tree slanting over the lake. She went to it 
and climbed to the top. There she staid. As soon as she reached 



144 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY ' [r-Tn. anx. 31 

the top of the tree, behold! Baboudina was commg along, following 
the scent of hei- footprints right down to the water. Then he lost 
her tracks and looked about in the water. 

At last he saw the young woman sitting in the water. Then he 
jumped in and tried to kill her; but he could not do it, for he only 
saw the young woman's reflection in the water of the lake. He came 
out of the water again, and the water was full of dirt and mud. 

He stood on the shore waitmg until the mud cleared away. 
When it was clear, he saw the woman again sitting at the same place. 
He dived again, and tried to get her in the mud, but could not catch 
her. He came out again, and stood on the shore looking mto the 
water, waiting until it cleared, and soon the water was clear again. 
Therefore the woman laughed at hun, because he was so foolish; 
and as soon as the water was clear, he saw the woman laughing and 
scornmg him, as he thought. Therefore he was very angry, and 
dived once more, and staid in the water a long whUe. He came 
out again and was furious. Ho felt quite chUly because he had been 
in the water a long while. 

Ho remained standing at the same place, waiting for the water to 
clear again. The sun had almost set before the water was clear. 
Then he saw the young woman laughing and scorning him. Full of 
anger because the young woman was mocking him, he jumped again 
into the water and kicked and beat the mud in the bottom of the 
lake. He staid there a long while; and when ho came out again, 
he was very chilly. 

Then he tied up all his long hair on the top of his head, and made 
it roimd like a ball. His whole body was shaking, for he felt so 
cold. The sun had gone down in the west; and he stood there, his 
body shaking, and the ball of hair moving quickly. This made the 
woman laugh very much when she saw it. When the water was 
clear once more, Baboudina saw the j'oung woman laughing again, 
and he plunged in. He did not care about the cold. He forgot all 
about it, and he staid there twice as long as he had before. 

Finally he came out of the water. He walked very slowly ashore, 
for he felt very cold. The moon was shming, the sky was clear, and 
the north wind was blowing, and soon he was frozen to death. His 
wings were frozen to the ground. The woman saw him lymg there 
dead. 

She did not believe that he was really dead. Therefore she took a 
rotten branch, and threw it toward the place where he lay; but he 
did not move. Then she came down from the tree and went to the 
place where he lay and kicked him, but he was quite dead. 

Then she took her fish-knife made of shell, which she wore under 
her shirt about her neck, and cut him open. She took out his heart; 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 145 

but the heart had two eyes and a mouth, and was still living. It 
looked at the young woman, and the young woman was afraid of it. 

She took it down to the bodies of her companions. When she 
came to the one who was last, killed, she swung the heart over him, 
and he arose again after she had swung it over him four times. 

Then she went to another one and swung the live heart of Baboudina 
over bis body, and he came to life. She went to all her companions 
who had been killed; and when they were aU alive again, they were 
all very happy; and the young woman told them that she had killed 
the chief of the Mosquitoes, that he was Ijing dead by the lake. 

Then they all wanted to go and see him. The foIlo\\"ing day they 
went there, and found the place where he lay dead. The}" examined 
the body, and saw that the proboscis was of pure crystal. Then 
they said to one another, "Let us burn him up right here!" They 
started a tu'e, and put his dead body on the fire. His heart also was 
burned, and oidy the ashes remained there. 

And some of the people blew into the fire where they had burned 
Baboudina, and blew the ashes of the dead chief's body about. 
Then all the ashes flew upward, and thus the ashes of Baboutlina 
became small mosquitoes. Therefore mosquitoes remam on earth 
now. After they had finished this, they all went home sjiielj". 

16. The Hunters' 

There were ten princes who went out hunting. When they arrived 
at their camping-place, they built abut. Their wives accompanied 
them. Only the j'oungest brother had no wife. 

After they had finished their hut, the eldest brother went alone to 
hunt porcupine; and when he was a short way off from the camp, 
behold! he saw a large, fat porcupine coming toward him. He 
clubbed it, tied its Mud legs, and hung it on a tree. 

He went on and climbed a rock. When he reached the top, 
behold! there was a white she-bear. He went up to her and shot 
her with his arrow; and when the man saw that the bear was dead, 
he went on to the top of the mountain a little higher up, deshous of 
seeing the other side. He did so; and when he reached the top, he 
looked down on the other side of the steep mountain. There he saw 
a village at the foot of the mountain, and smoke rising from it. 

He slid do%vn the ice on his snowshoes, and came to the side of the 
first house. He looked through a knot-hole, and, behold! a young 
woman was alone in that house. She looked at the man and smQed 
at him. She said, "Come in, my dear!" 

Then the people in the next house questioned her, and asked, 
"Did any one come to see you?" and she repUed, "Yes, it is so." 

1 Notes, pp. 741, 759. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 10 



146 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

This last house belonged t o a chief. Then the chief said to the woman, 
"Send him to me, that I may give hina to eat." Then the woman 
said to the young man, "Go to the chief's house, for he invites you 
in!" Therefore he went; and when he entered, a crowd of young 
men came to meet him at the door. They took aU his weapons and 
examined them, and they made him sit down on one side of the large 
fire. 

Then the chief ordered his attendants to prepare food for him, 
and they did so. They gave him rich, fat food; and while he was 
eating, the young men brought in all the weapons which they had 
taken from him. 

When it was late in the evening, the chief gave him some fur 
blankets — marten blankets and raccoon blaiikets — and the hunter 
slept soundly. 

Early the following morning somebody shouted, "The grizzly 
bears are coming down on the other side of the river!" Therefore 
the chief said, "Let the good hunters go and kill them!" Then the 
hunter took all his weapons and went across the river, and he took 
his first quartz arrow to shoot the grizzly bear, but his bow broke. 
Then he took his spear, but his spear broke. Then the great grizzly 
bear came to him and killed him right there. 

Then the chief whose guest he had been the night before cut him 
in two and hung him up in one corner in the front of his house. 

Now, the second brother set out to search for his elder brother, who 
had been lost a few days previous. He took all his weapons, hung 
liis quiver over his side, took his spear over his shoidder, and }iis 
good bow, and started. After he had left the camp a Uttle while, 
behold! there was a large fat porcupine which met him on his way. 
He clubbed the porcupine, tied its liind legs, and hung it on a tree, 
as his elder brother had done before. 

He went a little farther; and when he reached the top of the rock, 
he saw a verj' fine white she-bear feeding on the green grass before 
him. He crept up to her secretly and shot her. The bear fell on 
the green grass. He went up to her, and wanted to see the top of the 
mountain a httle above him. When he reached the top of the moun- 
tain, he looked down on the other side, and saw the smoke rising 
from a large village at the foot of the steep mountain. 

Then he shd down on his snowshoes; and when he came to the 
side of the first house, he went around and looked through a knot- 
hole; and the woman inside looked at him, smiled at him, and 
invited him in. 

Again the people next door, in the house of the chief, asked the 
woman, "Did any one come to you ?" and she replied "Yes." There- 
fore the chief said, " Let him come to be my guest! " and so the young 
woman sent him to the chief's house. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 



147 



As soon as he came in, he saw a crowd of young people, who met 
him at the door. They took away all his weapons, and some led 
Mm to one side of the chief's great fire. They made him sit on a 
grizzly-bear skin which was spread there. Then the chief said to Ms 
attendants, " Feed my friend with rich food!" and his attendants pre- 
pared food and did what the cMef had told them. They served him 
with rich food, and during the meal the young men brought Ms 
weapons in. Then the cMef ordered Ms servants to lend him a 
blanket for the night. Then they all went to bed, and the man 
slept soundly. 

Early the next morning a shout was heard outside. "Behold! 
grizzly bears are coming down yonder!" Therefore the cMef said, 
"Let the hunters go and kill them for me!" The young man made 
Mmself ready and started. He went toward the grizzly bear, and 
took Ms first quartz arrow and shot it, but Ms an-ow broke. He took 
another one out of Ms qmver; and as he tried to shoot, Ms bow broke. 
He threw it away, took Ms spear, and when he attacked the bear the 
point of the spear broke. Therefore the grizzly bear caught hold of 
him and killed him right there; and the cMef took him into Ms house, 
cut him in two, and hung him in the corner with his elder brother. 

Then the third brother set out to search for his elder brother. He 
took all his weapons; and when he was a little way off, he saw a large 
fat porcupine. He clubbed it and hung it on a tree. Then he went 
a little farther on, and there he §aw a fine wMte she-bear and shot 
her; and when the bear lay on the grass, the man went on and took 
up his arrow with wMch he had shot the she-bear. He went to the 
top of the mountain, as Ms two brothers had done before him, and 
looked down on the other side of the mountain. There he saw the 
lar<re villaore on the other side of the mountain. He slid down on 
his snowshocs, and soon reached the side of the first house. He went 
around and looked through the knot-hole, and saw a beautiful young 
woman sitting alone in the house. She saw him and smiled, and 
invited him to come in. As soon as he was inside, the cMef in the 
next house asked the young woman, "Did any one come to you?" 
She answered, "Yes, somebody came." Therefore the chief said, 
"vSend him to me, I will feed Mm with rich food." So the woman 
sent Mm to the cMef's house. He went, and crowds of young men 
met Mm at the door. They smiled at him and took all Ms weapons 
from him, and some led Mm to one side of the house, where a grizzly- 
bear skin had been spread out, and they made Mm sit on it. Then 
the cMef ordered his attendants to feed him with rich food. They 
did so; and wMle the meal was being served, the young men who 
had taken away Ms weapons brought them back to Mm. Then the 
chief said to his servants, "Lend Mm a blanket for tonight." They 
did so. 



148 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. a\n-. 31 

The next morning a shout was heard. Behold! a grizzly bear is 
coming down the river. Therefore the chief said, "Let the Imnters 
go and kill it for me!" Then the young man made himself readj', 
went across and met the grizzly bear, and shot it with his good arrow, 
but it broke. He took another one out of liis quiver; and when he 
intended to shoot again, his bow broke. He threw it away and took 
up his spear; and while he attacked it, his spear broke also. There- 
fore the grizzly bear came to him and killed him. The chief took him 
and cut him in two, and hung him up with the two other brothers in 
the corner of his house. 

Thus the rest of the brothers set out one at a time. They all met 
the same dangers, and all their widows were left in the camp. Only 
the youngest brother now remained. He was crying for the loss of 
his nine brothers; and when the days of liis mourning were over, he 
prepared to start, but the nine widows did not want to let liim go, 
because their husbands had all been lost: but the young man insisted 
on going. He wanted to see what had happened to liis nine brothers 
who had been lost, and all the widows were weeping. 

The young man also wept bitterly, and he said, " Wliy did not one 
of my brothers go in another direction? They all went in the same 
direction." And he lifted up his voice and wept bitterly, and all the 
widows wept with him. Then the young man said to his sisters-in- 
law, "I shall come back again, and I shall take you down home when 
I come back from there." 

Then he set out, and took all his good, strong weapons. He put 
on his hunting-garment, and took food with him. Wlien he had 
gone some distance from the camp, he met a large, fat porcupine; 
but this young man went another way, thinking that he would not 
touch the porcupme, and he thought, "Maybe my nine brothers met 
it on their way." 

After he had gone a little farther, he saw a fine white she-bear 
feeding on the green grass. He went to her and shot her, and she 
fcU down dead. The young man rolled the bear over, and saw the 
beautiful white fur on her belly, and he touched it with his hand, 
and said, ''What makes your belly so big?" 

Then the she-bear was all of a sudden transformed into a beautiful 
young woman, and she laughed wlien the young man touched her 
with liis hand.' She said, "Your brothers did not do what you have 
done to me, therefori^ they were all slain by the cliicf in the gi-izzly- 
bear village yonder." 

The young man staid with her; and the pretty woman said,^ 
"You may go down to the gi-izzly-bear to^vn, and I will tell you 

> Original: Da sa-sit-ya'ksa'mEs-6'Ia a sEin-ama-p!a'sEm su-pla'sEm hana'°xda, sa-sis'a'xsit a asi at 
dEm da'milda su-p!a'sEm y!6'°la ba'n dEda an'o'ndit. 
■ Original: Ada k!a-sila-gam-BiI'°lkda su-pla'sEm y!6'°ta; ada a'lg Lxga ama-pla'sEm liana'°xga°. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 149' 

what to do." After the woman had said so, she vanished from liis 
sight. 

Then the young man went to the top of tlie mountain; and when 
he reached up there, he looked down on the other side and saw a 
hirge town at the foot of the steep mountam. He shd down over 
the ice, and arrived at the side of the first house at the end of the 
hxrge town. He went around and looked tlu-ough a knot-hole, and, 
behold! the same woman was alone in there. She looked at the 
young man and smiled, and beckoned to him, and he staid with her.* 

She said to him, "The cliief wiU invite you in, but do not eat 
much, as your nme brothers have done; and do not allow them to 
take your weapons away from you, for they always exchanged your 
brothers' weapons for ch'ied stalks. Let them not have any of your 
weapons. Early tomorrow mornmg the gi'izzly bear will come 
down, and the chief will send you to kill it. When you have kUled 
it, the whole village wiU fight against you, but I will help you. 
Because your brothers' weapons were exchanged for stalks of plants, 
then arrows and then* spears broke easily. Now, I shall let you 
have my two dogs to help you when you are tu-ed." With this she 
handed him her two pups, and said, "Put them m your garment. 
Wlien you are out of breath, tlu"ow the two pups on the gi'ound, 
and say, 'Grow up quickly. Red, and fight!' and then thi-ow down 
the other one, and say, 'Grow up quickly. Spots!' " 

After the woman had fuiished speaking, the chief m the house 
next door asked, "Did any one come to 3'ou?" The woman did 
not answer him at once, as she had done before, because she loved 
the young man much. The young man embraced her and kissed 
her many times. After that the chief asked again, "Did any one 
come to you?" and the young woman replied quickly, "Yes, he is 
commg." Then the chief said, "Send him over to my house, that I 
may feed hmi on rich, fat food." 

Then the man went; and when he came to the door of the chief's 
house, a great crowd of young men met liim. They acted very 
kindly towaid him, and wanted to take his weapons from lum, but 
he refused to let them have them. They led him to one side of the 
large house, and a gi"izzly-bear skin was spread by the side of the 
large fu-e. He sat down there, but nobody took his weapons away 
from him. Then the chief ordered liis attendants to prepare food, 
and they did so; but the young man refused to eat, and said, "I just 
finished my dinner before I came shding down the moimtain, there- 
fore I am very thankful for your kmdness;" but the claief compelled 
him to eat. Therefore the young man took a little. Late at night 

' Original: Galistatna'°, da ninli's hana'^xda k!ul-lu-k!il'IdEt dadl-most da hmS,nixt, ada ligi-an'o'nt 
asga su-p!a'sEm ylo'^tagao da la'lgut a na-wil-na'kga hana'^xt. 



150 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

they went to bed and slept. The j'oiing man was on the alert, and 
kept his weapons m readiness. 

Before he went to sleep, he looked at one corner in the front of the 
house, and saw his nine brothers hanging there, cut in two, and his 
heart was filled with sorrow. Therefore he could not sleep soundly 
at night. 

Before it was midnight he perceived that some one came to the 
place where he was lying, trj'ing to steal his weapons; but he held 
them in his hand, and coughed to let them know that he was not 
asleep. Many tried in the same way, but before daylight came they 
were all asleep. When day began to dawn, not a sound was to be 
heard; and when the sun rose high, a soft voice was heard outside, 
saying, "Behold! the gi-izzl\" bear is coming down on the other side 
of the river." Then the chief said, ''Let the hunter kill it for me!" 
Then the young man, who had kept ready, set out at once. He 
crossed the river, went right up to the great grizzly bear, and killed 
it. Then another gi-izzly bear came along, and he killed it also. A 
third one came along, and he killed it. Then two came together, 
and he killed both of them. Foin- came together, and he killed 
them. Then aU the gi'izzly bears pressed the young man hard, but 
he stood firmly, fightmg against them. 

Finally liis quiver was empty. Then he took his spear, and killed 
them with it, and many grizzly bears covered the gi'ound. Now he 
was very tired. He had forgotten all about the two pups that he 
had. When he was almost ready to faint, he remembered the two 
pups. He took one out, threw it on the ground, and said, "Grow 
up quickly. Red!" and then he threw down the other one, and said, 
"Grow up quickly. Spots!" and the two pups became giant dogs. 

Now, the two large dogs were stronger than the giizzly bears, and 
killed as many as they could while the hunter was lyuig on the 
gi'ound, for he was weary and needed a rest. The two giant dogs 
kLUed all the grizzly bears. When the two dogs also were th-ed out 
and the young man had recovered his strength, he went to the place 
where the two giant dogs were, and he petted them, as his sweet- 
heart had advised huu to do when she gave him the two pups. 

While the young man was petting them, the two dogs became 
smaller and smaller until they had regained their former size. Then 
he put them back in the belt of his garment. He went across to the 
village, while the place where he had been was covered with grizzly 
bears. 

The young woman came down and met him on the way. They 
went to the chief's house; and when they entered, they saw Chief 
Grizzly Bear lying dead there. The young woman said, "Now cut 
him open and take out his heart, and I shall wave it over the bodies 
of your nine brothers. Then they shall come back to life." Thus 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 151 

spoke the young woman. He did as she had said. He took out 
the heart and gave it to her. Then she waved it over the body of 
the eldest one four times. Then the eldest brother came back to 
life. He rubbed his eyes just as though he were waking from sleep. 
Then she went to the second one, and the second brother came back 
to life, as Ms eldest brother had done before; and so with all the 
others. 

When they had all come back to life, the youngest one said, "Now 
go down to our camp and bring your wives here." So the nine men 
went to their camp, and the wives were very glad to see them come 
back. 

On the following day they started for the grizzly-bear village. 
The youngest brother had married White-Bear Woman, and he 
divided among his brothers the bears which he had killed. After 
they had dried the meat and the grizzly-bear skins, they were ready 
to move, and on the following day they packed all their belongings 
to go home. They started and went right to their home. 

When they reached then- own home safely, the eldest brother 
invited all hLs people, and told them then* story — how they had met 
dangers at the village of the grizzly bear, and how theu' youngest 
brother had delivered them from the hands of the cruel animals that 
had destroyed them, and how this youngest brother had married 
the beautiful woman who had helped him from the hands of those 
who had deceived them. Then the youngest brother brought down 
his beautifid wife to his own house. 

The young woman always followed him wherever he went, and 
the young man was successful in everythmg he did, on account of the 
help of the Bear Woman. He killed the strongest animals of all 
kinds, for his two dogs were stronger than any kmd of animal. 

Once upon a time this young man who had married the White- 
Bear Woman heard of a shaman woman who was killing all the 
hunters who passed her den. Therefore he set out with his wife 
to visit her. When they reached the cave in which the supernatural 
woman lived, she came out and invited them to visit her den; and 
when they went in, she made them sit on one side of her fire on a 
broad board. As soon as the young people were seated, they saw a 
number of dead people hanging on poles in the corners of the house. 
Then the supernatural woman said, "I shall have your wife for my 
dinner today, and tomorrow I shall eat yoti." The young man 
replied, "I shall have your head, and I shall put it on a long pole. I 
shall feed your flesh to my two dogs." With this he threw his two 
dogs on the ground, and his wife said, "Grow up quickly, Red, and 
you, Spots!" Then the two dogs shook their bodies and grew up 
to be large dogs. Then the young man said, "Attack her and bite 
her neck and eat her flesh ! " The two dogs rushed at her so quickly 



152 . TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

that she had no time to call up her own supernatural helpere. They 
bit her neck, hit off her head, and the two dogs ate her flesli, but her 
head was still alive. The young man took it and put it on a pole, 
which he placed upright in the mouth of her den. Then the young 
woman took her two dogs, petted them, and they became smaller 
and smaller until they were of the same size as before. 

They went to their own house, and when they arrived there, the 
pups were dead. Then the young man died also. The woman took 
her husband's body and her two dead dogs aijd carried them to her 
own home. That is the end. 

17. The Hunter and his Wooden Wife * 

A hunter married a young woman. He loved her very much 
because the young woman knew how to make dancing-blankets, 
which were very dear to the people in olden times. 

Not many days after their marriage the hunter made ready to go 
up the mountains for fall and winter hunting. One day they started, 
and lie went with his young wife, taking all hi3 woodworker's tools 
and his traps and snares. They went on and on until they arrived 
at his camping-groimd, and there they went into the hut. In the 
autumn the young man first hunted mountain sheep, whose wool 
the young wife needed for making dancing-garments. Therefore 
the man killed many. He took off the good wool, and the young 
woman took all the wool and washed it; and when it was dry enough, 
she spun it into yarn; and after she had spun it all, she dyed some; 
and when she was ready, she began to weave; and when one half of 
her weaving was finished, she became sick while her husband was 
away. When he came home, he found his young wife very ill. 

When she was dying, she called her young husband to her side, 
and said, "My dear husband, keep your love for me after I am dead. 
Don't go home too soon! Watch over my grave!" Then she died. 

The young man was in deep sorrow for her sake. He kept her 
dead body many days. Now the winter was nearly passed, and he 
still kept the body until it was decayed. Then he buried it. He 
carved an image of his wife out of red cedar. 

This man never touched anything that his wife had made, and so 
it was with her dancing-garment which she was making when she 
died. It was still hai:^ging there where it had been when she was work- 
ing on it. When he made the image of his late wife, he seated it in 
front of her unfinished dancing-garment, and he made the fingers 
move as though they were weaving a dancing-garment. He made 
it turn when he opened the door, and he ])retended that the image 
could speak. 

1 Notes, p. 744. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 153 

Then he began to liunt agam; and whenever he came home from 
huntmg, he threw down his bear meat and fat outside the house. 
Then he woukl speak to his wife-uuage, "Come out and look at this!" 
Then he spoke to himself as though his image- wife were speaking: 
"Oh, I can not, because my yarn is twisted aroimd my fingers! 
Therefore I won't come out." Then he went in and embraced his 
wooden wife. He talked to his wooden wife, and would say, "You 
are very handsome." 

Now many huntei"s were passmg by. They looked into the house 
and saw a woman weaving a dancing-garment. Then some one 
said that the hunter's wife was made of wood. He told about it in 
the village. 

There were two sisters among some young men. One night theii' 
mother was angry with them. Therefore they ran away from then- 
mother and crossed the mountains. They crossed the mountams, 
valleys, and rivers, and one day they arrived at the camp of the 
wooden wife. They looked in through a knot-hole, and there was 
a woman seated by the side of a dancing-garment, which she was 
weaving. They wanted to ask her if she could give them food, so 
they opened the door, and the woman that was weaving turned her 
head to look at them. They stood there and asked her to give them 
a little food, but she did not pay any attention; and the yarn was 
twisted around her fingers, and she just moved her fingers. There- 
fore the elder sister said to her younger sister, "That is not a living- 
being! I will go near and look." So she went near and touched her 
shoulder, and said, "Will yon give us a little food, elder sister?" 
However, she felt that it was not a human bemg, but wood. She 
called her younger sister, and they were surprised. Then they 
laughed at her, and they remembered what they had heard about 
the hunter's wooden wife. They hid in a corner of the house among 
the dried meat and fat. 

Soon they heard the hunter come down to his camp He 
whistled, for he was very tired because his load was heavj^. He 
said to his wooden wife, "Come out, my dear, and look at this!" 
Then he said to himself, "Not so, my dear, for my yarn is twisted 
around my fingers." Then he came in, ran to his wooden wife, and 
embraced her and kissed her, and the two young women laughed at 
him secreth'. The man heard them hiughing secretly. He got up and 
looked around, and found the two yoinig women who were hidhig 
among the dried meat. He called them and spread a large grizzly- 
bear skin on one side of the house. The two young women sat down 
on the large grizzly-bear skin, and he cooked for them rich meat, 
tallow, and fat. They ate many things that night, but the younger 
sister was afraid to eat much. She ate onlv a little of each kind of 



154 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

food. The elder sister ate a great deal. She overate. At midnight 
they went to bed. 

The man spread another grizzly-bear skin for their bed, and he 
gave them fur garments. They slept soundly that night; but the 
elder sister, who had "overeaten, soiled her bed early in the morning. 
The hunter arose and made a fire. He cooked a meal for the two 
women, and then called them. The younger one arose, but the elder 
one was ashamed to get up. The man said, "Wake up, my dear, we 
are waiting with breakfast!" but she cried l)ecause she was very 
much ashamed. Then the hunter made fun of her. 

Pie wanted to marry the younger one. She replied, "You may 
marry me if you promise to destroy your wooden wife. " He prom- 
ised to destroy it, and she asked him to promise not to tell any one 
what had happened to her elder sister. lie also said that he would 
never do so, and he also said to her, "Don't tell any one what I have 
done to the wooden figure!" and she promised not to do so. Then 
they were married. 

The young woman was better than his former wife. He taught 
her to weave dancing-garments, and she learned the art quickly, and 
she made them better than his first wife. The hunter came to be 
richer than ever. He sent his sister-in-law back to the village; and 
at the end of the next autumn they moved back to the village. 
He gave a great feast to all the people, and built a large house, and 
became a head chief in his generation. His new wife was a wise 
woman and kind to all the people. That is the end. 

18. Plucking Out Eyes ' 

There was a great town, and many people lived in it. A large 
lake was behind the town, and a good trail led from the towri to the 
lake. The people used to walk up to the lake to enjoy themselves — 
young and old, and also children — because there was a good sand}'' 
beach all around the lake. The young people would swim there — 
young men, young women, and children. 

The town had a very good chief, a very kind man, and the chief- 
tainess also was kind to all the people. Their son was a nice young 
man, whom they loved very much, because he was their only son. 
The mother had many brothers, who also loved her only son. 
This young man was as gentle as his father and his mother; and the 
prince had a young man, nice like hunself, for his friend. They 
loved each other like brothers. Often they would sleep in one bed. 

The young man's parents were very anxious that he should marry 
one of his father's relatives; and all his uncles came and assemblcnl 
around him, and said that he must marry the girl, as his father 
wished. However, he refused. He did not want to get married so 

1 Notes, pp. 7-16, 759. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 155 

soon. He said he was still too young, but his parents urged him to 
marry soon. 

Now we will see what happened to this young man who did not 
want to marry. It was in the evening, when all the young people 
went home frona playing on the shore of the lake. The young man 
went up along the trail behind his father's house. Before he reached 
the lake he saw a beautiful girl coming down along the trail on which 
he was walking. She looked at hun and smiled, and the young man 
looked at her and also smiled. He asked her, "Where do you come 
from?" and they were both standing side by side. Then the girl 
said, "I come from over yonder." The young man continued, 
"Wliich way are you going?" She said, "I am just taking a little 
walk farther down, young man." — "Shall I go with you?" — "Yes, 
come on!" 

Thus they walked on the trail side by side, and they began to talk 
together whUe they were going along. Then the young man said, 
"I love you. Now I want to marry you."' The girl said, "If you 
will promise me that you will not take any wife beside myself, then 
you may marry me." The young man promised that he would not 
marry another woman beside herself, and he married her.^ Then she 
said, "Come and go with me to my house!" So they went up the 
lake. She said, "Any time you want me, shout four times, and I 
will come to take you to my house, by day or by night; but let 
nobody know what you have done, lest you die. Don't marry 
another woman!" He promised her again that he would not do it. 
The girl said agaui, "Don't tell any one!" Then they separated. 

This was the reason why the young man did not want to marry. 
Sometimes when lying down in the night, his friend would say to him, 
"You must do what your parents want you to;" but the prince 
always said that he was still too young to marry. His friend noticed 
that the prince would often come in just before daylight and lie down 
again by his side, and that his body then was quite cold and a little 
wet. 

The prince had done so many times, and more than two 3"ears had 
passed this way. One night his friend made up his mind to watch the 
prince. He pretended to be asleep ; and when the prince thought that 
his friend was asleep, he arose from his bed and went out secretly. 
Then his friend arose also. He went out, and, behold! the prince 
was going along the trail behind his father's house. His friend 
followed hun secretly, and also went along the trail. The prince 
did not know that his friend was following him. As soon as the 
prince came to the shore of the great lake, he shouted, and shouted 

1 Original: N si'oplEnt, g-aVun hasa'gaut n dEm sil-nATiEn. 

2 Original: Ninli' gan-SEm-g-a'dEt a'^skga su-p!a'sEm ylo'ota a dEm wa-gilc-ga'" ligi-hana'<>x a 
na-awa'ot; wai la ^a'odi wait as n!i'at a gwi'ot. 



156 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

again, while his friend was standing a little farther back in the woods, 
keeping very quiet. After the prince had shouted four times, behold ! 
a beautiful girl came up from the water. She came ashore to where 
the young prince was standing, and she took him and dived with 
him to the bottom of the lake. 

After his friend had seen this, he went home ami lay down again. 
Just before daylight the prince came in secretly and lay down again. 

Night came on again. When the prince was fast asleep, and his 
friend noticed that he was sleeping, he arose secretly and went up 
to the lake, stood at the same place where the prince had been standing 
the night before, and shouted as the prince had done. He shouted 
four times. Then the beautiful girl came up from the water. She 
went toward the young man who stood on the shore. She took him 
and plunged down to the bottom of the lake.' Then he saw a good- 
looldng boy creeping around the house. So the man took the boy 
and ran away with him; and at midnight, while the prince was still 
asleep, the friend came in with the boy. He tlii'ew him on the pruice 
who was sleeping, and said, "What makes you so patient with your 
child?" 

The prince awoke, and said, "You have done a great ^vrong. I am 
sorry for what you have done." Then they all went to sleep again. 
This cliikl was the son of the prince and of the woman of the lake. 
Then the child arose and plucked out the eyes of the man who had 
taken him up. He went around the house and took out the eyes of 
all the people, and strung them on a line of red-cedar bark. He 
went all around the village and took out the eyes of all the people. 

The sister of the prmce lived at the end of the village. She had 
given birth to a child a few days liefore, and a slave-girl was staying 
with her, takmg care of the newborn child. 

Before dayUght the child of the princess was crying on the la]> of 
the slave-woman. The princess said to her, "Look after thechikl!" 
Still the slave took no notice of what her mistress had said. There- 
fore the child's mother took the child from her. She looked at the 
slave's face, and, behold ! her eye-sockets were empty. She saw the 
child creeping on the. ground at the door, ■with a long line in his 
hand, on which the eyes of the people were strung. 

Now the fath(^r of the child which had taken the eyes of the people 
woke up, and, behold ! his friend who had taken the child up from the 
lake had no eyes. The prince went to the place where his father, 
the chief, was sleeping, and he saw that his father had no eyes. He 
went around in his father's house, and all the people were dead, and 
their eyes were gone. He went to another house, and there also the 
people had lost their eyes. He went on from house to house, and 

' Original: Dat sila-na'ktga". 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAlSr MYTHS 157 

he found that in every house the people were all dead, then* eyes 
havmg been plucked out. 

So he went to his sister; and there he met his child, dragging along 
the line fidl of the eyes of the people. The child was dragging the 
hne along the street when he passed hhn. He went to his sister, who 
hail just given bhth to a child, and saw that she was still ahve. He 
told her that their parents were tlead, and, further, that aU the people in 
the village were dead. Therefore the young man asked her to leave 
the viUage. His sister took up her own child, and they went along the 
street. Agam they met the child who was draggmg along the street 
the line -with the eyes. He took up the child, and threw away the line 
with the eyes of the people. " They went together on the traU behind 
the house of the cliief, which led to the lake. The prince shouted 
four times, and, behold! the beautiful woman came up, and went 
ashore to the place where the prince was standmg. When she came 
near him, he thi-ew the child at her, and said, "Why didn't you take 
notice to whom you gave your child ? This child has killed every- 
body m my viUage." 

The woman stood there silent, and the prince and the pruicess 
were crying. They remained there a little longer, and the woman of 
the lake felt A^ery sad. She spoke kindly to her husband and to her 
sister-in-law. She said to her husband first, "Come to me, my 
dear!" So the prince went near her, and she gave him gambling- 
tools. She sent him away to the south, and said to him, "Go there! 
You shall l)e richer than any one you meet." Then she gave him a 
set of gambhng-sticks.' 

Then the young prince took them and went southward. He always 
shook his gambling-sticks, and he always won, and became richer 
than all his fellow-men, as the woman of the lake had said. 

She also called her sister-in-law to her, and gave her a garment of 
wealth. She put around her an ever-new belt, and she put the 
prmcess's own child on her back, and said to her, "Whoever meets 
you, or whoever hears your child cry, shall be richer than any one 
else." She sent her toward the northwest. The child was ahvays 
crying as she went along. Therefore it is that whoever meets her 
becomes rich among the people. 

Now these two people parted. The young man went southward, 
and the young woman went northwanl. Then the woman of the 
lake took up her own child and went down to the bottom of the lake. 
She wept there, and at the end of her mournmg-period she came up 
with her chilil on her back. She went ashore and came do-mi to the 
seashore. There she stood on the beach and went into the salt water. 

1 These sticks they use up to this day. They split maple wood and make gambling-sticks, and they 
make them pretty. Some gambling-sticks are made of bone, some of maple. They are fift.v or sixty in 
number, and each one has a mark and a name. — Henrt W. T.^te. 



158 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

She plunged to the bottom of the sea, and left her home in the lake, 
and went way out. She became a being part fish, part woman, and 
had her new home in the sea. Sometimes the people will see her 
coming up, and they call her Haklula'q. 

19. The Spider and the Widow's Daughter' 

There was a famine among the people. There used to be famines 
because they had no nets to catch sahnon, and not many people 
know how to make salmon traps and weirs. Therefore dried salmon 
was not plentiful in winter, and many \\-idows were dying of starva- 
tion, and also old people antl orphans. When a famine set in, the 
rich people would leave the village and move to some other place, 
scattering in every direction, without taking pity on the poor. They 
left them in the empty villages, and diseases swept the poor people 
away. Starvation and disease destroyed them all. 

So it happened to one widow, who was left in the village when all 
th(> wealthy people had moved away. She went into the woods 
behind the empty village, where a small brook ran down. There 
she made a httle hut for hersoK and her daughter, and every day she 
looked out of her little hut, and saw many salmon jumping at the 
mouth of the brook. They wished to catch them, but they did not 
know how to do it. They waited for the sahnon to go up the brook, 
intending to club them. 

Early every morning the Avidow came out of her hut and went 
down to the beach to search for something to cat. Early one morn- 
ing, on going out, she saw many salmon jumping on the water. She 
thought her daughter would soon die before the salmon would come 
up the creek. Therefore she sat down on the bank of the l^rook, 
weeping. 

Her daughter was alone in the hut. She was in bed, and was 
starving. When the girl opened her eyes, behold! a tall young man 
was standing at the door of the hut, who saitl, "I have come to 
marry you." He was a strong-looking young man. The girl was 
much surprised, and said, "Wait until mother comes in, and teU her 
what you want!" but the tall young man said, "I can not wait for 
your mother, won't you take me now?"^ The girl agreed, and he 
married her. He said, "I mU come again tonight." Then he left. 

Late in the evening her mother came home sorrowful, but she 
noticed that her daughter looked happy. She did not ask the 
reason, and pretended not to notice it. At midnight the tall young 
man entered the hut. The widow did not sleep, and therefore she 
saw the door open and the tall young man enter. She saw him go 
in to her daughter, and she wondered what her daughter had done. 
Still she was afraid to speak. 

1 Notes, pp. 747, 75fl. 

' Original; ,\'lga n dEm di-bEbu'°dEs nftn; at n dEin gcin-ga'°ni7 ada n dEm sil-n4'kEn ga'wun? 



noAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 159 

Early the next morning she arose and Ughted the fire. The t.all 
young man asked the girl, "Why are you staying here?" The girl 
said, "We are waiting for the salmon to come up the brook, then we 
intend to club them." He rephed, "Tell your mother to bring down 
nettles, as many as she can find." 

The girl told her mother, who went quickly to gather nettles. 
After she had tied them into bundles, she carried them down. The 
young man spread out the nettles in the hut. Then he sharpened a 
piece of hard wood and spht the nettles. He dried them in the sun; 
and when they were dry, he peeled off the outer bark. On the fol- 
lo\ving day he dried them again. He took three dried ribs of 
mountain goats, used them as knives to peel off the outer bark until 
the fiber remained. After the young man had peeled aU the nettles, 
he showed his mother-in-law how to spin and make thread out of 
them. He spread the fiber on his right thigh with the thumb of his 
right hand, and he held the nettle fiber in his left hand with 
tliree fingers. Then he worked on, pushing the fiber toward his 
knee, and drawing it again back toward liis body. Thus he twisted 
the fibers into a thread. 

Xow the widow had learned it, and worked all night spinning, 
day by day, and night by night, until she had used up all the fiber 
of the nettles. Then the young man made a mesh-stick, four fingers 
wide, and as long as the palm of the hand, out of hard wood, and he 
began to net; and in three days he had used up all the thread, and 
his net was twenty fathoms long and twenty meshes vndo. 

Then he told his mother-in-law to make a good cedar-bark line of 
three cords, twenty-six fathoms longer than the net; and he took 
dry red cedar and carved floats out of it.' 

When the young man had finished the net, he went out in the 
night with liis wife and began to fish. His net was fuU of salmon; 
and when he came home early in the morning, his canoe was full of 
silver salmon. The widow cut them aU while they slept, and before 
evening her son-in-law and her daughter awoke. After they had 
taken their evening meal, they made ready to go out fishing again, 
and they came home early, with their canoe full of silver salmon. 
He smoked the sahnon, and enlarged his mother-in-law's hut and 
made it into a large house for smoking salmon, and the large house 
was fuU of dried salmon. 

Then he built another large smoking-house, and it also was soon 
filled. Then they tied the salmon into bundles. He built a third 
house, and they stored in it the bundles of dried salmon.- AVhen the 
large house was full of bundles of dried salmon, and the salmon were 
hanging in the other two houses, the man said to his wife, "I am 

' There were no lines at the bottom of the old nets. They had only top lines.— Hexry W. Tate. 
2 There were twoscore dried salmon in one bundle. Inonebundleof animal skins are only ten.— Henry 
W. Tate. 



160 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ANN. 31 

going away now to my own home. I took pity on you and your 
mother. Therefore I came to show you how to make nets." The 
girl said, "I will go with you. Let my mother go to her own home." 

On the following day the young woman told her mother what her 
husband had said to her; and the widow felt very sad, yet sh(> had 
nothing to say. The young man said, "I wiU take one bundle of 
dried salmon for you when you go," and the young woman was very 
glad to go with her husband. 

In autumn, when the leaves were faUing, and all the people had 
assembled in the village, they saw that all their poor relatives had 
died of starvation. They took the boches and burned them. The 
widow returned to the village, and the people thought that her 
daughter had died because she had been left alone. She did not tcU 
any one that she had plenty of dried sahnon. The people, however, 
tried to find out what had become of her. 

WTien winter came, the widow called the young men to help her, and 
they took down two large canoes and went to t he place where her store- 
houses were. Then the young men went up, and saw the houses full 
of bundles of dried salmon. They carried them down; and when 
the two large canoes were fuU, they went home. They carried the 
bundles of salmon up to the widow's brother's large house. On the 
following day the two large canoes went again, and both were filled 
with bundles of chied salmon. Now, the large house was quite fuU. 
When all the bundles of dried sahnon had been taken to the village, 
she invited her tribe to give each chief one bundle of dried salmon, 
and divided one bundle between each man and woman, and her fame 
spread among all the tribes. They came to buy good dried salmon, 
and she became very wealthy. The net, however, she did not show 
to any one. 

The young man took his wife to his home; and M'hcn the young 
woman sat down on one side of the house, a Mouse Woman came to 
her, and asked her to cast her woolen ear-ornaments into the fire. 
After the Mouse Woman had taken the burnt ear-ornaments out of 
the fire, she said, "Don't you know who married you V The woman 
said, "No." — "It is the Spider. He took pity on you, therefore he 
went to show you how to make a net. Don't eat their food, lest you 
die! If you take your own food, you will remain a human being; 
but if you eat theirs, you will become a .spider." Thus said the 
Mouse Woman, and then she went away. 

The woman's husband showed her some more kinds of netting, and 
the follo-ning summer the Spider's wife went home to her mother's 
camp, and she showed her mother what she had learned in the house 
of the Spider. 

This is how the people in olden times learned how to make nets. 
That is the end. 



boas] tsimshian myths 161 

20. Prince Snail ^ 

There was an old village at the northwest of Xlen, and many 
people were Imng there. It is the same village as that in which the 
chief lived who maiTied the Robin Woman. ^ 

A great chief lived there who had many people in his tribe. There- 
fore they were proud and high-handed. He had sLx sons and one 
Ijeantiful daughter. His sons were expert hunters. Therefore their 
father was a wealthy chief. He had many slaves, males and females. 
Therefore he was proud, and ever}' one honored him and his famil}-. 
There were many Tsimshian tribes, and each tribe hail a chief. Some 
had one and some had two, and there were main' princes in each tribe. 

Now, when the daughter of this wealthy chief was grown up to be 
a woman, another chief wanted to marry her, but her parents 
declined. All the chiefs and princes of the Tsimshian wanted to 
marry her, but the parents refused them all. They made the bed 
for the young woman above their own room. Her six brothers, her 
servant girl, and her parents watched over her daj' by day. When night 
came, the chief himself would put a bar across the door, and all his 
slaves would go to bed. Her parents guarded her day after day and 
night after night. 

The young woman used to take a walk behind her father's house 
once a day, accompanied by one of her own maids. One day she 
wanted to take a walk with her to take some fresh air, as she was 
accustomed to do. Before she went out, she stood at the door and 
looked to the right and to the left; and when she saw some one on 
the right or the left, she would go back, imtil no one was to be seen 
on the street. She did so every day. 

One day she went with her maid to take fresh air; and when going 
back, before they entered her father's house, she saw a snail creeping 
along the street. So she kicked the snail out of the way with the 
tip of her toe, and said to it, "Wouldn't j^ou like to marry me?" 
Then she went home.' 

Every day she went to bed early, soon after she had taken her 
walk, and went up the ladder to her bed; and her parents made 
their bed at the foot of their daughter's ladder. 

Two nights had passed since the young princess had kicked the 
snail out of her way. In the following night, soon after midnight, 
the young girl felt some one touch her.* So she turned her face toward 
him, and she saw a fine-looking young man. She put her arms 
around hun, and felt that his skin was as smooth as glass. Therefore 

1 Notes, pp. 747, 749. 

2 See p. 179. 

3 Original: Adahaut dEda hatsaE'rElt, "Amuksat nE'rEni k!ui-wa-di-hau'En ga'dEda kia'i?" 

' Oiiginal: Da la gik h6'"p!Elt, ga'wun M-k!a-da'o! a'otgut, dat ga'lksa da Igu-wa'lksEga wil ni'ka 
g'a'd daawa'ot. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 11 



162 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

she loved him very much. Before dayUght the j'oung man awoke 
and went away. 

The following night the girl went to bed as early as she was accus- 
tomed to do, and soon all the people in the house of the great chief 
lay down. Then the young man came again and staid with the girl, 
and she loved him more and more.' 

Now, the parents of the young woman did not know what was 
happening to their princess. The young man went to her four nights 
ia succession; and when the fourth night had passed, the young man 
said to his beloved, "Shall I take 3'ou away from your father's house 
into my father's house, and to his large house? It is not far from 
here." 

She agreed. She forgot her pride and her father's refusal of her 
to all the chiefs of the Tsimshian, and the princes' desire to have her 
in marriage. She took only a small box and went with this young 
man, and the young man took her far awa}' from her father's house. 
Now they reached the young man's village. He went with her into 
a large house. The young woman was a little behind her husband 
and entered after him. She looked around and saw her husband, 
who entered and walked right up to a large fire. There he lay down, 
with his back against the fire; and she saw that a large snail was 
there in front of the fire, as big as a whale, and another one was on 
the other side of the fire. These two large snails were the parents of 
the young man who had married the young woman. They did not 
care for the young man's new wife, and staid with their backs turned 
toward the fire. 

Then the young woman was much disappointed. She went to one 
corner of the large house and sat down without any one speaking to 
her. She sat there weeping and full of sorrow; and while she was 
weeping, she felt that some one touched her side and asked her for 
her woolen ear-ornaments. Then the young woman took off her 
woolen ear-ornaments, and the Mouse Woman took them. The 
Mouse Woman asked her, "Do you know these people?" The young 
woman said, "No." Then the Mouse Woman said, "You remember 
one time when you saw a snail on your way home and you kicked 
it out of the way, and you said to the snail, 'Don't you want to 
marry me?' That is what you said when you kicked it away with 
the tip of your toe. Therefore the great chief sent his son to marry 
you." After the Mouse Woman had spoken, she went away. 

Now we will go back to the young woman's own home on the 
morning when she left. When no one in the house made a noise, the 
old woman thought that her young daughter was stUl asleep. There- 
fore she ordered every one in the house to keep quiet until her daughter 

J Original: Ada wiladi-Ia'lga txan!ilu-tgu-wa'lbdawildi-nfi,'kgEsgawi-sEm'a.'g"idga,daaIgikgoi'<lEksga 
su-p!a'sEm ylo'^ta da gik wila n&'ka da awa'«t, da la sEmt si'*»p!Entga hana'*»ga. 



EOiK] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 163 

should awake; and all the people of the whole household were quiet 
until dusk. Then the chieftainess was afraid her daughter might be 
dead in her bed, therefore she sent up one of her maids to see what 
had happened, and the young girl went up the ladder. When she 
reached the top, behold! her bed was empty and her box was gone. 

Then the six brothei-s began to search through the village. They 
searched in every house and on the hills, among the canoes, and the 
chief was almost in despair. He sent out canoes among all the tribes 
of the Tsimshian and inquired for the young girl, and all the villagers 
said that they had not seen her. 

Wl\en they came back with the message telling the chief that they 
had been to all the villages and found no trace of her, the great proud 
chief and his wife were sad. The chief cried. Then he ordered his 
attendants to call all the shamans to find out what had happened 
to his daughter. Therefore the attendants sent messages to all the 
tribes of the Tsimshian; and aU the shamans from all the villages, 
male and female, assembled in the house of the great chief. 

lie paid each of them, and they took their charms and began to 
work and dance around the fire. 

The last one of the shamans was a woman. She said to the great 
chief, "My dear, be of good cheer! Your beloved daughter is stiU 
alive. She is in the house of Chief Snail. The son of Chief Snail 
married her, but she is disappointed, and your six sons may take her 
home." Then she pointed with her finger to the rising sun. 

The chief rewarded the woman, giving her a boy-slave. Then the 
great chief said to his six sons, " Now, my dear children, I deshe you 
to purify yourselves, in order to be successful and bring back your 
only sister;'" and while he was speaking these words, the teare ran 
down his cheeks, and the whole family wept with him. 

Then the young men isolated themselves for purification. Wlien 
the days of isolation of the eldest brother were ended, he went up 
the mountains to search for his only sister, but he failed to fuid her. 
^Mien the daj's of purification of the second brother had endeil, he 
went, as his elder brother had done before. He went; and he had 
not been many days among the hills ami mountains, when he also 
gave up and came home. Wlien the days of purification of the third 
brother were ended, he went a little farther than his two elder broth- 
ers had gone. When the days of purification of the fourth brother 
were ended, he also went, and went still farther than the elder three, 
but he did not succeed. Wlien the fifth brother's days were ended, 
he came almost to the village of the Snails; but he also failed, and 
came back home without siiccess. 

Now the daj's of purification of the youngest brother were ended. 
He went off, taking ■with him his woodworking tools, and fat and 
down and red ocher and tobacco, much good food, and blue paint 



164 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY rsTH. ann. 31 

and lime of burnt clamshells, and he took two young men to go 
with him and carry his provisions. 

Now he started. They went on and on day after day; and each 
evening in the camji the young man would buin something good in the 
fire, and would pray to the supernatural powers to direct hun to the 
place where his only sister lived. He did so night after night. Still 
he went on, and passed all the moimtams, valleys, rivei-s, and diffi- 
culties. Then they reached a great plain, and ran as fast as they 
could toward the rising sun. Finally they arrived at a gi-eat valley. 
They stood at the edge of the valley, and, behold! smoke ascended 
straight from it down below; but there were bare rocks all around 
the valley, and there was no way to descend. 

Tlie youngest brother camped here with his company, and offered 
his burnt-offering the same evening. In the night lie was thinking 
of a way to get down into the deep valley. It occurred to hun that 
it must be the town to which his sister had been taken, and therefore 
he was sleepless that night. Early tlie next morning he arose. He 
took up his tools and started. Before he left he ortlered his com- 
panions to continue to offer sacrifices. He cut down a red-cedar tree 
and shaped it in the form of a flying eagle, for this man was a wood- 
worker. When he had finished it, he took it down to the camp, and 
said to his companions, "I will put on this eagle and try to fly up in 
the air like a bird, for I want to reach my only sister in the village 
there." So he put on his wooden eagle that he had made. Then 
ho flew up, and not very high above the ground the wings broke, and 
lie fell back to the grountl; therefore he broke it up and threw it into 
the fire. 

Then he went again and cut down a spruce tree and made it into 
an eagle. iVf ter he had finished, he took it down to the camp. His 
two companions continued to offer sacrifices. Then the young man 
put on his eagle carving and flew up; but he did not reach ver}^ high 
when the feathers of the tail broke and he fell down to the ground. 
He broke it up and threw it into the fire and burned it. 

On the following daj^ he went and cut down a yellow cedar. He did 
better than before; he carved an eagle, and took it down to the 
camp where his two friends were still offering sacrifices. He put on the 
eagle and flew up. He flew way u]) into the air; and when he tried to 
fly down again, the tips of his wings broke, and he fell rapidly down 
to the ground. He- tried all kinds of wood, but failed. 

Finally he went and sat in the woods and considered what to do. 
At last he thought that if he should make an eagle from dift'erent 
kinds of light woods, he might succeed. Therefore he made the body 
out of red cedar; the head, and also the tail, of white pine; the legs 
and the beak,«of yellow cedar; and the claws, of movmtain-goat horn. 
He finished it, and took it down to their camp, where his companions 



BOASJ TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 165 

contimicd to offer sacrifices. He put. it on and flew upward, way up 
into the air. Then he flew ilown again and up. He did so several 
times and took a rest. His companions were stUl t)ffering sacrifices. 
Now he ordered his two friends to go home as soon as they could. 
Therefore the two friends started, and left him alone on the brink of 
the deep valley. Three days after his companions had left him he 
put on the eagle form that he had made and flew down into the 
valley. AVlien he reached the bottom, he did not see any one on the 
streets of the %'illage. He walked down straight toward the large 
li<iuse in the middle of the village and stood by the door. Without 
looking through the door, he saw his sister sitting in one corner of 
the large house, and he also saw the large animals lying around the 
fire asleep. Then the young woman looked toward the door, and saw 
her brother standing outside. He beckoned to her, and quickly she 
arose and walked to him. Then the young man put his sister on 
his back and flew up as quickly as he could. They arrived at the 
brink of the deep valley, and started home, running as fast as they 
could, ^\^lenever they were weary, the young man would jDut on 
his eagle form and would fly in the direction toward his home. 
^^^len thej^ reached their home, he said to his father the chief, "Now, 
father, order your people to chop down young hemlock trees and young 
spruce trees, and let them sharpen them at one end, for they ■will come 
to pursue us. Let the people be ready tomorrow!" So tlie gi'eat chief 
ordered his slave to shout outside ; and the slave went out and shouted, 
' O people! chop down young hemlock trees and young cedar ( ? spruce) 
trees;" and every familv set out, and brouglit down many sharp yoimg 
trees ; and the young prmce told them, ' ' Load j'our canoes ! ' ' and all the 
people did as he hatl told them. After they had done so, they put 
their wives and children in some canoes and sent them across to 
Beaver- Tail Island (Douglas Island). As soon as the women had 
gone, the people saw the Snails coming down, pursuing their daughter- 
in-law. They ran as fast as they could, and all the trees were falling 
down before them. They cut them down as a sickle cuts down the 
grass. They had the scent of the footprints of the young people. 
They were coming down from the top of Xlen Mountain, and slid 
right down into the water, and went on swimming on the water. 
Then the chief's people went to meet them, and fought with them on 
the water. Thej' speared them with their sharpened hemlock trees and 
sharpened spruce trees. The large animals swam right along to 
Beaver- Tail Island over the sea. Then the three large animals were 
killed there. Their fat floated all over the sea around Beaver-Tail 
Island, and the wind blew all the fat toward the drj^ land — the fat of 
these three large animals — and some of the fat went down to the bot- 
tom of the sea and became a kincl of shellfish whose back is very hard, 
with a shell like that of an abalone, one shell joined to another aU along 



166 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

the back, and the color of the body is like dark crimson.' It has no 
feet, but its under side is like that of a snail, and it sticks to the rocks. 
At low water the natives take them off the rocks for food. Beaver- 
Tail Island is the place where they are found, and they are about six 
inches long and four inches wide. 

Some of the fat of the big animals was driven to the dry land. 
Therefore small snails cover all the land on the coast, and they creep 
slowly along the ground in summer-time. This is because their 
forefathers missed the way when pui-suing their daughter-in-law. In 
the warm days in summer some of the old snails go down to the 
beach when the tide is very low and stick to the rocks, and there they 
become a kind of shellfish with a hard shell on the back, which sticks 
to the rocks. This is the end. 

21. The Otter Who Married the Princess^ 

In early times many different things happened to the people who 
lived on this coast, and there are many stories among them referring 
to the time since the Deluge, when they Uved at the old town of 
Metlakahtla. 

There was a great chief who lived m his own village with his own 
tribe, in the village Q!adu' in Metlakahtla. He had a beautiful 
daughter, who refused to marry her cousin. She hated him, although 
her father was very anxious to let his nephew marry her, for his 
nephew was to succeed to his place when he should die, but she 
refused to do so. 

In the fall all the young women went in their canoes up to a brook 
which ran at the north side of Skeeua River, called Kiyaks River, to 
gather fern roots, which they were gouig to use in winter.^ 

Before evening they arrived at the camping-ground at the foot of 
a large spruce tree, which was full of leaves. All the j^oung women 
went to gather firewood. The pruacess felt very chilly, for the sky 
was clear. Her aunt was with her at this time. They started a 
large fire, but the princess still felt chilly. They kept piling fuel on 
the fire ; and when night came on and aU the stars were in the clear 
sky, the princess stiU felt chilly. 

The fire had almost gone out when a friend of the young prince 
came to the place where the women were camping. They asked him 
where he came from, and he replied, "I came up with my friend the 
prince." Therefore the princess's aunt said to her, "Don't speak 
angrily to your cousin, for he wants to take you home tonight. Go 
with hini!" 

1 Evidently a Chiton.— F. B. 
s Notes, pp. 747, 731. 

' After they have been cooking one night, being steamed in the ground, they are very good to eat. They 
taste almost lilte cooked turnips.— ilENBV W. Tate. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 167 

A little later the young prince came to the women's camp. He 
went toward the princess's seat and sat down by her side. She stOl 
felt chLUy, and the young man asked her, "Wl:y do you feel so chilly ? " 
She replied, "I am very cold." The prhicess was glad to have her 
cousin come, although she had refused to marry him before. Then 
the young men went up to cut firewood, and the women heard them 
knocking down dried trees for firewood, which they earned to the 
women's camj). They piled the dried wood on the fire, but still the 
young pi-incess felt very chilly. 

One of the friends of the prmcess said, "I am sony that you feel 
so chilly, I will call for rain." So he shouted for a heavy ram. He 
did so twice. He did so four times. Then clouds with pouits on 
both sides came out of the west. Eain began to fall, and there was 
a heavy rauostorm. The river of Kiyaks overflowed that night, and 
the water reached the camp. 

They searched for another densely leaved spinjce tree, and soon 
they found one above their old camp-site, better than the first. 
They moved there the same night. 

The prince said, "I will go back home before daylight," and asked 
the princess, " WiU you go back with me, my dear cousin ? " She did 
not say a word to him; but her aunt said, "My dear, go with your 
cousin, lest you get sick, for you stiU feel chiUy." Then the giil said, 
"Yes, I will go home with him." 

Mter midnight the young man said to his companion, "Let us go 
ba<k home now!" Then the young princess went aboard the canoe, 
and the friend of the young man made a bed for them in the canoe. 
"Xow lie down there, lest you get wet!" They lay down, and he 
spread mats of cedar bark over them. They went down the river, 
and the priiace's friend paddled along. 

Now the girl felt something moving on the mat. When they 
arrived on shore, the prince's friend said, "We have arrived on the 
beach." She arose, and, behold! they had reached a strange country. 
They went up to a house, and many people were in the large house. 
Before slie went m, she looked back at the canoe. It had become a 
drift-log. She went in, and her mother-m-law spread a mat by tlie 
side of the fii-e. They sat down there. Then the chief said to his 
relatives, "Go and boil some fresh halibut!" Then the Mouse 
Woman came to her, and said, "Throw your ear-omaments mto the 
fire!" The princess did what the Mouse Woman asked. Then the 
Mouse Woman asked the princess, "Do you know these people?" 
She repUed, " Xo." Then the Mouse Woman said, "This is the Otter 
prince, who has married you because you refused to marry your 
cousin. Therefore his father has sent his son to take you. Now 
do not eat any of the food that they give you first, but the second 



168 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

kiiitl of food that they offer you you may cat, for it is fit for you." 
She did as the Mouse Woman had told her. 

She staid there quite a long while.' After a while the young 
woman was with chUd; and before the tune had come to give birth 
to the child, the Mouse Woman came to her agam, and said to her, 
"Wlien you feel that you are about to give birth to the chUd, tell 
your mother-in-law!" and when the young woman felt tliat the tune 
had come, she tolil her mother-ui-law. Then her mother-in-law said, 
"Oast this woman out! Turn her out!" She put both her hands in 
front of her eyes, and the prmcess's husband threw her out of the 
house. 

The young woman crept to the foot of a tree on the island; and 
whUe she was sittuig there, a little Otter was l)orn. Mtcr a whUe the 
Mouse Woman came to her, and said, "I shall bring you a fire." She 
went and brought her a fire. Then the woman started a fire. She 
gathered bark that had fallen fr<nn a tree. After three days had 
passed she felt better. She took the little Otter ami threw him mto the 
water. Then the little Otter swam ashore and crept to his mother. 
She took him again and throw liim into the water, and tlie Httle Otter 
swam ashore agam. She took him once more aud tlii-ew him mto the 
water. Agam he swam ashore. Then she took compassion on the 
little Otter. She took him back and wrapped him in part of her 
marten garment, and she cried bitteily. 

She staid there a whUe; and when she felt better, she gathered 
firewood. Wlicn the Uttle Otter had g^o^vn up, he came one day to 
his mother, and asked, "Shall I bring you somcthuig to eat?" The 
mother agreed, and so the following mornmg the Otter went out. He 
brought two little buUheads to her. She cried again, and said to 
her Otter child, "Wlien you brmg me thmgs to eat, bring me some 
crabs." 

Early the following morning the little Otter went out agaui to get 
food, caught a large crab, and gave it to his mother. vShe cooked it 
on the fire and ate it. Every morning the little Otter went for his 
mother to get food, and brought all kinds of fish — halibut, devilfish, 
red cod, and other kmds. 

One morning the Mouse Woman came to her and pomtoil out to 
her that way off on the other side of the island her father's tribe was 
not far away from her. The Mouse Woman continued, "You must 
kill all these people who cast you out of the house. Close the three 
holes on the sides of the great otter den, and leave the main hole 
open; and after you have closed the tliree holes, take as many yellow- 
cedar leaves as you can find, bullrushes, and fragrant leaves, put 
them in front of the main entrance, and burn them, so that the 

1 Original: Da nAgA lu-t!a'dEt a tslEm-gwi'ot. Ada txanll gamk n-sE-nlai'duksa hana'|at,txan!i 
lu-wa'lt ligi-walt ksE'rEsdEt a g-Ui'olgEt a walb. Ada sEm-n-Iiba'sEt a gwai n-sE-nlai'duksa hana'gat. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 169 

smoke will enter the den. Then make two or three clubs, and as 
soon as you see the otters come out of the den, club them. I will 
help you." 

On the following day the young woman did as the Mouse Woman 
had told her. She took stones and logs and put them against the 
three holes on the sides of the den. On the foUowuig day she said 
to her Otter child, "My dear, I wish you to go early in the mornmg 
to get food for me." So very early m the morning the Otter went. 
Then she began her work, and set fu-e to the leaves, so that the 
smoke entered the den. Then her husband came out first, and the 
Mouse Woman said to her, "This is your husband." She clubbed 
him. Then all the Ottei-s came out of the den, and she clubbed 
them. But the Otter chief and his wife did not come out, and many 
died in the den. At last these two large Otters came out, and she 
clubbed both of them. 

As soon as she had killed all of them, the little Otter came home, 
and asked her, "What is that smoke?" The mother told him that 
it was the smoke of her little fu-e. He replied, "No, it is not so. I 
have seen all the Otters killed on the beach." Therefore the mother 
said, "Yes, I killed them all because they cast me out before I gave 
birth to you. Only one good old woman took pity on me and gave 
me a fire. Therefore I am still ahve, and you, too, for without her 
we both of us should have died." Then the little Otter was very, 
unhappy. 

Now, I will go back to the women who were camping at Kiyaks 
River. The prmcess's aimt was greatly troubled after the princess 
had gone. In the morning she said to her companions, "Let us go 
home today instead of digging fern roots!" So they started for 
home in the evening. They amved at home, and asked if the 
princess had come home safe the preceding night. The people 
replied that the chief's nephew had been at home the whole day. 
Then the woman told the people what had happened to them in 
camp — how the prmce with his friend had come up and taken the 
princess Ijome with them before daylight. 

Therefore the gi-eat chief was full of sorrow, for he had lost his 
young daughter. He called all the shamans from aU the villages of 
the Tsimshian; and after they had finished theu' dancing, they said 
tbat the prmcess was in the otter den on an island away out at sea. 
Therefore the chief knew that he had no power to take her back, and 
he we])t for her sake ^^'ith his wiSe. 

One day the little Otter said to his mother, "Shall I go and visit 
my grandfather?" His mother described to him where his grand- 
father's house was. She du'ected him to the second vUlage in the 
entrance to Metlakahtla Chamiel. She continued, "But don't go 
there, lest you die on the sea, and then there will be nobody to take 



170 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ANN. 31 

care of me!" Tlie little Otter, however, said that he would be back 
safe. Early one morning he went; and in the afternoon he came 
back to his mother, and told her that he had looked in and seen his 
grandfather in a large house. Then he said to his mother, "I will 
carry you across the sea." This made his mother very sad. 

After three days the little Otter said to hLs mother, "Early 
tomorrow mornmg I will carry you across to the mainland!" and 
she said, "No, my dear child, we shall both die on the sea;" but the 
little Otter said, "No, I shall take you over there." Early the 
followmg morning he went dowai to the beach, and said to his mother, 
"Take some gravel!" His mother did so. Then the little Otter 
said, "Come, mother, and sit down on my back!" His mother cried 
as she sat down on his back, and the little thing swam across the sea; 
and when he was tii'ed, he would float on the water; and after he had 
taken strength, he would go on swimming. 

When he came near the shore, he said to his mother, "Drop some 
of the gravel that you are carrying!" She dropped it, and it became 
a sandbar, on which they rested. His mother refreshed herself on 
the sandbar. Then the little Otter started again, and swam some 
distance, until he was weary again, because he had been swimming 
a long way. He said again, "Drop some more gravel here!" She 
did so, and there was another sandbar, on which they rested a while. 

The little Otter said again, "Give me some of the gravel!" She 
gave it all to him, and he said, "Now foUow me! I will make a 
sand bridge from this island to the mainland." She walked behind 
her son the Otter, and they both walked over the sandbar. There- 
fore there are now sandbars a little outside of the entrance to Met- 
lakahtla Channel. 

Late ua the evening they arrived on the mauiland when it was low 
water. Again he carried his mother on his back and took her to his 
grandfather's house. It was low water, and many women and young 
men were out digging clams and cockles. The}' arrived at a little 
place called K-dani. His mother said, "Don't go near them lest they 
kill you!" but he did not care for what his mother said, and went to 
some of the women. They saw him coming, and shouted, "wSee the 
little Otter!" They ran after him to club him; but he ran away 
frona them, came to his mother, and she took him in her arms and 
went into her father's large house. 

Her father had always been thinking of her ever since he had lost 
her. He was sitting by the fire with his back towanl the fu-e. Then 
she came in and walked along the highest platform in the house. 
Her father saw her go into her own old bedroom. Then the chief 
said to his wife, who was seated by his side, in a wliisper, " I see some 
one who looks like my own daughter going into her old bedroom. 
Go and see if it is true!" So the chief's wife went into the bedroom 



BOAS] 'tsimshian myths 171 

of her daughter who hail been lost a year ago, and she saw her 
daughter there. Therefore the chieftainess cried; hut her daughter 
said, "It is I, mother! Don't cry, and let the people hear you!" 

All the people assembled that night, and she told her storj^; and 
she also said that her child had brought her across; and she showed 
them her child, the little Otter. 

On the following morning the little Otter went out and l)rought a 
large halibut, which he put down on the beach. Then he came in 
and told his mother that he had brought a halibut for his grand- 
father. The princess said to her father, "Send some slaves down to 
the beach, for mj child placed a large halibut there for you." There- 
fore the chief sent down his slaves. They went, and brought a large 
halibut. The chief was very glad, and he loved his grandchild, 
because he had brought his daughter back. 

The following day the little Otter brought two halibut to his 
gi-andfather. So the chief invited the men of his own tribe, and told 
ihcm not to hurt his grandchild the httle Otter if they shoidd see 
him outside the village, and his tribesmen obeyed. Now, the little 
Otter brought more fish and other animals every day, and the chief 
gave a gi-eat feast to aU the Tsunshian tribes. Only one tribe was 
not present at the feast. And he spoke to all his fellow-chiefs and 
all the tribes, and told them that they should not hurt his gi-andchild 
when they saw hun on the water; and he showed them the little 
Otter, saying, "This is my grandchild, who brought the food which 
I served to you, my guests." All the chiefs were very glad because 
they had eaten fresh fish — halibut, seal, sea lion, whales, and so on; 
and the Otter would bring all these animals and all kinds of fish. 
Therefore his gi-andfather the chief was very rich in goods and pro- 
visions, for everybody came to buy food from him during the famine 
of whiter. 

It was in the same winter, before the people went up to Nass River 
for fishuig. Earlj' one morning the Otter went around the island 
where the seals were lying on the rocks; and after he came back, 
having slam the seals on the rock, he killed one great seal on his way 
back home; and while the Otter took this large seal in his mouth, 
four hunters in a canoe came along, and they hit the Otter who had 
the gi-eat seal in liis mouth. The bowman shot him and took the large 
seal from his mouth and thi-ew away the little Otter. 

When the Otter did not come back for two days, his grandfather 
missed hun. Then he sent a canoe with young men to mquhe m 
every village if they had seen Prince Otter; but the people said, "No." 
At last they came to the village of one chief, the one whom the.y had 
not invited when the grandfather of Prince Otter had invited all the 
tribes and chiefs to his great feast. Tliey inquired there, and the men 
of the tribe said that three days ago they had killed an otter which 



172 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

held a large seal in its mouth; and these men m the canoe said that 
that Otter was their prince, the son of a gi-eat princess, and the people 
in the village told them that they had not known about it.' 

After they had found out who had killed Prince Otter, they went 
home and told the chief. The mother of Prince Otter fainted on 
account of her deep sorrow, for she had lost her beloved one who 
carried her across the sea and saved her. So the princess died of 
sorrow. And the other chief came to the gi-andfather of Prince Otter 
with his people and many costly thmgs — costly coppers, slaves, 
canoes, elk skins, and so on — to atone for Prince Otter, whom they 
had killed a few days before; and the grandfather of Prince Otter 
was full of deep sorrow because his daughter had died. 

This is the reason why the people were afrsiid to leave girls alone 
in the woods, because the bad Otter might deceive them. 

22. The Widow and her Daughter^ 

There was a poor widow in a Tsimshian tribe who had a young 
daughter. All the people moved from the old village of Metlakahtla, 
going to Nass River for the fishing-season. Then a strong wind blew, 
against the canoes. They could not go ahead on account of the 
north wind, which blew against them. They camped often, and tliis 
widow and her young daughter could not go on at all. They were 
left way behind the canoes, but they were still going on; and after 
all the canoes had left her behind, she camped at the foot of a high rock 
on a camping-ground. While they were in camp there, there was a 
severe storm during the night. They built a hut to shelter themselves 
during the stormy nights and days. 

The first night when they were in camp the widow slept on one side 
of the •fire, and her daughter lay down on the other side of the fire. 
At midnight some one came hi to the place where the young woman 
was, and touched her, and said, "Shall I marry you ?" and the young 
woman agi'eed ; ^ and when the man came to her, she felt that some- 
thing stung her body. Before daylight he went out again. The 
storm increased day by day, and the man came every night, and the 
young woman felt something like nettles stinging her body. 

Every morning they found a partridge at her mother's door, and 
there was always sufficient fuel for them. One night when he came 
to her, he said, "We shall have a son, and he shall be a great hunter. 
There shall be no one like him, neitlier before nor hereafter, and I 
shall always be with him." 

1 This is the reason why the people made great feasts when a chief's chiltl was born and received a name 
toleteverybody know about it.— Henry W. Tate. 

2 Notes, pp. 747, 750. 

s Original: "DEm na'lconut a awa'nt dzE g-a'wun?" Ada gi'»nsgA su-p!a'sEm hana'ga as nll'atga a 
nE-st4'kst, ada hi-n4'ka su-p!a'sEm ylo'ota a awa'"t. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 173 

On the following morning it was perfectly calm. The widow 
went on to Nass River, and arrived there the same day when the fish 
arrived: and after the people liad done their work of fishuig, they 
moved back to the old village of Metlakahtla. 

After they had been there a while, they moved to Skeena River 
for sahnon fishuig. The widow always had good success with the 
salmon and the berries she dried; and in the faU they moved down 
to the old town for the winter season. 

Now, when the time came, the young woman gave bhtli to a boy, a 
good-looking boy; and when the child was growing up, she went into 
the woods to get more fuel. There she met a young man, who said 
to her, "I came to visit you and my son. How is he ?" — "Oh, he is 
a strong and fine boy." He said again, "When he comes to be a 
youth, do not give him too much to eat, but give bun often devil's-club,' 
and let hini chew some of the inner bark of devil's-club, and let lum 
blow this hi his hands, and let him rub it over his body after washuig, 
and do not pass the place where I came to you first. I shaU be with 
hbn, and he shall be a successful hunter m the future, and I wiU show 
him how to set traps and how to snare animals. Do not let him 
marry soon, when he is too young. Keep him unmarried." - 

After he had said so, he went away. Then the young woman went 
back home, carrying dry wood for the fire. 

Now, the child grew up rapidly and became a skillful hunter. One 
time he went to the mouth of Nass River ^\'ith four of his friends, and 
they camped at the same place where his mother had camped on her 
way to Nass River when the young man had come to her on that 
stormy night. While his companions lighted a fire, this young man 
went into the woods; and when he went mto the thick forest, he saw 
a man coming down in front of him, who said, "Are you my son?" 
The young man was surprised at the words of the stranger. He stood 
there without speaking. The man who met him said agaui, "I am 
your father. I have come dowTi to talk to you." The young man 
repUed, "Then speak, father!" — "I will teach you how to obtain 
valuable anunals by trapping them without shooting them," and he 
made a little trap. He showed hun how to make it, and also how to 
make snares and how to bait wooden traps and skin snares; and he 
told him how many days he would have to observe taboos, and how 
many days he would have to fast and to wash. He continued, "And 
you shall eat the bark of devil's-club; and in the night, after you 
have counted four days, you shall wash on the bank of a brook and 
dive in the brook. You shall not wash your body for twelve months; 
tlien you shall dive in the stream twelve times, and every time after 

1 Devil's-club ( Fafma horrida), one of the most powerful "medicines" of tlie Tsimshian. — F. B. 
= Original: Ada gil^' m dzE dilt m dzE na'ksEnt; a dzE asi gal-su-p!a'ost dzE gukgulam d£m 
wa-dzagEm gi'd a hana'ogat. 



174 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. ann. 31 

doing so you shall go iu to a woman. Then you shall get everythitig 
you want; but do not get married as long as you want to get riches, 
lest she be not true to you and you have bad luck. Do not marry 
soon, lest she be unfaitMul ! Count your days in months and years, 
and you shall be blessed; but if you lust for woman's beauty, you shall 
be poor. I will meet you once more." Thus spoke his supernatural 
father, and then he vanis^ied from his sight. He did not see him 
any more.^ 

The young man went back to his companions' camj). On tlie fol- 
lowing morning they went hunting, and he killed a great many ani- 
mals. He did all that his supernatural father had told him, and all 
the animals of the woods heard that the young man was a very good 
hunter, and he was very successful. He made traps and snares for 
foxes and martens, and traps for grizzly bears and black bears, and 
so on; and every time he went out to look at his traps and snares, 
each trap and each snare had caught an animal, and ho became richer 
than any one else. 

Now another year came.^ Then the time of observing the taboos 
was ended, and he went up to set his traps and snares, and he made 
some more; and after he had fuiished he went home. After four 
days he went out again to see if anything had been caught, but there 
was nothing. All his traps had fallen and his snares had been broken. 
The bait had been eaten out of the traps bj' the mice. He repau-ed 
them all and renewed the bait. He spent two days workmg, and 
then he finished and went home very sad. 

After four days he went up agaui, and he found nothing. All the 
traps and snares had been broken and the bait was gone. He repaired 
them and renewed his bait. He worked hard and went homo fuU of 
disappouitment. Early the next mornmg he went into the woods, 
lookuig for devU's-club, but he did not find any. Late in the evening 
he came back home; and after he had washed his body, he went up 
a little hill, and, behold ! there was a large tree. He went toward it ; 
and before he reached the foot of the large tree, a supernatm-al being 
came aroimd to meet him. When he saw him, he said, "Is that 
you, my son ? Tomorrow you shall cut down this large tree, which 

1 Full version'of this paragraph: 

"AdadEmgani m wulagA'ba wftmst na-ksi'wut. .\da dzE lalu-h6i'g-iga na-sa'ont wadi-txas-a'°tk, da 
dEm la'.xsEnt a q!ala-ts!Em-hiS'ts!Egat. Ada dEm am-lu-ma"'ksgun a sga-bu'odEt. .\ini dzE wa-la'xsEn 
a t.xama'n, am dzE da gu'plEll g-a'mgun, da dEm lu-maioksgiint a tsiEm-a'ksEt a kpi"l da gu'plEl dEm 
want. Adc m dEm txal-g4' hana'gat a sga-bii'dEt. Ks-g4'ga dEm lu-ma'ksgun dam dEm gik txal-ga' 
hana'gat.dzElattTil'am-ya'ona t^lEm-a'ksEt. KpW da gu'p!El dEm lu-ma'ksgun a tslEm-a'ksEt. .\da 
kpM da, d'plEl m dEm txal-gi' hana'gat a txas-a'tk. AdaligWEpla'ba txan!i-g4' dEm ha'^sagan. Ylagai 
gila' dzE na'ksEn a sga-na'k'dzE ha'^sagan a dzE ama-wa'-^n, op dzEt la-wila'^gut, ada dzE al la-he'tgun. 
Gila' dzE dilt na'ksEn. DEm li'tsxEn sa'otga, ga'mgEt, llgi-k!a'l. Ada dEm gap-sEm-wi-bEbu'ont. 
Ylagait ami' dzE a lu-dza'gEm gi'odEn a hana'gat ama-p!a'sEt, da dEm gap-ga-g«'a'ont ; gimga(?) 
KlE'rEl n dEm gik txal-wa'»n." Gwai hau'sga nEgwa'dEm nExn6'xt, da sa-dzi'opt. A'IgEt ni'st. 

" The season for hunting Is m the fall; and the spring of the year was also a hunting-season, when the 
fur of the animals is very thick.— Henry W. Tate. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 175 

will last you throughout your lifetime." After he had said this, he 
disappeared. 

The young man went home, and earh^ the next morning he wont 
and found the large tree. He went toward it, and, behold! tliere was 
a devU's-club tree larger than any other tree in the whole world. 
He took his stone ax and felled the great devil's-club tree; and after 
it was down, he took all the sap and bark ; and when he had collected 
it, he carried it down to his town and pOed up the bark in his little 
hut behind his house. Then he started to wash his body with the 
bark of the devil's-club and its sap, and he ate some to purify lum- 
self. He did so for forty days, and at the end of fortj^ days he went 
hunting again. He repaired all his traps and snares. He went along 
for four days repahing his traps and snares; and on his way back 
from repairing his traps and snares, behold ! a great Wolverene had 
thrown the traps and snares out of their places. 

Therefore the son of the Devil's-CIub Tree pursued him, and tlae 
Wolverene ran as fast as he could; but the son of the Devil's-Club Tree 
ran faster; and when the great Wolverene was exhausted, he cUmbed a 
large tree, and the man who pursued him stood at the foot of the large 
tree on which the great Wolverene was sitting. The young man was 
about to shoot him, when he asked the Wolverene, " Did you break my 
traps and my snares ? If you don't answer me now, I shall shoot 
you!" The great Wolverene remained silent. The young man asked 
again, "Did you destroy all my traps and snares which I repaired so 
often?" 

Then the Wolverene began to cry. The young man said, "Answer 
me, or I shall shoot you! It is no use crying." Therefore the Wol- 
verene had to say, "Yes, I did break your traps and snares." Then 
the young man said, "Will you give to me as many animals as I have 
lost through you V Wolverene did not want to answer the question. 
He was still crying. "Tell me how you became so gi-eat and suc- 
cessful in hunting! If you tell me, then I will let you go; if not, then 
I shall kill you." Then the Wolverene said, " I shall tell you, and you 
must let me go." Wolverene said, "I use devil's-club bark m my 
bath every morning, and I eat some." 

The young man stood there ; and when the Wolverene had spoken, 
he ran dowai from the tree laughmg. So the young man pursued 
him; and when Wolverene was thed and weary, he climbed another 
tree; and the young man who pm'sued him came to the foot of the 
tree and asked him, and said, "Tell me what makes 5"ou so successful ! 
TeU me quicklj^, or I shall shoot you!" Then the Wolverene said, 
"You shall eat the roots of the floating plants with theh leaves." 
Again the Wolverene ran do\\ai from the tree laughing, and the young 
man jjursued him. 



176 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Soon the Wolverene was tired out, and climbed another tree. The 
young man stood at the foot of it, and said, "If you don't tell me the 
truth this time, I shall shoot you right off ! " Therefore the Wolverene 
was very much troubled, and said, "I shall let you know my secret. 
You must eat a small piece of blue hellebore root; and when you 
bathe in the morning, use the hellebore roots to rub your body with. 
Then you will be successful." But the young man did not believe 
what the Wolverene told him, and said, "I don't believe what you 
tell me now. Tell me the truth, or I shall kill you right away!" 

Then the Wolverene said, "You must take skunk-cabbage roots 
and eat a little of them, and use some when you bathe, and rub them 
over your body, as you did with the hellebore roots." 

The young man had not much confidence, but he let him go once 
more. As soon as Wolverene had run a little distance, he began to 
laugh again. 

Now, the young man ]>ursued liim again. He ran faster than the 
Wolverene, so the Wolverene ran up a tree, and the young man 
spanned his bow and had his arrow ready in his hand. He pointed 
the arrow at the Wolverene wdthout saying a word to him. Now, he 
said, "I shall shoot you right now. " But the Wolverene said, "Wait, 
I shall tell you!" but the young man would not listen. He said, 
"I shall not wait any longer, because you have made fioi of mo tluee 
times." Then the great Wolverene said, "You shall liave my 
secret now. It is the rotten fern (or qialu'>gAn ?) ." Then the Wolver- 
ene began to cry, "Rotten fern!" and he went his way crying until 
his voice was lost. 

Now, the young man went and repaired his traps and snares, and 
ho made many new traps and snares, and he went and searched for 
some rotten fern (or qldlu°gAn%). Ho found some and ate st)me; and 
he used some while bathmg m the morning, as the Wolverene had 
told him; and he came to be a great hunter, more successful than 
lie had been before; and when he went to see his traps and his 
snares, behold ! every one had caught a marten or mink or weasel, and 
many other good animals. He did so the whole year round, and in 
the spring he budt bear traps, and snares for grizzly bears, and traps 
for wolverenes and wolves and all other kinds of animals, and he 
became richer and richer. Many j^rmcesses wanted to marry him, and 
many times he gave a great feast to the people because he; was vejy 
rich. He remained an expert hunter. 

Finally he married one of his uncle's younger daughters, and after 
many days his wife had a little son. Wlien the boy grew up, he 
heard the people say outside, "There is a white she-boar coming down 
on the ice of the Skeena River!" and the son of Dcvil's-Club Tree 
took his spear and ran down. He saw the white she-bear coming 
down the river on the ice; but before he was able to throw his spear, 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 177 



the white she-bear kicked the ice, and the man was drowned. The 
white she-bear was ahnost drowned too, but she succeeded in reach- 
ing the bank. The man went under the ice and died there. 

23. The Mixk Who Married a Princess ' 

In olden times many animals married women, and so it was with 
this young woman. Her parents did not want any one to marry her. 
jUthough all the princes wanted to have her, they would not agree. 

One night they went to bed, and some one came to the place where 
the princess was sleeping. He woke her, and said, "May I stay with 
you tonight?" She said, "Yes." And so the young man remained 
with her. Before daybreak the young man said, "Shall I take you 
to my house?" and the young woman said, "Yes, of course!" There- 
fore he took her in his canoe, and they left her home, Metlakahtla. 
He said to his wife, "Lie down in the canoe!" and the young woman 
did what her husband said. He paddled the whole night. Then 
he came in front of his house. He said, "Now, my dear wiie, wake 
up and go into my house ! " So the young woman arose, and she went 
with him into a mink's den. 

Now, the young woman's heart was sorry on account of what she 
had done, for she knew now that her husband was a Mink. She was 
always crying. Every morning the Mink went fishing and brought 
many eels, which he caught under the small rocks. He strung the 
eels on cedar twigs, and carried them up to his den, where his wife 
was. She would not eat anything, but just chewed fat. 

Every mornmg, very early, the Mink went and brought home one 
or two strings of eels. He dried them in the smoke; and every time 
he came home he counted his dried eels. He brought fresh ones, and 
hung them also in the smoke to dry. Wlien the young woman saw 
tliat her husband always counted his dried eels, one morning while 
her husband was away, she took the eels down and hid them ; and as 
soon as the Mink came home with another string of eels, he looked 
for his di'ied eels, and they were all gone. 

He scratched his head, and said, "I don't know what has become 
of all my dried eels. Maybe I ate them, I don't know! Oh, no! 
for my stomach is not full." He was afraid to ask his wife, for fear 
of making her angry. Therefore he said to himself, "Perhaps I ate 
them all! Oh, no! my stomach is not full." Then the young woman 
began to laugh, and he said, "Oh, how foolish these human beings 
are! What will they have to eat during the cold winter, when the 
snow is on one side of the trees! How foolish they are!" 

The young woman was laughmg about the words that her husband 
spoke to himself. ' ' Oh, yes ! " said he, "maybe I ate them all, ate, ate, 
ate! Oh, no! for my little stomach is not full. How foolish people 

> Notes, pp. 747, 762. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 12 



178 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 

arc ! Wliat will they eat in the cold whiter, when the snow is on one 
side of the trees!" Then the young woman lauglied aloud, and said, 
"Oh, you funny fellow! I liid your dried eels in the corner. Go 
there and get them!" Mink went and got them and hung them in 
the smoke. He was glad, and said to Ills dear wife, "My dear wife, I 
am sorry to trouble you about the dried eels, but I did not mean you, 
I just talked to myself. " 

Now, the time came when the people moved to Nass River to fish 
for olachen. One day the sun shone, and the young woman said, 
"Let us take a walk and sit on the point yonder! There we shall see 
the canoes passing by." They went there, and sat down behmd a 
log. The canoes passed by the place where they were sitting. Mmk 
saw some people wearing white bone ornaments in their ears and in 
their noses.' 

Mink saw that it looked very well, and he said, "My dear wife, 
what are these white thmgs m the ears of your people?" — "They are 
bones." — "But why do they do it?" She replied, "Because they 
want to show that they are of my rank." Mink said, "Can you do 
the same to me ? " — "Oh, yes ! I will if you want me to. " Mink said, 
"How do they make the holes in the eai-s?" — "You must sharpen a 
hard spruce branch, and then I will do it for you." — "Yes, my dear 
wife, I want it very much. You must do it with a sharp branch 
tomorrow." 

On the following morning Mink went and got a spruce branch. He 
took it home and sharpened it. The young woman said, "Sharpen 
both ends." Muik did as his wife told him; and when lie had done 
so, he gave the branch to his wife. The young woman said, "Are 
you ready now?" — "Yes, I am ready," said he. Then the young 
woman took the sharpened branch, and asked, " Wliere is your stone 
hammer?" Mink gave it to her. "Now lie down on the ground, and 
I ■noil drive this sharp branch through your ears." Mink lay down 
on the ground, and said, "My dear wife, I am afraid I shall die." — 
"Oh, no!" said the young woman, "you wall not die. The people 
shall know that you are of my rank. It will not hurt you, but my 
father's people will like you. " Therefore he lay down on the ground. 
The young woman took the spruce branch in one hand, and the stone 
hammer in the other. She said, "Close your eyes!" — "No," said he, 
"I'm afraid, I'm afraid! "said he. Thenthe woman said, "Then I shall 
leave you and go home to my father." Now, Mink lay down on the 
ground, his one ear up, and the other down on the ground. "Close 
your eyes!" said the woman. He closed his eyes, and the young 
woman took the sharp branch and drove it into his ear and fastened 
it to the gi'ound. Mink died there, and the young woman went back 
to her father's house. 

1 Ifwa^ the custom to wear bones in holes made through the ears and the nose. — IIenry W. Tate. 



boas] tsimshian myths 179 

24. The Chief who Married the Robin and the Sawbill Duck ' 

In olden times, long ago, the people of this coast used to marry 
animals, birds, frogs, snails, mice, and so on. So it happened unth 
one great chief. His village was at the northwest side of Xlen 
Island, and his tribe consisted of many people. He had no wife. 
His people assembled several times, and tried to find a woman to be 
liis wife. Then the chief said to them, "If you bring me a woman of 
the Robin tribe, I wiU marry her; and if you will bring me a woman 
of the Sawbill Ducks, I will marry her." 

Then the people of his tribe had a great meeting to talk over these 
matters. Some of his wise men took counsel, and chose himters to 
search for the two women whom the chief wanted to marry. There- 
fore the hunters fasted; and after their fasting, some went up the 
mountains, and others went out to sea. 

Those who went up the mountains reached a large plam, where 
they saw a large village, and they went toward it. When they came 
near, they saw young people walking up and down on the street. 
They seemed very happy, and they were good to look at. They were 
young men and young women. "When they saw the hunters coming 
to their village, some young men ran in and told the people and also 
their chief, who in^ated the strangers into hishouse. They spread mats 
at the side of the chief's large fire, and immediately they sat down. 

Then some one touched the side of one of the hunters. It was the 
Mouse Woman. She said, "Do you know whoso village this is T' 
He said, "No." Then the Mouse Woman said, "This is the AiUage 
of Robin, and tlus is the house of their chief. He has a beautiful 
daughter, whom her father \vill let you have to be your chief's Avife 
if you promise him to take good care of her." After Mouse Woman 
had spoken, she went away. 

Now, the chief said to liis attendants, "Get ready for these men 
who have come to visit us. Prepare good food for them." Then 
his men roasted a good dried spring salmon, put it into a dish, and 
jilaced it before the hunters, who ate of it. After that tliey gave 
them fat meat of mountaiia goats and all kinds of fresh berries. 
Late in the evening, after they had eaten, the head men of the 
hunters said to the chief, "You are a great chief, and we are glad to 
see the riches in your great house. We have come from very far 
to visit you; for we have heard of the fame of your wealth, which we 
see now, and part of which we have tasted. Our poor chief has sent 
us to you, for he wants to have your daughter to marry her. We 
\vill honor her, and she shall be the greatest cliieftainess in our 
village and among all the Tsimshian tribes. We shall do all we can 
for her." 

1 This story resemblps in style the Kwakiutl stories (see p. 106) .— Kotes, p. 759.— F. B. 



180 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

After he had spoken, the chief of Robin's attendants spoke: 
"Indeed, chief, my chief heard what you said to him. Tomorrow- 
he will invite his tribe, and ^\all tell his people what you ask for, 
and the day after tomorrow they will decide." Two days passed, 
and then the people of the village assembled. Then- chief said to 
the visitors, "Friends, I am glad that you have come here, and that 
you want to take my daughter to be your chief's wife. My wise 
men and all my people have decided that you shall take her to your 
chief. I understand that you promise to take good care of her, 
wliich I hope you will do. I wish that my daughter and the young 
chief might come to visit me in the winter to get provisions. At 
present I send her with you empty-handed. That is what my 
people desire and what they have decided in this matter. At present 
I just give her two small root baskets — one filled with fresh meat 
and fat, and the other fiUed with various kinds of freslf berries." 

The hunters started homeward. They did not know the way, 
but the young Robin Woman led them. They walked down, and 
passed many mountains and many valleys and rivers. They traveled 
on many days ; and they reached home late in the fall, bringing with 
them a beautiful young woman. 

Tlie young chief was very glad to see the beautiful young woman. 
The hunters gave the girl to liLm to be his wife. So the chief received 
her. He loved her very much. 

The head man of the hunters opened one of the small root baskets 
and took out the fresh meat antl fat. He put it on the mats which 
were spread in front of the chief and his new wife, and the meat and 
fat filled one end of the house. Then the head hunter took the other 
root basket and took out the various ripe berries, which he put into 
a cedar box. When the chief saw these things, he was very glad, 
and invited his whole tribe in. After the people had eaten, they said 
to their cliief, "O chief! you ought to invite in all the tribes to show 
them your new wife, and they shall be happy with you." 

The chief consented, and sent his messengers to all the different 
tribes around his village, asldng the chiefs of the different triljes to 
assemble in his village two days later to take part in the wedding 
feast. 

All the chiefs had a very haj^jiy time, at the end of which they 
went to their own homes in their canoes, which were loaded with 
meat and fat and all kmds of berries. They were aU talking about 
the young princess who was now the wife of the yoimg chief. 

Now we will turn to the other woman, the Sawbdl-Duck Woman. 
I said before that some hunters went in their canoes; and as they 
went along the seashore, when they came aromad the point, they saw 
a young woman walking along the sandy beach. Her braided hair 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 181 

was hanging down her back, and was ornamented with beautiful 
white shells. 

The head man of the hunters wanted to go and take her for their 
chief to be his wife. So they went ashore. The head man went 
toward her and sat down with her on the beach. The man told her 
that his chief wanted her to marry him. Then the SawbiU-Duck 
Woman consented. He took her to the canoe, and they went home, 
where they arrived a few days before the other hunters came. 

The chief was stiU waitmg imtU the others came home. He 
waited for a long while, and finally those who had taken Princess 
Robin came home. Then the young chief loved the Robin Woman 
more, for she was more beautiful than the Sawl)ill-Duck Woman. 

After the cliief had given liis great feast, he kept the two women as 
his wives, but he loved the Princess Robin most. Now, winter-time 
came, and food began to be scarce. Then the young Robin Woman 
remembered her father's words which he had spoken to the hunters 
when they took her away. 

One night she said to her husband, "My dear, I remember my 
father's words which he said before your messengers took me from 
his house. He said that he wanted you to send two large canoes to 
him in midwinter to bring down winter provisions, and I will go 
with these men if you should send them." 

The chief acceded to her request. On the followmg day he called 
the young men of his tribe and sent them to go with his wife. In 
the morning they started in two large canoes. They went to the 
Skeena River. The ice was very hard on the river. The young 
woman guided them on their way. Soon they came to the end of the 
ice on Skeena River; and the hearts of the young men failed them 
when they saw the hard ice on the river. Then the prhicess stood 
up in the bow of the canoe, and sang her sprmg song. At once the 
ice began to melt m front of the canoe as far as they could see. 

Then the young men took courage and went on. Soon they 
reached the end of the opening in the ice; and the Robin Woman 
stood again in the bow of the fh-st canoe and sang with hor beautiful 
voice as the robm sings in the springtime, and the ice melted away 
in front of the two large canoes. They went on, and the Robin 
Woman continued to sing. 

Therefore the people say nowadays that as soon as the robm sings 
the first time m spring, the ice begins to melt. They say that the 
bird's smging over the ice causes it to melt. 

They went on many days, and finally reached a beautiful town. 
There were four rows of houses there, and every row was full of houses, 
and the chief's house was in the middle of the first row. It was a very 
large house. The village was very beautiful, and all the people in 
the village looked very fine. 



182 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. axx. 31 

As soon as they reached there, the Robin cliief invited the strangers 
who came to the town with his young daughter, and the chief was 
much pleased to see her come; and when all the young men were 
seated on one side of his large house, the chief first gave them cooked 
fresh spring salmon to eat, and then fresh salmonberries and all 
other kinds of fresh berries. 

After the meal the princess called the young men who came with 
her from her husband's town, and led them to one side of her father's 
house. There she opened the door of a large room and showed them 
snow and ice, wliich filled the inside of the large room. Then she 
took them to the other side of the house, opened the door of a large 
room, went in, and all her companions followed her. There she 
showed them a large hill fidl of salmonberry bushes and all kinds of 
berries around that beautiful liill. There were all kinds of wild 
flowers budding on the green grass, and all kinds of birds were 
singing on the flowers. The hummingbirds went in rapid flight 
among the flowers. Then the princess took them to the rear of the 
house and showed them a large beautiful river. The river was full 
of aU kinds of salmon. So the people said that the house of Chief 
Robin had winter on one side, and summer on the other. 

On the following day the chief invited all his people into his large 
house. After the feast he began to speak, and said to his people, 
"My dear people, you all know that my daughter has come up to me 
from her husband's, for their provisions are gone, for they used them 
in the -winter. Therefore my beloved daughter took her husband's 
people to come with her for food. Therefore I want you, my great 
tribe, to bring her fresh spring salmon, fresh ripe berries — salmon- 
berries, bluebeiTies, and aU other kinds of berries — also mountain- 
goat meat and fat and the soft fat of grizzly bears.". 

On the following morning the birds were ready before day-dawn. 
"\^ery early in the morning Chief Robin stood on the roof of his large 
house and began to sing to call his jieople. Then they all flew out to 
gather food; and before noon they came home one by one, bringing 
meat and fat of mountain goats, grizzly-bear meat and fat, salmon- 
bcn-ies and bluebeiTies, and all kinds of food. At dusk all the Robins 
had come back into the house of their chief. 

Then the chief said to his tribe that he would send liis daughter 
back to her husband the following morning, with all the provisions 
that had been brought to his house. A\Tien the morning came, he 
stood on the top of his house to call the people, and sang as robins 
sing. So his people assembled, loaded the two canoes with all kinds 
of food, so that the two canoes were full of all kinds of provisions. 
Then the two canoes started down the river. The young princess was 
in the first canoe, and she did as before. She was standing in the bow, 
and sang her song, and the ice of the river melted away before them. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAK MYTHS 183 

Early the following mormiig tliey reached Xlen village. Then 
the whole tribe of the chief, the husband of Robin, came down to 
unload the two canoes which were full of all kinds of meat and fresh 
ripe berries, of fat, and of fresh fish of all kinds. They unloaded the 
two canoes; and the chief invited all his people into his house, and 
gave fhem food until they were satisfied. 

Then the chief said to his people, "My dear people, I want to invite 
all the Tsimshian tribes, and give them some of this food; for they 
are starving, and faniuae is on the river." His tribe consented, and 
on the following morning a canoe manned by many young men and 
one prince, a nephew of the chief, went out as messengers to every 
tribe to invite the chiefs and then- people. 

When they had visited each tribe, they came back to their chief 
with happy hearts. On the following day all the guests entered, and 
the tribes sat down by themselves with their chiefs. When they 
were all in, the chief said, "Bring yom* boiled fresh spring-salmon, 
put it mto a wooden dish, and place it before the chiefs. " So his 
attendants did what he had said. They passed wooden spoons and 
horn spoons about to all the chiefs and their people, and they placed 
in front of the guests wooden dishes filled with fresh boiled salmon. 
Then all the guests wondered to see the fresh sprmg salmon, and they 
ate it all.' 

After they had eaten fresh spring salmon, the chief said, "Bring 
the fresh ripe salmonberries," and his attendants brought in many 
new boxes filled with fresh ripe salmonberries mixed with fat of the 
grizzly bear. Again the guests were much astonished. They put 
the food into the wooden dishes, and passed about mountain-sheep 
horn spoons. Soon the guests tasted the nice fresh ripe salmon- 
berries, and the young men told the story about Chief Robin's house 
and village. They said that the house was a marvelous one; that 
there was winter on one side, and midsummer on the other side. 
They continued, "We saw all varieties of birds and of flowers." 

Soon after they had told their story, the guests went home, and 
all their canoes were loaded ^\^th some of the food. They were all 
merry. On the following day the chief invited the chiefs of the tribes 
with their wives and people, as he had done before. When all the 
guests were in, he repeated the same words that he had said a few ' 
days before. He spoke to his attendants, and said, "Bring in the 
fresh meat and fat." They did so. They brought in a box. They 
poured water into the box, and put red-hot stones into it until the 
water began to boil. Then they put the meat over the hot stones 
and covered the boxes to keep the steam in. 

After the chiefs and then- wives had eaten the meat and the soup, 
they gave them blueberries antl many difTerent kinds of berries. 

1 The reason why they were astonished was because it was winter.— F. B. 



184 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

Before they finished eating, the young men outsicU^ the chief's 
house shouted, and said, "There arc two canoes coming around the 
pomt!" 

Now, we must remember tlie Sawliill-Duck Woman. As soon as 
the Robin Woman came back from her fatlier with ])rovisions, and 
the Sawbill-Duck Woman saw how many tlifferent kintls of food the 
Robin Woman had brouglit to her husband, she went all alone to her 
father for food. She arrived at her fatiier's house, and told her father 
what the father of Robin had done for Ids daughter — how many 
different kinds of food she liad brouglit clown to her husband. There- 
fore the father of SawbUl-Duck Woman assembled his whole tribe 
and informed them of what his daughter had said about her husband, 
and how the Robm Woman had given to her husband, the chief, many 
kinds of food. Then the wise men of his people said, "Let us also go 
and bring to our chief's daughter many kinds of food!" 

They all agreed, and on the followuig morning they went, and from 
noon on until the evening they came home one by one. Some brought 
whales; others, sea Uons, seals, halibut, and all kinds of fish. They 
carved the whale blubber, the sea-lion blubber, and the seal blubber. 

On the followu^g day they took down two large canoes antl loaded 
them with all kinds of blubber — blubber of whales, sea lions, seals — 
and with all kmds of fishes. After they had filled the two canoes, they 
tied them together and put a wide plank across them. The Sawbill- 
Duck Woman sat down on it. Then the two large canoes went on 
fast. They took a little rest on one of the islands, and the Sawbill- 
Duck Woman looked at the beach. Behold ! a large pile of mussels 
was hanging on a rock yonder. She went ashore and took off a large 
pUe of mussels, and placed it by her side on the plank. 

Now, these two canoes went on toward the chief's town. They came 
there about the time when the great feast given by the chief to all 
the tribes of the Tsimsliian was ended. The chiefs and the people 
were all happy. 

While they were still feasting, some one came in and said that two 
canoes were comuag up around tlie point, and all the guests were 
silent. Then another man came in and said that the other wife of 
tlie chief was commg from her father's house with two large canoes 
full of somethuig. So the chief ordered his attendants to go down 
and see what the woman brought home with her. 

Quickly they went down to the beach and saw the large <-luster of 
mussels by the side of the Sawbill-Duck Woman on the plank where 
she was sitting. When the men saw the large cluster of mussels by 
her side, they went back quickly to the chief's house before aU the 
guests had gone out. The chief of the feast asked, "What did she 
bring home with her ?" The men who had gone down told liim that 
she had brought home a large pile of mussels. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 185 

Then the chief became very angry; and he was ashamed, for in his 
house were all the chiefs and head men of the Tsimshian tribes. 
They were all silent. At last the cliief of the feast said to lus attend- 
ants, "Go down to the canoes and capsize them!" So a number of 
his young men went down and turned over the two canoes, which 
were fiUed with all kinds of fish and animals. 

Then the Sawbill-Duck Woman flew out to sea, and the young men 
who had capsizeil the two large canoes saw the blubber of whales 
floatmg on the water, and also blubber of sea Uou, of seals, and of all 
kinds of fishes. They ran back to the chief quickly and told him of 
what had happened. They said, "These two canoes are full of the 
richest food — blubber of whales, sea Uons, and seals, and of all kmds 
offish." 

Therefore the chief said, "Gather the whale l)lubber and the blubber 
of sea lions and seals, and bruig it in ! We will give it to all the chiefs 
here. And also take up all the fishes, and we will give them to the 
head men of all the tribes, that they may take them home for their 
wives and then- children." 

Therefore the young men went down again quickly to bring in the 
blubber; but, behold! it had been transformed mto rocks and large 
rountl bowlders. These are still on the beach at the end of Prince 
Rupert Town. 

The young men went back to the chief and told him that the canoes 
and their load had been transformed uito rocks and bowlders on the 
beach; and now the chief was still more ashamed, and he was very 
angry. All the chiefs went out from the feast. They were amazed 
to see the rocks and bowlders on the beach, and every one went home 
full of joy. 

. 2.5. The Princess Who Rejected her Cousin* 

There was a custom among our ])eoplo that the nephew of the chief 
had to marry the chief's daughter, because the tribe of the chief 
. wanted the chief's nephew to be the heir of his uncle and to inherit 
his place after his death. This custom has gone on, generation after 
generation, all along until now, and the places of the head men have 
thus been inherited. So it is with this story. 

A very long time ago there was a great village with many people. 
They had only one chief. There was also his sister. They were the 
only two chiefs in the large town. The chief also had a beautiful 
daughter, and the chief's sister had a fine son. All the people of the 
village were glatl to see the young prince and the young prmcess 
growing up, and they expected that these two would soon marry. 
Therefore the relatives of the prince went and talked with the father 
of the prmcess, and they also went to the uncles of the princess and 
talked to them. 

■ Notes, p. 767. 



186 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ETH. ANN. 31 

Now, the relatives of the gu-1 aceepted, but the gii'l rejected the 
proposal and said that she would not marry him; but the young 
prince loved her very much, and still she refused him. The young 
man loved her still more, and he was always true to her. Moreover, he 
was very anxious to speak to her, but the young woman rejected him. 

Now, the princess wanted to make a fool of her cousm. One day 
she dressed herself up and went to the end of the village to take some 
fresh air. The young man saw her pass by his door, and he went 
after her. Soon he saw her sitting under a large tree, and went up 
to her, and the girl was very kind to hun. She smiled when she saw 
him comiiig. Then the young man sat down })y her sitle under the 
tree as gently as he could. He asked her if she did not want to 
marry him. The girl said, "If you make a deep cut in your cheek, 
then you may marry me." Therefore the handsome yoimg man 
took his knife and cut down his right cheek. The girls laughed at 
liun, and they went home. When the cheek of the young man was 
healed, the princess put on her finest dress, passed the door of her 
cousin, and the young man saw her pass by. He followed her, and 
saw her sit at the same place where he had met her before. He went 
to her; antl she stretched out her hands to greet hun, put her arms 
around him, and kissed him once, since her cousin wanted to marry 
her. Then the young man loved her still more because she had 
kissed him the fu'st time ever smce he had loved her; and when the 
young man was overflowing with love, she said, "If you love me so 
much, show your love and make a cut down your left cheek; then I 
shall know that you really love me." The young man did not Mke 
to do it. However, ho wanted to marry her, and so he took his knife 
and made a cut down his left cheek. They went home, and the young 
man was always tlunkuig of her. 

Soon his wounded cheek was healed. He did not mind his foolish 
acts. On the following day he saw her passing his door. The young 
man followed her, and she was sitting under the tree. She smiled at 
him when he was coming to her, and said, "Do you come to me 
again, my beloved one?" and he replied, "Yes, I come to marry 
you." Then he put his arms around her, and she kissed him again. 
He asked her, "Do you love me, my dear cousin?" and she re])lied, 
"Yes, you know how much I love you," and the princess asked him, 
"Do you also love me, cousm?" and he rephed, "Indeed, I love you 
very much." Thus said the young man, for he wanted to marry 
her. Then the princess said to him, "Now, show me your love. 
Cut off your hair, then you may marry me." So the young prince 
took his knife and cut off his beautiful yellow hair. (In those days 
the young men and the old men wore their hair as long as women's 
hair, and it was considered dishonorable to cut a man's hair as we 
do it now.) 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 187 

They went home, and on the following day the young man sent 
some one to her, saying that he wanted to marry her now. There- 
fore the messenger went to her and told her what her cousin had 
said; but the woman repUed, "Tell him that I do not want to marry 
a bad-looking person hke him, ugly as he is;" and she gave him the 
nickname Mountain With Two Rock Shdes, as he had a scar down 
each cheek. She laughed at him and scorned him, saying, "I do 
not want to marry a man who cut his hair like a slave." 

The young man's messengers came back to him and told him what 
she had said. Therefore the youth was very much ashamed. He 
remembered that he also was a prince, and he cried because his 
own cousin had mocked him. 

Now, he decided to leave his father's house and his uncle's house, 
for he was ashamed before his fellows of the scars wliich he had made 
on his own cheeks by order of his beloved one. He went about, not 
knowing which waj^ to go. Day by day he went, and he came to a 
narrow trad. He walked along it, and saw a small hut away off. 
He went toward it. Before it was evening he reached there; and 
when he was near, he walked up to it quietly. He stood outside and 
looked through a small hole. Behold! a woman was sitting there by 
the side of a fireplace. She said, "Come in, <Iear prince, if it is you 
who was rejected by his own cousin!'' So the young man went in, 
and the woman made him sit down on the other side of the fire. 
She gave him to eat. When he started from home, four young 
men, his own friends, had accompanied him on his way; but three of 
them had gone back home, and only one, his dearest friend, followed 
him aU along the way until they came to the little hut. 

After the old woman had given them to eat, she said to the young 
man, "Soon you wiU arrive at the large house of Cliief Pestilence, 
which is just across the Uttle brook yonder. Leave your companion 
at this side of the brook, and you yourself go to the large house. 
When you get there, push open the large door, then say this: 'I 
come to be made beautiful in the house of Pestilence!' Shout this 
as loud as you can. Then you will see that the house on both sides 
is fuU of maimed pereons. They will call you to come to thcii- sides; 
but do not go there, because they will make you like one of them. 
Wlien they stop calhng you, then Chief Pestilence ^\■iU call you to 
the rear of the house. Follow his calling. He will make you beauti- 
ful." Thus said the old woman to him. On the following day, 
after they had had theii" breakfast, they started. As soon as they 
crossed the brook, the prince said to his companion, "Stay here, 
and I will go on alone. Wait until I come back to you!" So the 
companion staid there. 

Now he went on alone. Soon he saw a large house in the distance, 
and went as quickly as he could. He pushed open the door, ran in, 



188 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. asn. 31 

and shouted at the top of his voice, "I came to be made beautiful, 
Chief Pestilence!" Then all the maimed people on both sides of 
the house beckoned to him and shouted. Those on one side would 
say, "Come this way, come this way!" and those on the other side 
said, "Come, come, come!" The prince remained standing in the 
doorway. There were many good-looking women among these 
maimed persons. They shouted and called him; but he stood still, 
waiting until Chief Pestilence should come forth from his room in the 
rear of the large house. 

Soon the noise of the maimed people ceased. Then the door of 
the chief's room was opened, and, behold! Chief Pestilence came 
forth with his beautiful daughter. He said, "Dear prince, come this 
way!" Then the young man went to him and sat do-mi on his right 
side. 

Then Chief Pestilence ordered his attendants to bring his bath- 
tub. They brought him a large tub full of hot water. Then the 
chief took the young man, put him into this tub, and, as soon as 
he was in the tub, the water began to boil and the water boiled over 
"the tub, boiling of its own accord. "WTien the dross was all off, the 
eh] f took the bare bones of the young man, put them on a wide 
board, joining them together, and after he had done so, he called to 
his young daughter, who leaped over the bones. Then the young 
man was ahve again. His features were changed, and his body was 
as white as snow. 

Then the chief said, "Bring me a nice comb!" and his attendants 
brought him a comb of crystal. The chief took it and combed the 
prince's hair down to his loins. His hair was red, like tongues of 
fire. He was the most beautiful of all. 

The chief did not want to let him go at once, but kept him in his 
house for two days. The young man thought he had been there 
two days, but in reality two years had passed. Then the young man 
remembered his friend whom he had left by the brook before he 
entered the house of Chief Pestilence. Now, the prince told the young 
woman that he loved liis friend by the brook; therefore the young 
woman said, "Let us go to see him!" They went together; and 
when they came to the place, they found the man's bare bones 
heaped up there. Therefore the young prince wept, but the young 
woman commanded him to take the bare bones to her father's house. 
The young man did what the young woman had told him, and took 
the bare bones to the chief. The chief ordered his attendants to 
bring his bathtub. They brought it to him, and he put the bare 
bones into the tub. Then the water began to boil, and the dross of 
the bare bones boiled over the tub. Thus the young man saw what 
Chief Pestilence had done to him. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 189 

Then the chief took out the bones and placed them on a wide board 
and joined them together; and the J^oung woman leaped over them 
four times, and the young man was alive again. 

Next the chief asked for his own comb. The_v brought it to him, 
anil the chief asked what color of hair he wanted. The man said, 
"Dark-yellow hair." He also asked him how long he wanted it; 
and the man said, "Eight down to the knee. " So the chief combed his 
hair down to his knees; and this man was lighter color than the other. 
Now they started for home. It was not many days before they 
arrived at their home. The prince looked like a supernatural being, 
and his friend too was hand.somer than any of the other people. They 
came and visited them; and all the people talked about these two 
men who had just come back from the house of Chief Pestilence, who 
had transformed them and given them great beauty. 

The young people coveted their beauty, and they questioned them 
one day to know how far the house of Chief Pestilence was from their 
village. Then the prince's friend told them that it was not very far 
away. 

Now, let us go back to the princess who years ago had refused to 
marry her own cousin. She was very anxious to see her cousin who 
had just come home from the house of Chief Pestilence. People were 
talking about it, that he was more beautiful than any other person in 
the village; and she heard the people say that he looked like a super- 
natural being. Therefore the young woman tried hard to see him. 

One day the chief, the father of the princess, invited his nephew 
to his house. The prince went with some of the chief's head men; 
and as soon as the prince entered his uncle's house, the young 
princess looked at him. Oh, how fine he looked! and more beautiful 
than any of the people. Then she tried to make her rejected cousin 
turn and look at her, but the young man took no notice of her courting. 
His hair was like fire, and his face shone like the rays of the sun. 

Now, the young woman came down from her room, and walked to 
and fro behind the guests, laughing and talking, trying to make the 
beautiful prince look at her; but he took no notice of her. As soon 
as the feasting was over, he arose and went home, and the young 
princess felt full of sorrow. 

The following day she sent her maid to call the beautifid prince. 
When the girl came to him and told him what her mistress had said to 
the prince, he did not answer a word, and the maid went back to her 
mistress and told her that the prince Avould not answer her a word. 
She sent to him again; and when the gu-1 came to him, she told him 
that her mistress wanted him to come and see her. But he said to the 
girl, "Go and tell her that she rejected me then, so I will not go to her 
now." Then the girl went and told her mistress what the prince had 



190 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

said. The princess sent her girl again. "Go and tell him that I will 
do whatever he desires me to do." She went and told him what her 
mistress had said: "My mistress says that whatever you desire her to 
do she will do." Then the prince said to the girl, "Go and tell her 
that I desire her to cut down her right cheek, and I will come and be 
her guest." Therefore the girl went and told her mistress what the 
prince had said. So the princess took her knife and cut down her 
right cheek. She said to her maid, "Go and tell him that I will do 
whatever he wants me to do." She went and told the prince what 
her mistress had done. 

Again the beautiful prince said, "Just tell her to cut down her other 
cheek, and then I will come and see her." So she went and told her 
mistress, and thereupon the princess cut her left check. Again she 
sent her maid, who went to him and told him. This time he said, 
"Let her cut her hair, then I will go to her. " She went and told her, 
and the princess took her knife and shaved off her hair, and she sent 
her hair to him. The maid took it to the prince; but when the prince 
saw the hair, he refused to accept it. "Don't bring it near me! It 
is too nasty! Take it back- to your mistress and tell her that I don't 
want to see the ugly scars on her cheeks and her ugly shaved hair. 
It is too nasty for me. " Then he left, and laughed louder and louder, 
mocking her; and the girl returned to her mistress very sad. 

She came slow!}-; and her mistress asked her, "My dear, what 
tidings do you bring?" Then she told her mistress how scornfully 
he had spoken of the ugly scars on her cheeks, and of her shaving her 
hair, and that everybody had been laughing at her, and that every 
one had heard him mocking her. Then the young princess was very 
much ashamed. She set out yvith her maid, and walked along crying. 
She wanted to hang herself, but her maid talked to her and comforted 
her all the way. They went on and on, trying to go to the house of 
Chief Pestilence. Her heart took courage, for she hoped to get there 
and ask Chief Pestilence to make her beautiful. Thc}'^ went on and on, 
and passed many mountains and rivers and valleys, and reached the 
edge of a large plain. There they met a man, who asked them which 
way they intended to go; and the princess told him that they intended 
to go to the house of Chief Pestilence. She passed by him, and did 
not look at him, for she was ashamed to let any one look at her. 

Soon they saw a large house in the distance. They went toward 
it; and when they reached the door, they went right in and shouted 
as they stood in the doorway, "We come to the house of Chief Pesti- 
lence to be made beautiful!" Then all the maimed people on both 
sides of the house called to them, "Come, come, come!" and those on 
the other side shouted, "This way, this way, this way!" and the 
princess went to those who called her to come; and the other one 
went to those who shouted "This wa}-!" 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 191 

Then the maimed people fell on the princess, broke her backbone, 
and made her lame. They turned her head to one side, and broke one 
of her arms; and those on the other side plucked out one of the eyes 
of her maid, tore up one side of her mouth, and scratched the two 
women all over their bodies, and then threw them outside. There 
they lay wounded, and nobody came to help them. The princess was 
more severely injured than her maid. 

"\Mien the maid felt a little better, she saw her mistress tying there 
with wounds all over her body. She went to her, and saw how she 
was bruised. They were both hi great distress, and the prmcess was 
groaning. So her maid helped her up and led her home. They 
spent many days comuig down, and finally arrived at their home. 
Then she lay in bed, and finally died. 

Therefore tlie people in those days made it a law that no young 
woman should have anj- say about her marriage. If a young man 
wanted to marry a young woman whom he chose, then the parents 
of the young man went to the parents of the young woman and talked 
with them; and when they agreed, the uncles of the man went and 
talked to the uncles of the woman; and when they agi-eed also, the 
relatives of the young man met among themselves, and the relatives 
of the young woman also met among themselves. Then the female 
relatives of the yoimg man went to give presents to the young woman. 
Even though the young woman does not want to marry the man, 
she has to consent when the agreement has been made on both sides 
to many them. 

When the prmce and princess have married, the tribe of the young 
man's uncle set out. Then the tribe of the young woman's uncle 
also set out, and they have a fight. The two parties cast stones at 
each other, and the heads of many of those on each side are hit. 
The scars made by the stones on the heads of each chief's people are 
signs of the marriage pledge. 

At the end of this fight the people of the yoimg man take an 
expensive garment, and, with the blood running down their faces, they 
go to the house of the woman's imcle, and they put her on this expen- 
sive garment. Eight prmces put her on tliis garment. 

Sometimes the uncle's tribe take the girl to her husband in two 
large canoes filled with people. They put a wide plank over the 
canoes to let the girl sit on it. They smg while they are on the water. 
In the canoes they have a large amount of property and aU kinds of 
food as well. The bride is placed on the left-hand side of the bride- 
groom in the man's uncle's house. For three' days they sit there 
without eating anytliing and without drinking; and neither bride 
nor bridegroom is allowed to laugh or talk or look around. WhUe 
the young people play m the house where the bride and gi-oom are 
sitting, trymg to make them laugh or talk or look around, the couple 



192 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

must look right into the fu-e. At the end of tlio thi'co days they are 
allowed to do as they like. This is the end. 

26. The Bear Who Married a Woman' 

Once upon a time there lived a widow of the tribe of the G' i-sp a-x-lS, ' ° ts. 
Many men tried to marry her daughter, but she declined them all. 
The mother said, "When a man comes to marry you, feel of the palms 
of his hands. If they are soft, decline Mm; if they are rough, accept 
him." She meant that she wanted to have for a son-in-law a man 
skillful in building canoes. Her daughter obeyed her commands, and 
refused the wooings of all j'oung men. One night a youth came to 
her bed. The palms of his hands were very rough, and therefore she 
accepted liis suit. Early in the morning, however, he had suddenly 
disappeared, even before she had seen him. Wlien her mother arose 
early in the morning and went out, she found a halibut on the beach 
in front of the house, although it was mid^\^nter. The following 
evening the young man came back, but disa]ipeared agam before the 
dawn of the day. In the mornmg the ^vidow found a seal in front 
of the house. Thus they lived for some time. The young woman 
never saw the face of her husband; but every morning she found an 
animal on the beach, every day a larger one. Thus the widow came 
to be very rich. 

She was anxious to see her son-in-law, and one da}- she waited until 
he arrived. Suddenl}' she saw a red bear imES-o'l) emerge from the 
water. He carried a whale on each side, and put them down on the 
beach. As soon as he noticed that he was observed, he was trans- 
formed into a rock, which may be seen up to tliis day. He was a 
supernatmral being of the sea. 

27. The Prince Who Was Taken Away by the Spring Salmon'' 

There were two towns in the canyon of G"its!ala'sEr. One was 
called G'itxts la'xl, the other one G'i-lax-ts !a'ks. They were on Skeena 
River, and each of these towns had a cliief . Toward the end of winter 
the people had spent all their provisions. There was a famine, and 
the people were in want of food. At that time a famme was among 
the people almost every winter. 

The gi-eat chief of the G'itxts la'xl had one young son. His father 
loved hun very much. Therefore he bought for liim a small slave-boy 
to stay with him whenever his parents had to leave him for a while. 
The slave-boy loved, his j^oung master. In those days they would 
not give much food to a young prince, and this prince just chewed 
the fat of mountain goats, and every day he would make nice arrows. 

1 Translated from Boas 1, p. 290. Notes, p. 747. = Notes, p. 770. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 193 

One day his parents went up into the woods to get the bark of 
trees, which the people used to eat m those days in winter. While 
they were away, the slave-boy was very hungry, and cried for food, 
and the prince was displeased because the slave-boy was crying. 
Therefore he stopped the work on his arrows and went about the 
house to try to find something for his slave to eat. He went to his 
mother's empty boxes, opened them, and at last he opened the last 
large box, and saw a small box inside. He opened the small box 
that was inside the large one, and foimd a large dried spring salmon, 
which his mother had folded up and put into the little box inside the 
large one. The prince took it out, unfolded the large spring salmon, 
took a small piece off and gave it to the little slave, who was crj-ing 
from hunger. Then he put the dried salmon back in its place, and 
tied the two boxes up as they had been before. 

Late in the evening his parents came home, brmgmg much fresh 
bark which they had gathered. The mother went to the large box, 
untied it, and opened the small box inside the large one, took her 
large sprmg salmon out, unfolded it, and found that she had lost a 
piece on the right side of her dried salmon. She had kept this large 
dried salmon for two long years. Now she was as angry as fire. 
She asked, ''Who has stolen my salmon?" She was very angiy. 

At last the son said to his mother, "I did so, mother." Then she 
scolded her son, and said, "Yes, you do not care about salmon in the 
summer. Now you are hungiy and begin to steal. Don't do it 
again!" Thus she said, and the young prince was very sorry. 

He said to his mother, "I did not eat yoin- dried salmon. I gave 
it to my little slave, for he cried all day long after you left." Then 
the mother scolded him still more, and so the young man began to 
cry. When his father saw him crying, he tried to stop his wife, but 
she did not stop. 

Then the prince called his little slave and told hkn that he would 
leave his father's house that evening. The little slave wished to 
accompany him, but the pruice refused to take him. He said, "You 
shall stay at home with my parents." So he went away secretly 
while the people were all in bod. Before he went, he took his marten 
garment and put some fat m the pores of all the martens ( ?) on his 
garment. Then he went. After he had been away a little while, the 
little slave began to cry. He could not keep his mouth shut, and 
cried bitterly. Then the chief said, "Why do j-ou crj^ so?" Then 
the little slave told him what had happened. "My young master 
went away from home." 

So the chief got up and scolded his wife. He ordered his slave to 

call all the people of the village; and the slave went out and shouted, 

"My master's son nas gone away from home tonight, great village!" 

Soon all the people of the village came forth carrying torches of bark 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 13 



194 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

and of pitch wood. Some went into the woods, aiid some to the 
river, searching for tlie prince, but they could not find liiin. The 
prince looked back and saw the lights of their torches, still the 
searchers did not see hhn. 

After midnight the searchers went back to their own houses and 
waited until morning came. The prince, however, went on, and came 
ashore below the village; and he sat there resting hunself, for he 
was weary. Soon he thought that he heard the noise of a canoe 
poling up the river a Uttle below the place where he was. He 
remained sitting there silently; and as soon as the canoe came up to 
him, it crossed the river and came toward him. It came to the 
place in front of him. In it were seated four men. They went up 
to him and called him to come to hLs father. 

Then the prince went down. They took him aboard the nice now 
canoe; and the men in the canoe said to the prince, "Now lie down 
and have a good rest and sleep." The prince did as they told him, 
and the men paddled away to their home out at sea. When they 
reached the village, the young prince awoke from his sleep. He saw 
a large village. The houses were all carved with figures of spring 
salmon, and in the middle of all the houses was a very large carved 
house in which the chief lived. The canoe landed in front of this 
house. 

Thou the men said to the prince, "Come up with us to our great 
chief's house! He invites you in." So they went up; and as soon 
as they got in, the prince saw the great chief lying in the rear of his 
large house. He was sick with palsy. For two years he had had 
that dreadful disease. The sick chief ordered his attendants to 
spread mats at one side of the large fire. They did so. Then the 
prince went and seated himself on the mats which had been spread 
for him by the chief's attendants. As soon as he was seated on a 
mat, behold! an old woman came to his side, who touched him, and 
said, "My dear prince!" Then she questioned him. "Do you 
know who brought you here?" The prince replied, "No." — "The 
Spring Salmon have brought you here, for their chief has been sick 
with palsy for over two years, because your mother has kept him in 
her little box for two years. Wlien you unfolded the salmon the 
other day, the chief got a little better because you did so." 

Before the Mouse Woman informed the prince, she had asked him 
if ho had no ear-ornaments of wool. The prince gave her both of his 
woolen ear-ornaments, which ho took and threw into the fire; and 
she took the ear-ornaments while they were burning and ate them. 

She said, furthermore, "Some time when you are very hungry, 
take a club and club one of the children who are jilaying on the 
sand-hill behind the houses. Make a fire and roast it. Then eat it- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 195 

Gather all the little bones and cast them into the fire." The Mouse- 
Woman went away after giving her advice to the prince. 

Xow, the chief ordered his attendants to give good food to the 
visiting prince. They did so; and after the prince had eaten, the 
chief said to him, "My son, I am well pleased that you have come to 
my village. You shall live with me in my own house, and I will 
take care of you, together with all my good people, until we take you 
back to your own homo. I am glad because you have taken me out 
of your mother's small box; and you unfolded my feet and my arms, 
therefore I sent to bring you to my house." Thus spoke the chief to 
the prince. 

Now, the prince stood there for a whUe. On the following day he 
was very hungry. Then he remembered the advice of the old 
Mouse Woman. He went behind the village, and saw there many 
children playing on the sand-hill. Some of them threw themselves 
down and rolled down to the foot of the hill. Then the prince stood 
there. He took a club, and when he saw a good-looldng boy, he 
took hold of him and clubbed him. The boy wa,s at once trans- 
formed into a nice little spring salmon. He was surprised. He 
took it and went up a little farther along the sand-hiU. There he 
started a fire and roasted the whole small spring salmon; and when 
it was done, he ate it all. After he had eaten, he went to a brook, 
drank, and went back to gather all the bones, which he burned, as 
the old Mouse Woman had advised him to do. 

Then he went to the chief's house. In the evening, as soon as he 
was seated at the side of the house, he heard some one cry bitterly 
saying, "Oh, my eye is sore, mj- eye is sore!" Then the Mouse 
Woman came to him and said, "Go and search in the hole at the foot 
of your roasting-spit!" He went quickly, and found the eye of the 
little spring salmon in the little hole where the roasting-spit had 
been placed. He threw it into the fire. "Wlien he went in, behold! 
the boy whose eye had been sore had recovered. 

The Mouse Woman also advised him, "As soon as you have eaten 
the fresh salmon, take a drink of fresh water" (so the natives do 
nowadays; as soon as they have eaten any kind of salmon or any 
kind of fish, they take a drink of fresh water, that the salmon or 
other lands of fishes may be revived again, and so go home again 
gladly). 

One day the chief sent his people to see if the leaves of the cotton- 
wood had fallen into the Skeena River. They went, and found a 
few leaves falling from the cottonwood tree. The Salmon called the 
leaves of the cottonwood tree salmon. It was early in the spring 
when the Spring Salmon were sent to see whether cottonwood leaves 
had fallen into Skeena and Xass Rivers. Wlien they came back 
from these two rivers, the chief asked if there were salmon in the 
rivers. The scouts said that there were a few in the rivers. 



196 TSIMSHIAK MYTHOLOGY ( eth. a.vn. 31 

The prince staid there a while longer in the town of the Spring 
Salmon. One day he was again very hungry. He went behind the 
town, where the children were playing on a sand-hill. Then he saw 
a beautiful fat youth. Ho took hold of him and clubbed him, and 
he became a good-looking small spring salmon. He roasted him at 
the same place where he had roasted the salmon before; and after 
he had eaten it all, he gathered the bones and threw them into the 
fire. Then he went to a brook, where he drank. Then he went home 
well satisfied. After a little while, some one came to the house, 
crying, "Alas, my rib is sore! Alas, my rib is sore!" He cried 
bitterly. When the young prince heard it, he went (juickly to the 
place where he had roasted the spring salmon. He searche<l all 
around, and found a little rib under the chips. He cast it into the 
fire and went home, and the boy was well. 

After some time the chief ordered his slaves to go as scouts to the 
two rivers to see whether the salmon had come. So they went to 
<>xamine the rivers. Now they saw that many leaves had fallen from 
the Cottonwood trees. Then they retia-ned to their master with the 
glad tidings, and the chief said that it would be better for them to 
get ready to move. 

Therefore he invited his tribe into liis house. He told them what 
the scout slaves had to say, and all the people agreed to move within 
a few days. The scouts had brought home with them some fresh 
green leaves, and the whole tribe were glad to see the leaves. There- 
fore on an appointed day they were ready to move from their home 
in the deep sea. They went very slowly, and soon they reached the 
town of the Silver Salmon. 

Then the chief of the Spring Salmon told them that his scouts had 
brought home some nice new sahiion, and that therefore they were 
moving. Thus he informed the Silver Salmon. Therefore the chief 
of the Silver Salmon said, "We will also move after you have gone a 
little distance." 

Soon after they had left tlie town of the Silver Salmon, the cliief 
took a small smooth round pebble from his own mouth and handed 
it to liis adopted son, the princes. He said, "Take this and put it into 
your mouth. It will defend you against all dangers, death, and dilli- 
culties." The young man took it, and put it into his mouth. 

They went on their way, and soon they met many canoes. They 
asked the crew, "How is it in those two rivers? Are there any 
sabnon?" They said, "Yes." Then the prince asked one of his 
men, "Who are these people?" The man told him that these were 
the canoes of the Steelhead Sahiion, who had come back from the two 
rivers, that they moved early in the spring, and that they were now 
on their way home. 

Soon they came to another large town, tli(^ village of the Hiunpback 
Salmon. The chii^f ( )f the Spring Salmon told them that his scouts had 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 197 

brought good tidings from the Skeena and Nass Kivers; and the chief 
of the Humpback Sahnon repHed, "We will go up Skeena and Nass 
Rivers after the Steelhead Salmon have passed." They went on 
their way, and came to another village, the houses of which were 
carved in the form of the rainbow. The prince asked who tliese 
peojile were, and they told him tliat it was the town of the Dog 
Sahnon. The chief told them also that his scouts had brought good 
tidings from Skeena and Nass Rivers: and the chief of the Dog 
Salmon replied, "We will go after the Iliunpback Salmon have 
passed." They went on their way, and came to a large town, the 
towii of the Cohoes Salmon. The caiwings on their houses were 
curious hooked noses. The Spring Salmon told the t'ohoes Sahnon 
that he had good tidings from the Nass and Skeena Rivers; and the 
chief of the Cohoes said, "We will wait mitil late in the fall, just 
before there is ice on the rivei-s." They went on their way; and 
after they had traveled a short distance, they came to a very large 
village, the village of the Trout. Their houses wei'e carved with 
stars. The chief of the Spring Salmon told them that he had good 
t idings from the Nass and .Skeena Rivers ; and therefore the chief of 
the Trout said, "Chief, will you wait for us a couple of days, so that 
we may get ready to move udth you?" The Spring Salmon con- 
sented to wait for a couple of days. Soon they got ready, and the 
cliief of the Trout wanted to go ahead of the Spring Sahnon. The 
Spring Salmon agreed to this, anil the Trout went ahead. The 
Spring Salmon moved along .slowly; and as soon as they reached just 
outside of the Skeena and Nass Rivei-s, just inside of Douglas and 
Stephens Islands, they rested for a while. 

Then the chief stood up in his canoe and said to his people, "Now 
I will question j^ou, and you shall answer me;" and so he asked the 
jH'ople in the first canoe, "Which way will you go ?" and many canoes 
replied, "We wiU go up Nass River." Then the chief said, "Oh, 
many of you are just like bones found on a sandbar in Nass River." 

Then he questioned another company: "^Miich way will you go ?'' 
and they repUed, "We wnW go up Ksdal River." — "Oh," said the 
chief, "your flesh is harder than wood." 

Then he turned to a third company: ""N-VTiich way wiU you go?" 
They replied, "We will go up G'itslEmga'lon." Then the chief said, 
"Go to those that will carry you there and that will throw you on 
t he gromid ! " ' 

Then he turned to the fourth company and said, "And which way 
will you go?" The fourth company rephed, "We will go to the 
canyon of the G"its!ala'sEr." Then the first three companies rephed, 
"Go there! Your ears shall be full of maggots." 

1 TrauslaTion not certain: SEm-ga <izEt wil ^algaldza'sEm; ada dEm sa^oi ia'ras xdzilaga'sEm. 



198 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 31 

The chief was very glad, for many <if his company wore going with 
him to the canyon of G'itsIala'sEr. Then the four companies sepa- 
rated, each going to its own camp. All the Spring Salmon went on 
their way. 

Now the chief's company in his large canoe was at the mouth 
of Skeena Kiver, together with the prince. TVTien they were close 
to the mouth of Skeena River, they rested for some time. 

Now I will go back to the beginning. ^Mien day came, after the 
prince had left his fathcu-'s house, the people searched for him in the 
daylight. Then the fatlier of the prince assembled all tlu^ sliamans 
in his house, and he said to them, "I want you to let me know Avhether 
my son is dead or ahve." Then all the shamans of G"its!ala'sEr each 
worked his own spell, but none of them could explain to the chief what 
had happened. The chief and his chieftainess were very sad. There 
was only one great shaman left on the other side of the village. The 
chief spoke to his attendants, and said, "Go and bring that great 
shaman here!" So they went, calletl him, and took with them much 
property to present it to the great shaman. He was called Nes- 
wa-ye'°tk. 

Then the shaman went with all his companions; and when he came 
in, those who accompanied him arranged a seat for him. He put on 
his crowTi of grizzly-bear claws, put eagle's down in the crown, put on 
his dancmg-apron, and red paint on his face. He was quite naked, 
and took his rattle in his right hand and the white tail of an eagle in 
his left hand. Then he began to sing, and all his companions struck 
batons against a cedar board which lay in front of them. The great 
shaman was dancing around the finv 

As soon as his three songs were ended, he stood still in front of the 
father and mother of the prince who had been lost. 

He said to the father and mother, "Your boy is not dead. He is 
alive, and lives in the house of the Salmon people." Then th(^ father 
took a little comfort, and the shaman sang agam. He ran around the 
fire; and after another three songs, he stood still again, and said, 
"The Spring Salmon took away your son. He is now in the house of 
the Spring Salmon chief; for your wife was angry with the boy because 
he took a little piece of her large dried spiing salmon ; and if you do 
not eat the dried spring salmon, your son will not come back this 
spring. As soon as you eat the dried sprmg salmon which you have 
kept for two full years in your box, the chief of the Spring Salmon 
will get better, and then your boy will come back with him." Thus 
spoke the great shaman to the father and to the mother of the prince. 
After that he went to his own home on the other side of the canyon. 

Now, the parents of the prince took their dried salmon and ate it all. 
Not many days after the gi'eat shaman had done tlais, the jirince's 



BOAS] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 199 



father invited the same shaman to come and to use all his spells. He 
did the same as before; and after he had danced, he told the boy's 
parents that the chief of the Spring Salmon was now better, and that 
he would start soon to bring the boy up the river. He continued, 
"Now I will give you my advice again. Give orders to all your brave 
men who know how to fast in order to catch animals, and who have 
eaten 'medicine,' to obtain tlus power throughout the winter. I 
will give the same orders to my own tribe; and you yourself keep away 
from your wife until the spring salmon stop running up the river. I 
shall use my spells every day in your house. Let all the old women 
work on the salmon nets. Do not allow young women to touch the 
twine if their Uves are unclean. Thus let every age have its own 
duty. Then let all the old men make new poles to be used this 
spiing — those who are ready to fast." Thus said the groat shaman 
to the prince's father. 

Therefore the father gave orders to his brave men and to the old 
women. Now the shaman ordered his own people to do the same, 
and therefore the two tribes made ready for the arrival of the spring 
salmon; and they also made ready their platforms on the side of a 
steep rock alongside of the canyon of G'its!ala'sEr. 

Now the great shaman came to the chief's house almost every 
evening, accompanied by all his friends. He tried to find out whether 
the spring salmon would arrive soon. Now the spring was coming: 
and as soon as the ice was floating in the river, the shaman said to all 
the people who had assembled in the cliief 's house, ' ' I have seen in my 
vision the chief of the Spring Salmon, and all his people accompanying 
him, leaving their village today, together with the prince." The 
great shaman was dancing every day. After eight days had passed, 
he said, "Now they have arrived at the mouth of Skeena River. The 
chief of the Spring Salmon wants to rest at the mouth of the river 
for a while." 

Now we will return to the Spring Salmon. While they were 
resting at the mouth of Skeena River, the Spring Sahnon cliildren 
said, "Let us keep together and go up the (mdlmlnEm.?) \" Soon the 
time came, and the Spring Salmon moved up the river slowly. They 
went up farther and farther, until they reached the mouth of the 
canyon of G'itsIala'sEr. There they rested again. 

Now, the shaman had seen in his vision that the spring salmon 
were resting at the mouth of the canyon. Therefore he ordered all 
the people to make haste and to go down to their platforms antl to 
have then- nets and poles ready. They all went down qiuckly, and each 
put down his pole with the net at one end. Then the great shaman 
went down himself with his pole on his shoulder. He was sitting on 
his platform, and he put down liis pole with the net at one end. 
The prince's father also went down. Then the people caught many 



200 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. HI 

spring salmon. Tho shaman, however, had none, but the father of 
the prmce caught many. Then the cliief of the Sprmg Sahnon sa\v 
the net of the gi'eat shaman on one side of the canyon, and stretching 
to the other side.' So the Sahnon chief saw that he had no way to 
go up through the canyon; and he said to the prmce, "Now, my son, 
don't let your father dry my flesh! Let him invite the people of all 
ages, and let them eat my flesh at once, and he shall tlirow my bones 
into the fire. Then he shall drink fresh water as soon as he has eaten 
me." Thus spoke the Spring Salmon. 

Then he went tlirough the net of the great shaman. Therefore 
the shaman felt liis ne1>hne shake, and so he pulled up his net easily. 
He looked down to the lower end of lus pole, and, behold! a large 
spring salmon was in liis net. Therefore he shouted, so that his 
companions might come and help him. Two men came, and they 
pulled up the salmon on the shaman's platform. When he got tho 
salmon on his platform, the shaman's supernatural helper came to 
him on liis platform, and saiil to him, "That is the cliief of the Spring 
Sahnon, with the lost prince in his stomach. Don't club him hard, 
lest the prince should be hurt!'' Thus said the shaman's super- 
natural helper. "Lay the Salmon down easily, so that the prince 
may not be hurt!" 

He took the large Spring Salmon out of the bag net and put it 
down easily on the platform. Then he said to his companions, "Go 
to the village and tell the people that I caught the cliief of the Spring 
Salmon who took away tho young prince, and call four old shamans 
to be my helpers, and bring down a new cedar-bark mat and bird's 
down and my bag of red ocher, also my rattle and my crown of 
grizzly-bear claws, my dancing-apron, and the white eagle tail." 
They went, and they shouted, "The great shaman has caught in 
his bag net the chief of the Spring Salmon, who carried away our 
prince!" 

Therefore all the people assembled around the two men who 
brought the good tidings. They also said, "Let four old shamans 
go down to his platform to help liini carry up the large Sahnon to the 
cliief's house. Also take a new cedar-bark mat, red ocher, eagle's 
down, his dancmg-apron, his crown of bear's claws, his rattle, and 
his wliite eagle tail." So the four shamans went down and spread 
out the new cedar-bark mat. The great shaman put on his apron 
and his crown of bear's claws. He took liis rattle in liis right hand, 
and the eagle tail in his left. The four shamans were ah'eady dressed 
before they went on the platform. Then they took the four corners 
of the cedar-bark mat on wliich the large salmon had been placed, 
and walked up slowly. The great shaman went ahead of them, 
shaking his rattle and swinging his eagle tail, going in front of the 

1 Translation uncertain. 



BOASJ TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 201 

four shamans who were curnnjig the hirge Spring Salmon on the mat. 
Before entering the cliief s house, he ordered all the young people to 
come out, for they were all unclean. He let all the aged people enter 
in front of the large Spring Salmon; and he made all the shamans 
dress up, men and women. Then the crowd moved into the house, 
and the chief laid a good-sized cedar board in the center of the house. 
Then all the old men and women were ready. The male and female 
shamans were dressed up, and came in after the large Salmon had 
been placed on the new cedar board. All the shamans marched around 
the fire four times. All the singers were ready, sitting around the 
house. Then the great shaman said, "Let two very old women 
shamans get ready to cut this great cliief Spring Sahnon ! " Then 
two very old women took up theii- large mussel-shell knives (these 
were very useful in olden times), and the whole assembly kept silence. 
Then one of the old women shamans said, "I will call the names of 
this chief of the Spring Salmon:"' and she began to call, ''My dear 
chief Spring Salmon, named Quartz Nose, named Two Gills On Back, 
named Lightning Following One Another, named Three Jumps!" 

Xow they l>egan to cut the large Spring Salmon along its big 
stomach. They cut along easily, and took out the large stomach; 
and one of the women cut the large Salmon, and the other cut open 
the large stomach. "VMien she opened it, behold ! a small chUd was in 
it. She took it up easily, and the great shaman began to smg, while 
all the other shamans, male and female, swung their rattles. The 
singers were singing as loud as they coidd, and the great shaman was 
running around the small child. It was the size of a span from the 
middle finger to the thumb. 

While the shamans were working around the prince, he began to 
grow very quickly, not as childi'en grow up nowadays. He came to 
be of his former size. 

Then he told his story — how the Sprmg Salmon had taken him 
away the same night when he left his father's home; and he told his 
father's people how he reached the village of the Salmon. He con- 
tinued, "'I did not know where I was until the old Mouse Woman 
came to my side and asked for my ear-ornaments. Then she told 
me as follows: 'This is the town of the Spring Salmon which you see. 
The chief was sick for two years, until j^ou took him out of your 
mother's box. Tlien he was a little better. Therefore he sent his 
attendants when your mother was angry with you.'" And he told 
his story right along — how he had lived at the to^v^l of the Spring 
Sahnon until the chief was quite cured, and how the chief sent his 
people often to Skeena River to see if salmon (that is, the leaves of 
Cottonwood) were in the river, until the messengers brought the news 
that the season had arrived. Then they moved, and first passed the 
town of the Silver Salmon, to whom the chief gave the good news 



202 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [btu. ANN. 31 

from Skeena River — how they went on and passed the town of the 
Humpback Sahnon, and how the chief told them the news from 
Skeena River; how they went on and passed the village of the Dog 
Salmon, and told them the same stoiy ; how they went on and passed 
the village of the Cohoes chief, and told them the news; how they 
went on and passed the town of the Trout, and how aU the Trout had 
asked Chief Spring Salmon to wait until they themselves were ready 
to go ahead of the Spring Salmon, to which the chief had consented; 
how they waited there two days and met the Steelhead Sahnon 
coming from the rivers, when the ice was still on the rivers, who 
told them that it was good weather on the Skeena and Nass Rivers 
and about the fishing; how they rested between two islands; and 
how the chief had asked aU his people where they would camp, 
and how they had answered him what rivers they chose; and how 
they had come to the mouth of the canyon and had seen all the 
bag nets at the sides of the canyon ; how some nets had been well 
open and others closed. He continued, "'Only the net of the great 
shaman was wide open, and reached from one side of the canj'on to 
the other end of the other side. Therefore my Salmon father had 
no way to go up any farther."' 

All his father's people listened in silence and astonishment. There- 
fore ho turned to his mother, and said, "Now, mother, don't keep 
dried salmon in your box any longer; and if any one cooks fresh 
salmon of any kind, throw the bones into the fire and drink sis soon 
as you finish eating. Then the salmon wall go home, and will revive 
again safely.'' The father kept the prince in his house. 

The prince kept a little round pebble in his mouth, which his father 
Salmon had given him before they moved from then- town. Therefore 
the prince did not need any food after he had come home. 

One day the prince called four j^oung men, who were to be his com- 
panions; and he loved them very much, and they loved him also. 
The prince staid in his father's house for a long time. He began 
again his old occupation of making arrows with eagle's feathers, and 
therefore eagle feathers were very useful to him. Therefore one day 
he went out with his four friends to his eagle trap, which he used to 
make, digging a deep pit, with some small pieces of wood across the 
opening of the pit. They put the bait on top, and some man would 
stand in the pit. As soon as the eagle saw the bait, he would swoop 

1 Before the spring salmon went up the river, the Tslmshian moved from Nass River to Sljeena River. 
All the Tslmshian tribes went to Skeena River for their salmon fishinf^. When they reached the mouth of 
Skeena River, they saw the spring sahnon jumping. Then the Tslmshian children shouted, saying, 
"Ayuu, do it again!" and every time they saw salmon jump, they shouted, ".4 j/«u/" The prince ex- 
plained this to his father's people at G'itsIala'sEr when he came home. That which we call the jumping 
of salmon Is no jumping, but the salmon were just standing up in the canoe to stretch their bodies; and 
when the Salmon hear the children or the people shout "Ayuu, do it again!" they are very glad to 
hear them shout "Ayuu, do it again!" When the salmon stop jumping, the people say, "We will 
catch you tonight in our nets!" Sonowadays the people, when they see salmon jumping, shout, "Ayuul" 
to make the salmon happy. --Henry W. Tate. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS . 203 

down upon it to take it, and the eagle's feet would sink down. Then 
the man in the pit would take the feet of the eagle and club it. Some- 
times they would catch many in this way hi a single day, and they 
used their feathers. The four young men did not know what kind 
of bait the prince used; and one day they went again, as they had 
been doing for many days before. There was one among the young 
men who loved the prince more than the other three, and whom the 
prmce also loved. Before they went to the eagle trap, the pruace 
called this youth, and took out of his mouth the small stone and put 
it into the mouth of his beloved friend. Then they went on; and 
as soon as they arrived at the place where the trap was, the three 
men went into hiding, and the fourth one went down into the pit, 
ready to catch eagles, as usual. Tlie prince hunself lay down at the 
openmg of the trap, and became like a small sjjriug salmon, A-ery 
pretty to look at, and shinmg brightly. Tlien a large hawk which 
flew high up in the air looked dowm for hi.s prey, and saw a nice little 
sprmg salmon on the ground below. Therefore he turned his wings 
down rapidly and picked up the small spring salmon by the throat 
and flew away quickly. Behold! there was the young prince dead 
on Ivis eagle trap, his mouth full of blood. ~\ATien the j'oung men, 
his companions, saw this, they wept bitterly, and his friends took 
him down to his father's house. Then all his people mourned over 
him for many days. 

At the end of the mourning-season the whole village took him to 
his grave. They put the cofTm in the same place where he had been 
taken away when he had taken the shape of a spring salmon. They 
put the coffm on fouir strong poles to protect it from the wolves. 

When night came, the four friends staid under the coffm. About 
midnight one man loft his companions and went home, and three 
remained. At midnight another man went home, and two remained. 
Then after midnight the third man went home, and only one remained. 
He was the one who loved the prince most in his heart. 

Before daylight he thought he heard the sound of people coming up 
the river in canoes and talking to one another. Soon the canoes 
reached tlie beach in front of the place where they were. The people 
went up to where the coffin was. Three men stood at the foot end, 
and one of them climbed up to the coffm. lie loosened the rope 
aromid the collln and opened it. Then he said, "Dear prince, your 
father the chief sent us to take you down to him." Thus spoke the 
man who had climbed up. Then the prince arose, and went down 
laughing for joy, and his beloved friend stood there speechless. 
Tlie men helped the prince down from the cofTin. 

Then the prince's friend went to him and said, "My dear prince, 
I am here. Don't go with those men! Come down with me to your 
(nvn father's house!" The prince, however, took no notice of him. 



204 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

They went down to the canoe, ami the prince went aboard with tliem. 
Then the friend jumped aboard. The four men, however, did not 
see him, and the prince also did not see him. They paddled away 
happy, and their hearts full of joy. The man was very anxious to 
talk to the prince, and went to him in the canoe, sat down by his 
side, and said, "My dear prince, did you know that I came aboard 
with your' but the prince took no notice of him at all. Therefore 
the man began to cry. 

Now the prince said to the men who took him in the canoe, "Pull 
hard! I feel somethino; touching me on my right side." Thej' 
pulled liard. 

The prince's friend was angry with those men who wei'c takmg 
away the prince, and he saw that they all had aroiuid then* tliroats 
large wreaths of cedar bark. Therefore he went to the steersman, 
took the big red thing arountl his tliroat, and pressed it between his 
hands. Then the steersman fainted. The young man left him and 
went to the others and did the same, until he had done so to all of 
them. As soon as he let go, each man revived. Therefore they 
paddled away hard to get home. When they reached there, the 
whole village of the Salmon people greatly rejoiced, and the friend 
of the prince was astonished to see them. 

They took the prince into the chief's house, where there were a 
great number of Salmon jx^ople. The prince's friend stood outside. 
No one took notice of him. Therefore he was thinking of his own 
home, and stood outside crying. When he stopped crying, he wiped 
the tears from his eyes down his cheeks with the palm of his hand. 
Then he felt something in his own mouth. Beliold! it was the small 
pebble which the prince had put into his mouth before they had 
gone to the eagle trap. Therefore he took the stone out of his own 
mouth and offered it to the ])rince, who was seated l)y a large fire, 
where he was eating. The young man took the small pebble and 
put it into the prince's mouth. Then the prince looked around, and 
saw his friend sitting by his side. lie put his arm around his neck, 
and said to him, ' ' Did you come along with me '( ' ' The youth replied, 
"Yes, I came along with you, my beloved prince." 

Then the prince saitl to his friend, "If you are liungry, go beliind 
the village, and you will see the children playing on the sand-hill. 
Take one of them and club it. Make a fire and roast it whole; and 
when you have eaten enough, throw the remains into the fire, bones 
and all, and drink fresh water." 

None of the Salmon people knew that the young man was there, 
only the prince. At night they lay dowai in one bed to sleep, and 
they were talking together, ^\^aenever he was hungiy, the young 
man did what the prince had told him. 

On the following day the prince asked liis friend, "Did you hear 
the drum which is alwavs being beaten at the end of the village?" 



BOiS) TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 205 

"Yes," he replied. "They are danchig. If you want to see them, 
go down and look up. Don't go in! Just look in at a knot-hole. 
Take %\ith you leaves of a small hemlock tree, and put them into the 
knot-hole." Therefore the man went; and when he reached in 
front of the large house, he heard a drum and singing, and he looked 
with one eye tlirough the knot-hole. lie saw that the house was 
full of eagle down, and all the Salmon people were dancing, wearing 
garments set with abalone shells. 

When he took his eye away from the knot-hole, it was full of 
heri'ing spawn. Then he put the hemlock branch through the knot- 
hole; and when he ])ulled it out, it was full of herring spawn. He 
ate it and went home. Tiie prince iisked him, "^Vlicre have you 
been all tliis time?" and he told him tliat he had been to see the 
dancers. 

Now the man had been there a long time. One day he felt home- 
sick for his parents and his village, and he cried all day long. Then 
the prince came to him and asked liim why he was crying, and he 
told him that he was homesick for his parents and brothers and 
sisters. Therefore the prince said. "I will take you up there after 
. a while, early in sjiring; for now the ice covers aU the rivers, and no 
one can go up .Skeena River until the ice is melted." The prince 
tried in every way to comfort him. They went to the place behind 
the village; and the prince said to his friend, "I -will take you to the 
mouth of Skeena River, and then I will go back. I will stay here 
as long as my Sahnon father is ahve. You shall tell tliis story in my 
father's house when you get home. My Salmon fatlier also said to 
me, 'When the people of the canyon cut the spring salmon, let them 
cut the head first, and the tail also, but don't let them break the 
tail off with the liand. Just cut it right through with the mussel- 
shell knife. Diui't use a stone or bone Ijlade. Otherwise thunder 
and hghtning and heavy rains will come upon them anil })ring dis- 
aster to your people.' " After the prmce had spoken, the man said, 
■'My dearly beloved prmce, I do not want to leave you here. I 
want you to go back with me to our home, lest your relatives and 
your father make complaint against me if you do not come back 
with me." 

Therefore the prince spoke again, and said, "I will go back with 
you: and as soon as I arrive at home, I shall die, and then I shall 
stay wdth my gi'antlfather ami liis people." The friend compelled 
liiin to go home with Mm. At the end of theu- talk they went into 
the cliief's house. That was the winter-time, and the prince always 
said to Ms friend tliat he should club one of the cMklren beMnd the 
town whenever he was hungry, and so Ms friend did so all winter long. 
Early in spring the prince spoke to the Salmon people. "O father! 
I wish to go as a scout and to see if there are any salmon in Skeena 



20R TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. HI 

River." Tliorcforo the Sabnoii father invited all his pc^ople into his 
house, and told them what his adopted son had said; and all the 
Salmon were glad, because the prince was wise. Early the next 
morning they took the prince down to a new canoe. Tliey launched 
it, and the}' all went aboard, together with the prince and Ms friend. 
Then the Salmon people paddled; and as soon as they arrived at the 
mouth of Skeena River, they saw the ice floating down, therefore 
they could not go any farther. 

Then the prince said to his companions, "Let us try to go a little 
farther up;" and the young people pulled very hard to get ahead, 
but they were liindered by floating ice. Soon they arrived at the 
mouth of G"its!Emgal6n River. Then the prince said to his friend, 
"You go ashore here antl walk up to the village." They both cried 
for a while, and then separated, their hearts full of sorrow because 
they were never to meet again. The young man stood on shore, 
weeping. Then the canoe of the prince went down river quickly, 
and the young man lost sight of it. Therefore he went up to his 
own town ; and when he arrived there, his parents were glad of his 
coming. Ilis father called all the people; and when they were all in, 
the young man told his storj' — how the Spring Sabnon had taken 
the body of the prince, and that he was living there now, that he had 
gone with him in the canoe of the Spring Salmon. He continued, 
"He did not know me at first; and when we reached the place, I 
remembered that he put a small pebble into my mouth, so I put it 
back into his mouth. Then he knew that I was with Mm. He still 
loved me, but the SaMion people did not see me at all." Moreover, 
he told the people that the prince would not come back any more, 
because the Spring Salmon loved Mm, and that many of the young 
Salmon people loved Mm much. He also told the people what advice 
the prince had given, to be very careful in cutting the spring salmon 
when cutting off the head and the tail, and that if th(\v broke the 
backbone at the head or tail, then thunder and lightmng would burn 
up the mountains and the village; and he said, "Don't use stone or 
bone knives, because tliis will make heavy rsiins and the rivers will 
overflow." Furthermore, he said to them, "Don't let the people 
keep salmon in their boxes when it is dry, lest there be no salmon 
the following summer;" but he also told them how flic Herrings 
were dancing every day, and how beautiful the houses of all the 
Salmon were; that the Spring Salmon had carved houses, and also 
Silver Salmon, Humpback Salmon, T>og Salmon, Cohoes Sahnon, and 
Steelhead Salmon, but that the houses of Trout were carved bet- 
ter than all the others; that the Spring Salmon were the cMefs 
of all the Salmon, and that their town was way out at sea, and so on; 
and that all the tribes of Salmon were people. TMs is the end. 
They have always kept the story of the prince antl the Salmon. 



boas] tsimshian myths • 207 

28. The Town of Chief Peace ^ 

In a village at Metlakahtla lived a great chief. His chieftainess 
was a great noblewoman; and although the cliief had many wives, 
he loved her most, for she was a princess, the daughter of the chief 
of another village. Therefore her husband loved her and honored 
her. 

Many years had passetl since they were married, and stiU she had 
no cliildren; but when she was getting old, she conceived and bore 
him a son. They loved him very much. Soon he grew up ; and when 
he was a young man, everybody loved hi in . 

The father wished his son to marry, and therefore the young man 
was married to a princess. His father gave away much property to 
the relatives of the prmcess; and the princess's relatives — her uncle 
and also her father — gave him four costly coppers, elk skins, boxes 
of crabapples, boxes of cranberries mixed with grease, and all kinds 
of food. The young man loved liis wife, and all his people loved her. 

The princess, however, was downcast because her husband was a 
great gambler. Every day he would go to the gambUng-house, and 
he would join the gamblers. Sometimes he lost much. At other 
times he won. His wife would stay at home. Soon the princess gave 
birth to a child. 

One day the prince went, as he was used to doing, to the gambUng- 
house, and he gambled and lost all his property, and he lost all his 
father's property — his costly coppers, liis large canoes, and liis 
slaves — and he lost also his father and his mother and his wife and 
his httle boy. Late in the evening he came home. He was very 
sorry on account of what he had done to his good family. 

As soon as liis wife saw him enter, she arose and took a dried 
salmon; but the young man was silent. Ho stared into the fire Uke 
one dumb. His wife roasted the sabnon, cut it, and put it in a large 
dish and placed it before her husband; but the prince did not take 
any notice of it, for he felt distressed because he had lost all his 
property and liis family. Therefore he kept silent. The dish 
remained untouched in front of him. When it was late in the evening, 
the woman scolded because her husband did not eat the salmon 
which she had prepared for him. Therefore she took the dish away, 
and said, "You ought to eat the salmon of the daughter of Cliief 
Peace." She was angiy, and threw the dish with the salmon into 
the fire. 

Then the ^''oung man's heart was full of sorrow. He arose and 
went to bed and lay down there. He thought that he would not be 

I The people have a little story about a village on an island way out in the ocean, in which a great ehiel 
is said to live, Chief Pea^e. He is said to have a very beautiful daughter called Peace Woman, a very 
beautiful girl; and many princes tried to marry her, but they could not reach her touTi, because it is too 
far away from the mainland. They could not find their way back from her home, and they all perished on 
their way out on the ocean. — Henby W. T.4te. — Xotes, p. 779. 



208 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (hini. ann. .'il 

able to endure the shame of staying at home. Therefore he decided 
to leave the house wliilo the people were asleep. He arose from his 
bed, took mountain-goat fat and some tobacco to chew, and some 
small coppers. Then, before going out, he went to one of liis father's 
slaves, and said toliim that he was leaving liis father's house because 
he was angry. Then ho went away quickly, without waiting for an 
answer. 

As soon as he had gone, the great slave shouted, "Master, master, 
your son has gone away!" The cliief said, "Where did he go?" 
The slave repUed, "He left just now. He told me that he was going 
to leave you and your people." Therefore the chief said, "Go out 
and call my tribe. Tell them that my beloved son has left my 
house, being angry." 

So the slave went out and shouted, "My master's sou has left full 
of anger." Therefore the whole tribe arose; the people took their 
torches of pitch wood and of olaohen, and searched in the woods and 
on the beach and in the water. 

The young prince, however, had gone straight behind his father's 
house, and he came down at the beach on the other side. He walked 
around the sandy shore of the bay until he came to a point of land. 
There he sat down at the foot of a spruce tree; and while he was there 
he heard a canoe rounding tlie point. Then he heard the crew saying, 
"This is the place!" He remained sitting there. Then he heard 
them come ashore toward him. Behold! two men stood in front of 
hun, who said, "Prince, come down to our canoe and go with us! 
We have come to take you home. " So the prince went down to thiiir 
canoe to accompany them, and the two men asked him to lie down 
and to sleep. 

He obeyed, and the two men paddled very hard ami soon reached 
their master's village. There they woke the ])rince, who had been 
asleep all the way. When the young man awoke, behold! ho saw a 
a great town and many people. He went ashore, and some })eople 
guided him to the chief's house. There he sat down on one side of 
the fii'e, and many people came m. As soon as he was sitting there, 
some one touched Ids side, and said, "My dear, throw your ear- 
ornaments into the fire!" He did so. This was the Mouse Woman, 
who asked liim, "Do you know who has brought you here?" He 
rophed, "No." Then shesaid, "This is the town of Chief Peace. He 
has a beautiful daughter." The Mouse Woman contuuied asking 
hun, "Have you a little fat, tobacco, or a small piece of copper?" 
The prince said, "Yes, I have fat, and tobacco, and copper." Then 
the Mouse Woman said, "Ask the chief's attendants to spread a mat 
in front of the chief and the chieftainess and the three uncles of bis 
daughter; and then throw the fat on the mat, and also the tobacco. 
Then the small amount of fat will enlarge on the mats, and after- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 209 

ward take the small coppers and break them to pieces. Tlirow 
these down also in front of the great chief and his wife and the girl's 
uncles." Thus spoke the Mouse Woman, and she went away. 

Presently the prince said to the chief's attendants, "Spread two 
mats in front of the chief, two mats in front of the chief tainess, and 
two before each of the three uncles of the gnl." The attendants 
did as they were told ; and the i^rince first tlu-ew a httle fat on the mat 
hi front of the chief, and it became a great pile. He also threw 
tobacco on the other mat, and the tobacco became a great pile. He 
did the same hi front of the chieftamess and of the three uncles of the 
girl. After he had thrown down the fat and the tobacco, he threw 
a piece of copper m front of the chief, and it became a large costly 
copper. He threw down four pieces. Then he tlxrew two pieces of 
copper down in front of the chieftainess, and two each in front of the 
three uncles of the daughter of Chief Peace. 

Wlien he had done so. Chief Peace said to his attendants, "Bring 
down my only daughter, and let her sit by the side of the prince! 
She shall become his wife." And the chief invited all his people, 
and the prince was mamed to the cliief's daughter. The girl loved 
him very much, and his father-in-law loved both of them. 

Sometimes the young man would go to get wood; but his father- 
in-law would not allow him to get fu'ewood, for he had many slaves 
to do so. The chief gave to his daughter the two great slaves who 
had brought the prince to his house to be the slaves of the young 
couple. 

One day the prince went around the island crying, for he felt home- 
sick for his parents. Late in the evening he came back home to his 
father-ua-law's house, and he went right up to his bed and lay down 
to weep. Then his beautiful wife came to him and asked him why 
he was weepmg, whether there was anything wi'ong between them 
or between hun and her father. The man replied, "No, not so. I 
am weU satisfied with your father's kinchiess to me." Then he told 
her that he felt homesick for his father and mother at home. The 
princess did all she could to comfort him. 

On the follownug morning his father-in-law said, "Start the fire, 
slaves! " They Ughted the fire. Then he asked his daughter, "What 
makes my son-in-law so sad this morning?" The young woman 
replied, "He longs for his parents." Then the chief said, "Oh, it is 
notavery long way off. I shall send you back soon. Early tomoiTOw 
morning I shall send my whole tribe out to hunt ; and if they are suc- 
cessful, I shall let you go day after tomorrow, and you will reach 
home on the following day." 

So on the followuig morning, quite early, all the people of the tribe 
went out hunting; and when the sun rose ui the east, they came home 
one by one. Some brought whales; others, sea lions, seals, halibut, 
.50633°— 31 ETH— 16 14 



210 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

and all kinds of fishes. When they were all at home, they gave the 
animals and the fishes to then- chief; and the chief invited all his 
people, to teU them that his son-m-law was to leave tlic followuig 
mornhxg for his own native land; and he also said to his daughter, 
"Wlien you have no food in winter, tell your husband to ask his 
wood-(^^-aiver3 to make a good long cane six fathoms long of <ash. 
You will need six digging-sticks.' Also let them make a large board 
four fathoms long and two fathoms wide." 

'V\nien the feast was over, the people all went home, and on the 
following morning they took down two large canoes. Both ends of 
these canoes were carved ui the fonu of the mouth of an animal, and 
all the large flat-beamed canoes were cars^ed with figures of otters. 
Then the people took dowii to the canoes the whale blubber that they 
had brought the day before; and when the two canoes were full of 
whale blubber, the chief took hold of them by the stern and shook 
them, and the whale blubber decreased in bulk. Then they loaded 
the canoes with blubber of sea hons; and when they were full, the 
chief took hold of them by the stern and shook them, and the sea- 
lion blubber decreased in bulk. Next they loaded them with seal 
blubber; and when the canoes were full, the chief took hold of them 
by the stern and shook them, and the seal blidjber became less. 
Then they loaded them with all kinds of fish, and so the canoes were 
filled with many kinds of fishes. Then the people took down a large 
board, put it acrt)ss the two canoes, and spread garments of sea otters 
over the boards. The two young people were made to sit on these; 
and the chief said to his daughter, "My dear, when you hear the 
thwarts, the stem, or the bow of the canoes creak, or if they stop 
gomg, then you must know that they are hungry, and you must feed 
them with seal blubber. Feed the bow and the stern half a seal each. 
And when they have eaten your seals, whistle. " After he had given 
this advice to her, he shook the two large canoes, and he whistled. 
Then the canoes moved and went on rapitUy toward sunrise. 

They went a long way, then they stopped ; and aUthe thwarts, the 
bow, and the stern made a great noise. The princess said to her 
husband, "Feed them!" The prince did so; aaid soon after he had 
fed them, he whistled, and they went on. Four times the two canoes 
rested on their way across the sea. 

Early on the following morning it was cahn and foggy. Then 
they arrived in front of the village of Metlakahtla; and when the 
fog vanished, the people of the viUago came forth, and, behold! the 
large canoes anchored in front of the village. 

The village people asked those in the canoes, ""\Miat kind of people 
are you ?" Soon the young man arose, and said, "Did not a prince 



1 We call this a digging-stick. In those days they were used for digging clams or digging the ground. 
It was a pole sharp at each end. Sometimes they would also kill people with it. A clam-digging stick is 
not very long, three or four feet, but the chief told him to make it six fathoms long.— Henby W. Tate, 



BuAs] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 211 

go away from home years ago, being angry ? ' ' Then all the people in 
the village were full of joy. Some cried, some shouted, and some 
were amazed. They aU went down to the beach to call the canoes 
ashore; and when they came there, they took the blanket on which 
the princess was seated and put it down at the edge of low water. 
Then she stood near the stern of the two canoes, and aU the people 
carried up the fishes from the canoes; and when the fishes were all 
out, the princess shook the canoes, and they were full of seals, and 
they carried these up to the chief's house. When the seals were all 
out, she shook thcni again, and they were full of sea-lion blubber, and 
the people carried tliis up to another house; and after they were 
empty of the sea-hon blubber, she shook them again, and they were 
fuU of whale blubber, and the people of the village filled another 
house with the whale blubber. Four houses were filled with pro- 
visions which they had brought home. 

After this the young people of the tribe took up the plank; but 
before the young men took up the plank, the princess shook the stern 
of the large canoes and whistled, and the canoes went back rapidly 
to theu' home out in the ocean. 

The young men took up the plank with the prince and the princess 
seated on it, lifting it above their heads, and put it down by the side 
of the chief's great fire. 

The princess Peace Woman wore a large plume behind her ear, 
and she was always carrjang her pretty little root basket from which 
she drank water. She would not allow any young man to fetch 
water for her except her husband. As soon as her husband came in 
from drawnng water, 'she took off the plume and dipped it into the 
water which her husband had just brought in, and the water dropped 
down in clear drops. Then she drank it. 

Now, the formiT wife of the young man tried in every way to talk 
to him, but he refused to do so; and his former wife tried to meet 
him, but the young man would take his son along. Peace Woman 
loved her husband's son. 

Not many days had passed when the people of different tiibes 
gathered to buy food from the prince who had just come back. They 
brought skins of elk, marten, and sea otter, canoes, raccoon skins, 
and all kinds of goods to buy provisions, and the young man became 
rich. Therefore he invited all the tribes and gave a great feast to all 
the chiefs, and gave away property and food; and he gave a great 
feast to his own tribe. Then all his goods were gone, and his pro- 
visions were exhausted. 

Just before fuU moon he told liis father's wood-carvers to make 
six digging-sticks, each six fathoms long. Therefore his six wood- 
workei-s went, and each of them made one stick. Late in the even- 
ing, when the}' had finished them, they came home. The princess 



212 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. .il 

examined the sticks that the woodworkers brought. Each had done 
his very best to make the best stick, and each brought a nicidy carved 
digging-stick info the chief's house. Tlie princess refused tliem, but 
she took the one made of ash. 

On the following morning some more woodworkers went, five in all. 
They made five digging-slicks of ash, and carved them as well as they 
could. They took them to the princess, who examined them. Now 
she had what she needed. The fii"st time each of the woodworkers had 
made his digging-stick out of other wood — one of spruce, another of 
hemlock, another of fir, another of maple, another of yeUow cedar. 
Therefore the princess refused them. They were not strong enough. 
The six digging-sticks of ash were red and strong and woidtl not 
break. 

Early the folloAS"ing morning they arose, and her husband said to 
his father's attendants, 'Take my vnfe down to the low-water line." 
Therefore the young men took her down on the same plank on wliich 
she had come. She took one of the long digging-sticks and put it 
down into the sand very deep. She took another one and put it 
do^^^l in the sanie way as the first one, and she did so with the rest 
of the six sticks. Then she leaned on the first stick. Behold! there 
was a large whale pierce<l through the back by the stick. She went 
to another one, leaned against it, and it had speared a great sea Uon. 
She went to the next one, leaned on it, and there was a seal; another 
one, and there was a large halibut; another one, and there was a 
large red cod; and when she leaned on the last stick, there was a 
great bullhead. After she had finished, the young men took her up 
to the house. The people of the whole village carved the great 
whale and cut off shces of blubber; and they carved the sea lion, 
seal, halibut, red cod, and bullhead. They carried them into the 
chief's house, and three houses were well fiUed. 

Then all the tribes of the Tsimshian heard of it, and they all came 
together to buy food: and the prince sold the whale blujjber and the 
sea-hon bhdjber and all the large fishes and seals; and when he had 
finished, his father's house was full of elk skins and all kinds of goods. 

On the following morning the young men carried her dow^l again to 
the low-water line. She was seated on the plank, and oth(>r young 
men took down her digging-sticks. She put the first one very deep 
into the ground, and then the other ones to the last one. Then 
Peace Woman went to the first stick, leaned on it, and there was a 
great whale. She went to the second one, there was another whale, 
and there was a whale at each of the six chgging-sticks. She put 
down the six digging-sticks again, and another six whales came up. 
Then she stopped. Now she stood on her board, and pointed out one 
large whale, which she gave to her father-in-law, and one whale to 
each of the four brothers of her mother-in-law (that is, to her hus- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 213 

hand's uncles), and another one she gave to her mother-in-law, and 
two whales she gave to her father-in-law's tribe, and two more to her 
husband's tribe, and two whales she gave to her owti husband. 

Xow all the people of the two tribes were busy with their own 
food. Then the people came along to buy provisions. The prince 
cut one whale and sold it. Another one he cut to be given away to 
the chiefs of all the Tsinishian tribes. Therefore when the appointed 
day came, he made a gi-eat feast for the chiefs of all thc^ tribes. He 
gave away much property, and one large whale which was cut into 
shces of blubber. 

Now, one day before evening the princess said to her husband, 
"Bring me some water!" So the prince took her root basket and 
went. His former wife was sitting by the side of the water, watcliing 
him secretly, and as soon as she saw bun coming, she hid in the 
bushes; and when the young man took the water, she rushed to 
liim from the bushes where she had been hidmg, took hold of him, 
and put both of lier hands around his l)ody, sa^^ing, '' ^Miat has made 
your heart hard against me, my dear? Take pity on me! Just say 
a word to me, and I shall be satisfied." The prince tried to escape 
from her, but she would not let him go. She hcdd hun, and finally 
the young man took pity on her and spoke to her.' Then the prince 
washed his water basket and went away quickly. 

As soon as he came in, his wife took tlie plume from behind her ear 
as she was accustomed to do. She put it do\\ii into the water, lifted 
it up, and, behold! it was full of all kinds of slime. Tlierefore she 
struck her husband in the face, and said, "Although you still love 
your former wife, yet you come to get me." She poured out the bad 
water, arose, and went out. Her husband followed her. She went 
down to the beach, and her husband went there also. She walked 
out on the water, and her husband also walked along on the water. 
The princess was walking on the "belt" of the water.- 

Together they walked on that line; and when they passed the 
islands, the princess said to him, "Go back to your former wife, lest 
I look back and you perish!" However, the young man followed 
her, running as fast as he could, and crving piteously as he was 
running. Often he would try to put liis hands around her; but he 
could not do it, because she had become like unto a cloud. Again 
and agam she said, "Go back, lest I look back and you perish!" 

Now, the youjig man saw the island of Chief Peace's village far 
ahead. Agam the. woman said, "Go back!" but the man said, "No, 
no, I will not go back, unless you come back with me." 

Then the princess looked back at liim, and at once he sank down 
to the bottom of the ocean and died there. Then Peace Woman 

1 Original : Su-g-a'wun da sa-qa-pa'*>J su-p!a'sEm ylo'^ta as nli'at, da wila du'mgEt wil waldEf . 

2 We call "belt "of tlie water a line tliat may be seen on the water "hen it is very calm. — TIenrv 
W. Tate. 



214 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. axx. ^1 

went ou weeping until she arrived at lier father's house on the island; 
and when she came in, she was weeping bitterly. 

Her father asked her, "'Why are you weeping, my dear daughter?" 
but she did not reply. Again the chief asked her, "Where is your 
husband, my dear daughter?" Then she told him that he had died 
in the sea when she looked back at him. Chief Peace was full of 
sorrow, because he loved his son-in-law; and after he had cried, he 
rebuked her for having Idlled her husband. Therefore he ordered 
his slaves to take down his long pole with the bag ni-t at one end. 
They did so. Then he said to his slaves, " Open the privy-hole between 
the door.and the fireplace." They opened it, and the chief took his 
net-pole, put it down into the hole, and after a wliile he hauled up 
the net. He had caught the backbone of liis son-in-law. He let down 
the net a httle longer, and the head came up with the bag net. He 
put them together in their proper places, and thcnlet the net down again, 
and he caught both arms. He let it down agaui, and ho caught thi^ 
hands. Again he let it down, and caught the legs. Ho let it down 
once more, and he caught the feet. Thus the chief brought up all 
the members of the body. He put them in their proper places; 
and when he had put theni in order on the wide plank, he leaped 
over the body of liis son-ui-law: and after he had done so four times, 
the prince arose, and the chief gave lum again to his daughter. 

So the j^omig princess was comforted, and she gave a great feast 
to her people ; and she told them how well pleased she was with her 
husband's relatives, how her father-in-law loved her as long as she 
had been with hun, and that also her mother-in-law loved her verv* 
much, and that the whole family had loved her. Therefore her 
father, Cliief Peace, was glad, and so were all his people. The prince 
said also, " I will not return to my owm home, but I will live here 
with my wife and with my father-in-law and my mother-in-law." 

29. Sucking Intestines' 

There was a gi-eat town at Metlakahtla, the town of the G"i-spa-x- 
la'°ts, called the Red-Bear YiUage (Lax-mEs-6'1), in which a great 
chief and chieftainess and the chief's nephew were living. The young 
man fell in love with the chieftainess. She loved him very much, 
and the young man loved her, but the chief did not know about it. 
The young man often went to her while the chief was away. 

jVfter a while she was with child, and the chieftainess resolved that 
she would pretend to die on behalf of her lover. So they agreed on 
this plan; and on the following day the chieftainess pretended to be 
very sick, because she loved the j'oung man better than her husband, 
and she wanted to marry that young man. 

She had not been sick many days when she said to her husband, 
"AVlien I die, bury me in a large box. Do not burn my body, l)ut 

1 Notes, pp. 634, 781. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 215 

]iut inj'^ horn spoon in my coffin, ami mv marten lilanket, and my 
fish-knifo." 

After a short tune she pretended to die. Then the whole tribe of 
the chief assembled and cried for her. The people made a large box 
to bury her. They put her into it, with two marten blankets and 
one sea-otter garment, and also many dozens of l:)eautiful horn 
spoons, and with her fish-knife. They put the coffin on the tree on 
the little island in front of the village. Now she pretended to be 
dead. 

For two nights the chief went to the little island, and sat right- 
under the coffin in wliich the chieftainess was lying, and wept. 
"Wliile he was there, he saw grubs falling down from the coffin. 
Then the chief thought, "Her body is full of gi'ubs," and this made 
hun cry bitterly ; but actually the chieftainess in the coffin was scraping 
her horn spoon with her fish-knife, and the scrapings of the horn 
spoon looked just like maggots. 

As soon as the chieftainess was in the coffin, the young man went 
to her every night while the village people were all asleep. He went 
over to the httle island, chmbed the tree, and kicked the cover off 
the coffin, saying, "Let me in, ghost!" Then the chieftainess would 
laugh in her coffin-bed, "Ha, ha! in your behalf I am pretending to 
make grubs out of myself." Then she opened the cover of the coffin. 
The man went in and lay down with her. The young man always 
went up to her every night, but the great chief did not know about 
it. He was still weeping, and no one could comfort him. 

One night another young man went to the little island where the 
chieftainess was, and was sitting with his sweetheart imder the chief- 
tainess's coffin. Then they saw a young man coming to the place 
where they were. They recogmzed the cliief's nephew, who chmbed 
up to the cliieftainess's coffin, kicked the cover, and said, "Let me 
in, ghost !" and they heai'd the chieftainess laugh in her coffin. They 
heard her reply, "Ha, ha! I am pretending to make grubs out of my- 
self." Then they saw the young man gomg into the coffin, and 
they heard them talking in the coffin. Before dayUght the chief's 
nephew came out of the coffin. 

Then they told the chief what they had seen; and he sent over his 
two attendants to watch the cliieftainess's coffin, and he gave them 
this command: "If it is true, throw down the coffin." Therefore 
the two attendants went to the island and watched the coffin; and 
while the people of the village were asleep, they saw a man coming 
over. They recognized the chief's nephew. He chmbed the tree 
to where the chieftainess lay; and as soon as he reached the top of 
the tree, he kicked the coffin, sa_\Tng, "Let me in, ghost!" and they 
heard the chieftainess laugh, and reply, "Ha, ha! I am pretending to 
make giubs out of mvself on your behalf." The attendants heard 



216 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [btii. ann. .'U 

them talking in the coiEn; and at midnight, when everything was 
quiet and they knew that they were asleep, they chmbed the tree, 
threw down the large coffm, and the body of the cliicftainess burst, 
and the chief's nephew also was killed. 

When the men came do\vn, they saw a baby boy among the intes- 
tines of his mother. They went back to the chief's house and told 
him that it was true, and they also told liim that the child was alive. 

Then the cliicf ordered them to bring the child to liim, so they 
brought the cliild to him. It was sucking the intestmcs of its mother; 
thei'efore its name was Sucking Intestines. Then the chief took a 
good female slave to be its nurse. The cloild grew up in the cliief's 
house, and the chief loved the little boy very much. When he was 
able to walk, he would go very often to the Httle island to get chewing- 
gum from the spruce trees, for he hked chewing-gum very much. 
He got it from the same spruce tree on wliich liis mother's cofhn had 
been placed when she pretended to make maggots out of herself. 

The chief took liiiu over to the island, and biii-ncd some gum for 
him to let the child have the chewing-gum. He did so many times, 
gomg with his slaves. 

One day the boy walked over to the island alone to take gum from 
the same spi-uce tree on which his mother's coflln had been. He hked 
best to be on the Httle island where he was born, and played 
around there almost every day, and the slaves would take liim over 
to the island. He became a beautiful boy, and the cliief loved him 
more and more every day. 

One day the boy said to liis father, "Let us go to the httle island 
and burn some gum!" So the chief went with him, together with 
some of his slaves. Then the chief ordered his slaves to burn off the 
gum, and they did so. The chief was sittmg near the spruce tree, 
wliile the boy stood in front of him. Then a flame of fire, hke a 
tongue, took the boy away from the chief, and the boy was burned 
to death. The cliief mourned agam, for the fire had swallowed up 
the boy. Tliis is the end of Sucking Intestmcs. Nowadays we still 
caU the httle island Where She Pretended To Make Grubs Out Of 
Herself. 

30. Burning Leggings and Burning Snowshoes' 

There was a tribe, and a great chief was married t(i a chieftainess. 
He loved her very much. After a wliile he was again m love with a 
young woman, and he expected her to be liis wife. He loved her 
better than his first wife, and therefore Ms first wife was very jealous 
of his new love. 

The young woman had four brothers who were hunters. Every 
year they would come down to visit their brother-m-law, and brought 
with them prt>visions to their dear sister. Therefore the chief loved 

1 Notes, p. 781. 



uuAs] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 217 

them very much. Then liis first wife was very jealous of the young 
woman, and she tried in every way to find fault with her. 

Finally the young woman gave birth to a boy, and the chief loved 
her very much. The first wife was still trying to find fault with the 
young woman. The child was growing up, and began to creep about; 
and the cliief loved the child's mother because she had borne a cliild. 

One day the four brothers came down again to visit their only 
sister, the chief's wife, and brought her lich food — dried meat and 
fat — and the cliief welcomed liis four brothers-in-law. After they 
had been there some time, the chief asked the eldest of liis brothers- 
in-law kindly to gamble with liim, and they played together on the 
gambling-mat. The eldest brother took out a small leather bag 
from his gambling-bag, contauiing red ocher, which they used m those 
days to paint, their faces. lie took it out of his gambling-bag and 
put it on liis face. Now, the first wife of the chief saw this, and she 
called a slave-girl, and sent to the man who had the red ocher. She 
asked the slave-girl to toU Inm that she wanted some of the red ocher, 
and she promised to meet liim behind the house. Therefore the 
slave-girl went to the eldest brother and told him what the chief- 
tainess wanted; but the young man said to the slave-girl that he 
did not want to comply and to do a wrong to his brother-ux-law, so 
the slave-girl went back and repeated to the chieftainess what he 
had said. 

The cliieftainess sent the slavo-girl again to tell him that she wanted 
some of the red ocher, and that she would meet him outside right away. 
The slave-girl went again and whispered to the young man, and 
repeated to him all the cliief t ainess had said. Then he said, "I will 
give part of the red ocher to her, but I will not meet her;" and he 
gave half of his red pamt to her through the slave-girl. 

The woman took it, went out, and put the paint on her face. Then 
she came agam, and went to where her husband was sitting with his 
young wife, in the rear of the house. She said, "Look here! Look 
at my face! Your brother-in-law mocked me and just put the red 
paint on my face.'" Then tlie cliief became very angry; and ho said 
to lis attendants, "Shut the door, lock it, and slay the four brothers 
in there, and throw them beliind my house, outside." Therefore 
his attendants killed them and threw their bodies behhid the chief's 
house, as he had ordered them to do. Then the young woman went 
every morning to mourn for her four dear brothers, and the cluef 
now loved his former wife most. The clieftainess was very glad 
now, because the cliief loved her more than his young wife. The 
young woman woke up very early, and carried her clidd along, going 
beliind the clucf's house, where the bodies of her dead brothers were; 

I Original: Nio gwawa'(?) mat am nErEnu(?); at ha-wila'g>'dii Igu-qlala'ntk a'nEsgat a kl4'i, am-t!a'- 
IdEda mEs-a'ust a tsla'lut, ada da'mxdut a gwl^t. 



218 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

ami she mourned there mitil evening every day. She would never 
eat anything. She did so often. 

After the ehief had killed her brothers, he called all the young 
men of liis tribe into liis house, and they had fun in his house every 
evening. The yoimg men would shout for joy in the chief's house, 
while the poor sister was crving every evening over her dear brothers' 
bodies. Now, the cliieftainess was seated close to the chief when he 
was sitting in front of the large fire, while the young men were playing 
at the other side of the fire. 

One day the chief said to the young men who were playing, "When 
you see that woman (meaning this younger wife) come in tonight, 
take a cedar-bark rojte and trip her, so that she may fall." 

Late in the evening she ceased her wailing, and came m at the 
door with her chUd on her back. She came in; and when she came 
close to the cedar-bark rope, the yoimg men held it tight, so that she 
almost fell over it. Then all the young men shouted and laughed 
at her, and the chief and his first wife also laughed at her. The poor 
mourning woman with the child on her back crept to her bed in 
the corner of the chief's house. 

Very early the following mornuig she went out again, and wailed 
all day as she had done before. She was almost in despair because 
they had mocked and laughed at her late in the evening. Wlien she 
came in late at night, the young man tripped her feet again with the 
cedar-bark rope, and she fell; and they all laughed at her while she 
crept to her bed, her heart heavy with sorrow. She was weak, for 
she had not had anything to eat since the time when they had killed 
her brothers. 

Early the following morning she went out again. She wished only 
for one thing; namely, to die. Therefore she went there often. In 
the evening, as soon as the sun went down, after she had been weeping 
bitterly all day, she opened her eyes, and there was a flash of lightning. 
She looked, and, behold! a handsome young man stood by her side, 
who said to her, " Wliat ails you ?" — "O Supernatural One! the reason 
why I weep is my grief for these, my four slain brothers, whom they 
have thrown out here. So I go every day to mourn for them; and 
besides this, they made fun of mo, tripping my feet with their cedar- 
bark rope; and they all laugh at me, by order of my husband, and his 
chieftainess. Sometimes I am faint with sorrow." 

Then the Supernatural One said to her, "My father the Sun sent 
me down to find out what has happened. He was displeased to hear 
your voice every day. Take my leggings and my snowshoes and 
also my moccasins." He made them mto one bundle and tied them 
together. Then he ordered her to throw them down in front of the 
chief. He continued, "Then say to him, 'See what happens to the 
leggings and snowshoes of those whom you have murdered!' A 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 219 

flash of lifjhtniiio; will proceed from them. Then he will call all of his 
people into his house to let them know what has become of the 
leggings, snowshoes, and moccasins of the four brothers whom he 
had killed a few days before, and to tell them that a flash of lightning 
had proceeded from them. AU his wise men will not be able to 
underetand it; and only one very old man, who lives at the end of 
the village, and whose name is Disbeliever, wiU not come when he 
is called the first time. He is blind, and therefore he can not come. 
Then the second time the chief will send some young man. I will 
transform myself into the old man Disbeliever. I shall meet the 
young man on my way. They will take my hand; and when you 
see me coming into the house, you must run away, lest you be con- 
sumed with the rest." Thus spoke the vSuperaatural One to her. 

So she took the bundle made of the leggings, the snowshoes, and 
moccasins, and went in haste before it was dark. The chief heard 
that his wife had stopped wailing very early, and he wondered about 
it. Then he told the young men who were ])laying in his house not to 
trip her with the cedar-bark rope. Wlion she came in, all the young 
men were quiet. She walked on straight to her cruel husband, who 
was seated in the rear of the house, with his first wife leaning against 
his side, glad and happy. The brave woman went to them and 
threw the bundle down m front of them, saying, "See what has hap- 
pened to the leggings, snowshoes, and moccasins of those whom you 
have murdered!" Theii there was a flash of lightning, which fright- 
ened the chief. He trembled, and said to the young men, "Call all the 
people of the village, from the old men down to the small children, 
and from the old women downi to the little girls. Let no one remain 
outside!" 

Therefore they went aroimd to every house and called all the 
people, in accordance with the order given by the chief. When all 
the guests were bi, the chief told them what had happened to the 
leggings and snowshoes of those whom he had slain a few days pre- 
viously, and he exjdained to his people what his wife had said when 
she threw the bundle dowii in front of him, and how a flash of light- 
nmg had proceeded from the bundle; and he said to his wise men, 
"Explain to me the meaning of this!" but nobody could exjilain it. 
Some of them did not believe him, and some were astonished; still 
there remained one very old man. Disbeliever by name, and it 
occurred to some of them that the old man Disbeliever still remained 
outside. Therefore the chief sent for him. The young men went to 
his house and told him what had happened to the leggings, the snow- 
shoes, and the moccasins of those whom the chief had slain a few 
days before. Then the oldman laughed, and said that the leggings and 
snowshoes of the ghosts were becoming a flash of lightning; and he 
continued to laugh, saying, "No, no! Never since the world began 



220 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

have I heard of sucli a tiling as what you have told me. No, dear, 
no! I do not believe what you have said." The young men dis- 
pleased the old man, who said, "No, I won't go there! Nonsense, 
nonsense! That is all." They told him that the chief wanted huii; 
but he said, "No, I will not go. I am not well tonight." Therefore 
they went back to the chief's house, and they told him that Dis- 
believer had made fun of them. (The people named the old man 
Disbeliever because he did not believe what the people would teU him. 
Therefore they gave him the name Disbeliever.) 

Therefore the great chief was enraged, and said, "Bring him in 
quickly!" The young men went a second time; and while they were 
on then- way, they met him. They asked him, "Is that you. Disbe- 
liever?" — "Yes, I was gropuig my way along." They took him by 
the hand and led him into the house up to the chief and his wife. 
As soon as the old man came ui, the mourning woman took her child 
on her back and went t)ut unobserved. Now Disbeliever said, "Let 
me feel of the bundle!" They took his hands and guided them to 
where the bundle was. Nobody had touched it before, because they 
were all afraid lest they should be consumed by the lightning. The 
chief repeated the words that his wife had said to him. When the 
old man felt of the bundle, he laughed again, and said, "I do not 
believe that the leggings and snowshoes and moccasms of the ghosts 
became a flash of lightning. I never heard of such a thing happen- 
ing since .the world began. No, no, no!" Then he opened the bun- 
dle, took the legguigs by themselves, saying, "Now, legguigs, let a 
flash of lightnuig proceed from you!" At the same time he struck 
the ground with the leggmgs. He took up the pair of snowshoes 
and struck the ground with them, and said, "Now, snowshoes, 
burn! — ^Now, moccasms, let flashes of lightning proceed from you! 
Oh, what nonsense!" 

The chief took a little comfort when the old man took up the 
leggings. Then the old man put them on. He also put on the snow- 
shoes, and leaped first before the cliief, who was sitting by his side. 
He struck the snowshoes one against the other, and ran around the 
fh-e that was burning in the center of the house. 

All of a sudden a flash of hghtning proceeded from the leggings and 
snowshoes and moccasins, and the house and all the people in it were 
consumed. Not one escaped from it. 

Tiie woman was sitting where the bocUes of her brothers were; and 
the supernatural being came to her again, and said, "Lay out the 
bodies of your brothers in good order." She cUd so, and then the 
supernatural being jumped over the eldest one fh-st. He did so four 
times, and the eldest one arose. The supernatural being stepped to 
the second brother and jumped over him four times, then the second 
brother arose; and the supernatural being did to the third one the 



BOAsi TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 221 

same as he had done to the two others, and the tliird one arose ; then 
he stepped to the youngest one and jumped over liim four times, and 
the youngest one arose from where he had been h^ng dead. The 
supernatural being wore his owai leggings, snowshoes, and moccasins 
when he jumped over the dead bodies of the four brothers, and so 
they arose from where they had been l}^ng• dead. Therefore the 
woman was much pleased to see her brothers ahve again. She went 
to the place where the supernatural being stood, but he disappeared 
from their sight. 

Then the four brothers went dowTi to the village, accompanying 
their sister. They saw the desolation of the ■sdllage. They went to 
where the great chief's house had stood, and there was only a heap 
of bones and of ashes on the ground where the people had been 
assembled in the chief's house. 

After they had been there for a wliile, they started for their own 
home in the mountains, taking their sister along, and they still Uve 
in the mountains. We call their village TslEtsIa'ut.' 

31. HakIula'q^ 

There was a village way out at sea near the great ocean. In front 
of the vUlage were two islands. The first one was large, the second 
one smaller than the first. The first island was the town of the sea 
otters. The sea otters lived at the foot of the trees on the large 
island, and so it was on the next smaller island. There were many 
sea otters on the two islands. 

Between the two islands a cliild was floating. So it happened 
that if any one tried to go to these islands, ho saw a beautiful cliild 
floating on the water. The canoe went toward it, and they took the 
child aboard; and whenever they camped on the large island, a 
monster (Haklula'q) would come out of the water and ask for her 
child. She would say, "Who stole my child r' Then a storm and 
high waves would strike against the high rocks on that island, and 
the island would become covered with foam, and the people woidd 
die there. The same thing happened for many years, and many 
people died there generation after generation. The people had no 
power to IdU the monster. The whole village was in mourning, for 
their young men had almost cUsappeared. Only old men now re- 
mained in the village. Two or three canoes were lost every day, of 
those who tried to Idll the cliild and the woman but could not do it. 

1 Possibly the description of "a pantomimic dance given to me at Kinkolith (0-in-go'llx-). on Xass 
River, refers to tliis tale (see Boas 1, IS'Jo, p. 52); "In one ceremony two men dressed like Ts!Ets!a'ut 
hunters appear. Suddenly the noise of Ihimder is heard, and down through the roof comes a person 
dressed in eagle skins and wearing the mask of the thunderbird. The hunters shoot at the bird. At once 
there is a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. One of the men falls dead, and the other one escapes. 
The fire is extinguished by water wliich wells up through a tube of kelp that has been laid undergroimd 
and empties into the fire. .\t the same time water is thrown on the spectators through the roof. This 
performance is accompanied by songs of the women, who sit on three platforms in the rear of the house. 
The song relates ^o the myth which is represented in the performance." 

- Notes, p. 783. 



222 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

Therefore the whole viUago assembled to talk about the monster 
that was destroying all their young men, and thoy agreed to make 
war against it. So one day they prepared their weapons, and made 
ready to go out against the monster and its cliild. On the following 
day they went. Part of the people went to battle against the monster, 
and the rest remained in the village. 

When the party arrived at the place whore the child was floating, 
they did not find it. So they came to the large island, and there they 
saw sea otters running about. They hunted them and clubbed a 
great number. They nearly forgot their grief, because they had 
slain so many sea otters. It was very calm that day, and before 
evening they loaded the canoes with the sea otters; and while on 
their way back home, between the two islands they saw the child 
floating on the surface of the water. 

Then a violent man said, "I will kill the child to revenge the blood 
of my relatives!" and they all agreed. He took up his spear and 
thrust his spear light tlu-ough the heart of the floating child; and 
when he took the spear from the body, the monster came up from 
the water, and asked, "Who killed my only child V The man who 
had killed it said, "I killed your child, for j'ou destroyed all my 
family." Then the monster shouted and cried aloud. A great 
whirlpool opened and swallowed the canoes. The first canoe went 
along very fast, so that the whirlpool could not catch it. The crew 
brought the sad news to the people who remained in the village. 

Then that part of the people who liad remained in the village made 
ready to fight the monster. On the following day they went; and 
when they arrived at the same place (that is, between the two islands), 
they did not see anj'thing on the surface. The}' went right ahead 
until they arrived at the large island; and they saw that the land 
was full of sea otters, but they did not pay any attention to them. 
They came back soon. On their M^ay back they saw a cliild floating 
there. Then the two canoes went on (?), and the two harpooneers 
took up their spears and thrust them through the body of the child. 
The monster came up and cried for her child, whose body was torn 
by the spears. She said in a low voice, "Wli}* chd you kill my 
child?" and the harpooneers of the two canoes said, "Why are you 
kilhng all our people ? You have killed the greater part of our tribe." 
Then she shouted as loud as the rolhng thunder. A whirlpool opened 
and drew in the canoes, but the two canoes the harpooneers of which 
had the child's body at the end of their spears could not be swallowed 
by the whirlpool. Then the monster seized the bow of each canoe 
and took them down to the bottom of the sea and destroyed them all. 

Now only one young chief remained in the village, with his cwo 
nephews and his niece ami the mother of these two young people. 
The young chief thought how he could overcome the monster of the 
sea. One day he said to his two nephews. "Let us build a good swift 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 223 

canoe, and let us try all kinds of trees!'' and when he was cutting 
down the tree, two young men, who were also his nephews, came to 
him. Now there were four young men, two women, and the chief. 
They made a good-sized canoe; and when it was finished, they 
steamed it, and it was very good. Therefore they took it down, and 
went in it against the rolling waves. They were paddling hard, and 
the canoe was broken by the waves. They went home, broke it all 
to pieces, and tlu^ew the pieces into the fire. 

Then they made another canoe of a spruce tree. It was better 
than the one they had built before. Wlien it was finished, the cliie.f 
went to test it on the sea. They went out; and wliile they were on the 
sea, they went against the rolling waves made by a great storm. The 
waves struck the canoe, and soon it broke. They went home and 
broke it all to pieces. 

Then they made a new canoe of j-ellow cedar, better than the one 
thej' had built before. When they had finished it, they took it 
down, and went again against strong wmds which raised moun- 
tamous waves. They struck it and broke it. Then they went 
home, broke it to pieces, and threw the pieces into the fire. 

The chief tried all kinds of trees. Last of all he tried the yew tree, 
whose wood is very strong and hard. They built a better canoe than 
any of those before; and when they had finished it, they tested it on 
the stormy sea. Then they came back home safely. 

Then the young chief ordered his four nephews to gather all kuids 
of food. On the following day he loaded his strong canoe with all 
kmds of proATsions, and they started. The young women were 
with them. Then- yew canoe was faster than a flying bird. They 
went along between the two islands, and soon they arrived at the 
place where the floating cliild was. Then the young chief said, 
"Just pass close by the floating cliild!" The}' did as the chief had 
ordered them; and when they were passing near by, the chief took 
the child's foot into the canoe, and said to liis companions, "Pull 
hard!" and they paddled as hard as they could, and reached the fn-st 
island. Then they hauled up then- canoe right in the woods, with 
the child and everything in it. 

As soon as they had carried up theh- canoe, the monster came out 
of the water in front of them, and said, "Give me my child!" The 
cliief rephed, "TVTiere are all my people whom j^ou destroyed? I 
will not let your child go." The monster woman said, "Give my 
cliild back to me, or I will overturn the island on which you camp." 
The 3"oung chief replied, "Where are all my people whom you have 
destroyed?" 

In the night the island rolled over and over slowly; but they all 
went aboard then- canoe, and the canoe floated above the island. 
On the foUowuig mornuig, when the rolling of the island ceased, the 



224 _ TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

canoe rested on top of it; but all the trees of the island were swept 
away, and nothing but bare rook remained. There was no way to 
escape from the island. 

The monster was still pleading for her child, but the young chief 
continued to ask for his people. Not many days passed before the 
child died. Then the monster woman stopped asking for her cliild. 
The young chief was still on the island, and he was there for a long 
time with his companions. The chief still counted the days of his 
work. 

One night about midnight the eldest one of the young men com- 
pelled his sister to have intercourse with him. The next morning 
she asked him to go with lier to the beach. There the young woman 
took the skin of a white weasel and tied it on the back of the head of 
her brother. She said to him, "Go on and fly out to sea, that aU the 
people may see you ! " For that reason the male sawbiU duck is wliite 
on the back of its head. 

When the days that the young chief had counted were at an end, 
he said to liis nephews, "Let us try to go to our empty village!" 
Therefore they let their canoe slide down on the side of the rock; 
and as soon as they reached the water, they paddled away hard. 
Soon they saw the monster sound asleep floating on the sea at the 
same place where the child had been floating. Therefore the har- 
pooneer said to his companions, "I will take her into my canoe." 
They went toward her, and the chief took her by the tail and threw 
her into the canoe. Then they pulled away as hard as they could; 
and when they had gone a short distance, the gi-eat whirlpool opened 
behind theii- swift canoo, but they paddled away to the shore. Soon 
they came to then- old village. As soon as they arrived there, the 
monster woman died. They took her ashore, and the dead child. 
They took her into the house with her child and hung them up inside, 
one on each post. On the following day they all went aboard again 
and went to then- village. 

Then the whole village was astii', and the chief invited them into 
his house; and when they were all in, the chief of the vUlage let the 
people dance and served his guests with food. After they had eaten, 
the eldest nephew of the chief said that his uncle wanted to marry 
one of the village chief's relatives. The latter invited his people to 
tell them what the young chief said. Then the old people of the vil- 
lage chose one of the old chief's nieces, a good-looking young pruicess. 
They gave her to the young chief to be his wife, and the whole village 
gave him all kinds of food, costly coppers, and elk skins. Then they 
went home to their own village. 

The tlu-ee nephews of the young claief wanted to take wives in the 
same village; and one day they went to the same village where the 
uncle had married, and they presented to the uncle of the young 
chief's wife and to nil her relatives the skin (?) of the child of the 



BOAS J 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 225 



sea monster, and he gave liis wife's uncle the j^ew-wood canoe, and 
he gave to her father many costly coppers. He also gave presents 
to all the relatives of liis wife. Then all liis nephews married there, 
too, and his niece married the old chief's son, and thus the empty 
village was peopled agam. The young chief took the monster woman 
for his crest. He kiUed the two monsters, and the island was free 
to those who wanted to hunt sea otters. Therefore the young cliief 
became great among his people. 

.32. The Prince Who Was Deserted" 

Once upon a time there was a great town of the Gid-wul-ga.'dz 
tribe between Metlakahtla and Port Simpson, where there is a gi-eat 
sandbar in front of Kumalgo. There was a gi-eat chief there, and 
his four brothers-in-law. He had an only son. The prince did not 
eat, but was only chewing dried kidney fat. He was sitting on top 
of his father's house, and made arrows all the time. He did so every 
day; and when the humpback salmon arrived in the rivers, his 
father's people went everywhere to catch salmon, and dried them 
for winter use. The prince and his Uttle slave also went to the little 
rivers in the gi-eat bay, and caught many humpback sahnon and took 
them home. They unloaded the canoe on the sandbar in front of 
the village, and in the morning the eagles would gather and eat all 
the humpback salmon. He did so the whole summer; and when the 
eagles were fat, then- feathers dropped out on the sandbar, and the 
prince sent down liis Uttle slave to gather the eagle feathers. The 
little slave went down and brought to his young master the eagle 
feathers, and the prince was very glad. He liked to feed the eagles 
with the sahnon, because he wanted their feathers. He made many 
boxes full of arrows; and he used the eagle feathers, wliich he fastened 
to the shaft, so that the arrows were very swift. 

Now the sahnon-run was over. Summer had passed, and winter 
came, and the people had used up aU then- salmon, and all the dif- 
ferent kinds of food w^ere nearly gone. Then the prmce's father, the 
chief, was much displeased with his son because he had fed the eagles 
in the summer during the salmon-run. Therefore the gi'eat chief 
sent his wife to his four brothers-in-law. He gave them this advice: 
"Let none of my sons' uncles take pity on him when he comes to 
then- house, starving and hungry, for he has always been feeding 
the eagles during the past summer. Let the eagles feed him now!" 
Thus spoke the chief to his wife. Therefore his wife went to her 
eldest brother's house, and she told him what her husband had said. 
Then her eldest brother said, ' T will do so." She went to her second 
brother and told him what her husband had said. She went into the 
house of the thii'd and foiirth brothei-s and told them the same. 

' Notes, p. 783. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 15 



226 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Every morning during this hard winter the great chief said to his 
ovm nephews, "Wake u]) and make a fire!" Then all the people in 
his house arose, and would sit around the fire. They ate little food, 
but his son was sitting there just chewmg a little fat which he held 
in his mouth. His parents did not give him even a little food, 
because his father was angry. 

One day the prince felt sad on account of what his father and mother 
were doing to him. Almost every mornmg his father said to him, 
"My son, go and feed the eagles with your salmon!" The young 
man was always crying. Therefore he went to his eldest uncle's 
house. As soon as he entered, his uncle said to his young men, 
"Spread the mats by the side of the fire!" They did so. "Now let 
my nephew sit on them!" He said tohis wife, "Now feed my nephew!" 
So his wife took a nice dried salmon, roasted it by the fire, cut it, put 
it into a wooden dish, and the young men placed the dish before the 
prince. Then his uncle arose from his seat; and when the young 
prince stretched his hand toward the dish to take the I'oasted salmon, 
the chief took the dish with the roasted salmon away from him, and 
said, "Oh, let those eagles that you fed last summer feed you now!" 
Then he ate it with his wife. Therefore the young man was very much 
ashamed on account of what his eldest uncle had done to him. He 
went out crying and sad. 

On the following day he went to his second uncle's house; and as 
soon as he entered, his uncle said to his young men, "Spread the mats 
alongside of the fire!" They did so. His wife roasted a salmon, 
cut it and put it into a dish, and placed it m front of her nephew; 
but before the prince could take the salmon, his uncle took it away 
from him, and said, "Oho! this one who fed the eagles shall not eat 
this good salmon." He ate it with his wife. Then the prince was 
very much ashamed, and went out crying. 

On the following morning he went to his thu-d uncle's house, sat 
down on one side of the fire, and his uncle's wife roasted a dried sahnon. 
After she had cut it, she put it into a wooden dish and placed it in 
front of the young man; but before he could take the dish, his uncle 
took it away, and said, "Oho! this one who fed the eagles shall not 
eat this good salmon." Then the boy went out crying bitterly. He 
lay down on his bed and cried the whole night. 

The following morning he went to his youngest uncle's house. As 
soon as he entered, his youngest uncle said to his men, "Spread the 
mats alongside of the fire!" They did as he had ordered them. His 
youngest uncle was crying with his wife while his nephew was sitting 
there. When they stopped crying, he said to his nephew, "I have 
heard what these bad men have done to you. Your mother came 
here the other day, and told us that your father wanted us to treat 
you badly. That is the reason why they ill-treated you; but I do 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAIST MYTHS 227 

not want to treat you that way." After he had spoken thus, he 
asked his wife to roast a salmon. She roasted it and placed it in 
front of him ; but he did not take it at once, because he thought they 
would take it away from him. But his uncle said, "Eat the salmon, 
my dear nephew!" So he took it and ate, and they gave him many 
kinds of food. At midnight he went home well satisfied. 

Early the next morning his father said to his slave, "Go out and 
order the people to move up to Nass River!" Then the great slave 
ran out and shouted, "Move away tomorrow, great tribe!" The 
people made ready to move, and on the following morning they left 
the chief's son by order of the great chief. His youngest imcle's wife 
left one dried spring salmon and a bucket of crabapples and his little 
slave with him. They also left all his boxes of arrows with him, and 
some fire and half a small bucketful of grease. Now his people 
started and went to Nass River. 

Wlien all the people had gone away, the prince gathered some old 
boards and pieces of cedar bark. With these he built a small house. 
He gave the little slave a little salmon and crabapples mixed with 
grease. Early every morning he went out and made more arrows, 
and would sit outside the house. 

The tid(( was very low, and then he saw an eagle that screeched on 
the beach. He called his little slave. "Go down to the beach and 
see why the eagle is screeching there!" So the slave went down to 
where the eagle was sitting; and when he reached the place, the eagle 
flew away. Behold! a trout lay on the beach. Then he shouted with 
all his might, and said, "There is a trout here, my dear!" So the 
prince said, "Take it up!" The slave carried it up to the prmce, who 
ordered him to roast it. The slave roasted it ; and when it was done, 
he said to his little slave, "Eat it all!" The slave did so. 

Early the next morning the prince went out again and saw many 
eagles that were screeching on the beach. He sent his slave down. 
The slave ran down, and, behold! a large bullhead was lying on the 
sand. He shouted again, and said, "There is a large bullliead here, 
my dear!" The prince said, "Bring it up here!" The slave took it 
up, and they steamed it in a hole in the ground. The little slave ate 
of it, but the prince did not eat any. 

For several days the eagle gave them trout and bullheads, which 
they dried. Then they had enough to eat. One morning he went 
out again, and he saw many eagles come down on the beach, where 
they were screeching. He sent his little slave down. He ran down 
again to look, and, behold ! a silver salmon was on the sand. Again 
he shouted, and said, "There is a silver salmon, m}' dear!" The 
prince ordered him to take it, and he carried it up. The prmce cut 
it and roasted it and ate a little. They did so for several days, and 
they dried the salmon. 



228 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

On the following day the pi'uice went out agam, and he heard the 
eagles screaming on the beach. He sent his little slave down. The 
slave ran down, and, behold! a large spring salmon was on the sand. 
The slave shouted, and said, "There is a large spring salmon!" The 
prince said, "Take it, take it!" So the slave took it up. It was 
very heavy; and when he was halfway up, the prince went down to 
help him carry it. The prince split it and dried it. They did so for 
many days, and his house was full of dried fish. 

Another morning he went out, as usual. Behold! there were many 
eagles down on the beach. He sent his slave down, and, behold ! there 
was a great halibut on the sand. The slave shouted, and said, 
"There is a large halibut here, my dear!" The prmce said, "Take 
it!" but he could not drag it along. When he told the prince that he 
could not drag it, the prmce himself went down, and he dragged it up. 
He cut it and dried it. 

Another morning the prince went out, and he heard the eagles 
screeching on the beach. There were a great many eagles there. 
So he sent down his slave; and when the slave came, he saw a seal. 
Then the slave shouted, "Here is a great seal on the beach, my dear!" 
The prince said, "Take it!" The slave could not carry it, and so 
the prince went down and dragged the seal up to his camp. He cut 
it and dried it. Now one house was fidl of all kuids of fish. Because 
the pi-ince had fed the eagles the past summer, they now gave him 
this food. Tliey did so many days, and every day a seal was on the 
beach. He dried them all. 

One morning the prmce went out, and, beht)kl! there were many 
eagles down on the beach. He sent his slave down; and when ho 
came there, behold! a large sea lion was there. He shouted with 
all his might, "Here is a gi'eat sea lion, my dear!" and when the 
prmce heard that there was a sea lion, he went into the woods, took 
cedar twigs, twisted them, and joined them together; and when he 
had thus made a rope, he went down and tied the large sea lion to the 
shore; and when the tide rose, he and his slave hauled it up on shore; 
and when the tide turned, it was on the beach. The prince carved 
it and dried it. Now one house was fidl of dried seal meat, and 
he had another house full of sea-lion meat. The sea lions are very 
large and have much meat and fat. Tliey did so many days, and 
two houses were full of sea-lion meat and fat. 

Now the people who had left him were dying of starvation on Nass 
River; for no olachen had come, and they had no food. 

Another morning the prmce went out agaui, and ther(^ was a great 
number of eagles far out on the water. They were flying ashore 
with a great whale, and they landed there. Therefore the prince 
and his slave went into the woods and took many cedar twigs, which 
they twisted the whole daj' long. They tied the great whale to the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 229 

shore. On the following day they cut the bkibber and carried it into 
a large house. They filled three houses wdth it, because the whale 
was very large. They did so several days. Now they had ten great 
whales. They had cut six whales, and four remained on the beach. 

The prince went out, walking around the whole village. All the 
houses were full of blubber. He was thinking of his uncle who had 
pitied him while he was hungry. Therefore he called a gull and asked 
it to let him have its skin. So the gidl lent him its skin. He put it 
on and took a small piece of boiled seal moat and flew away to Nass 
River. When he an-ived there, he saw many canoes trying to catch 
olachen with their bag nets, but they could not catch many. The 
prince flew over the canoes, trying to find one of Ms relatives among 
the canoes. At last he discovered his father's slaves in one of the 
canoes. He flew over it. 

A slave-woman was sitting in the stern, while her husband and 
others were managing the nets. The gidl was flying over her head, 
and dropped down a piece of seal meat to her. The slave-woman 
took it and put it into her glove, and she then saw the gull fly away 
down river until she lost sight of it. 

In the evening, when the fishermen came home, and when all the 
people were in bed (the slave families live in one corner), the slave- 
woman told her husband that the gull dropped a piece of half-dried 
seal meat to the place where she was sitting in the canoe. Therefore 
the man had a little of the seal. She also had a little, and gave the 
greater piece to her child. The child was glad to get the seal, and 
swallowed it and choked. The child almost died because he swallowed 
it whole; and the cliild's mother put her fuigers into the child's 
mouth, trying to take the piece of seal meat that was choking the child, 
but she could not do so, because she had short fingers. Therefore the 
chieftainess inquired what was the matter with the child. The slave 
said, "We do not know." The chieftainess said, "Bring the child 
here to the light of the fire, so that I may know!" They did so, and 
she said, "Something obstructs its breath." Therefore the chief- 
tainess put her long fingers into its mouth, and she felt something. 
She took out the piece of boiled seal meat. Behold ! there was a piece 
of seal meat. Then she asked the slaves where they had gotten it, 
and she told her husband the chief about it. Therefore the chief 
asked the slaves where they had obtained the dried seal meat, and 
the mother of the child told the chief how the gull had dropped the 
piece of seal meat into the canoe while they were out fishing. The 
chief asked, furthermore, " Where did the gidl go after it had dropped 
the seal into the canoe?" and the slave-woman said, " It went straight 
down river." 

Tlierefore the great chief said, "Call all the wise men, and I will 
ask them what they think." So the great slave called all the old 



230 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

men to the chief's house. Ho askod for their opinion, and they said, 
"We believe that your son must have been successful." Therefore 
the chief wanted to send a canoe on the next day to look for him. 
On the following morning they started, and before evening they arrived 
in front of Port Simpson. Behold! the surface of the water was 
covered with grease. They paddled along, and when they came to the 
place where they had left the prince, they went ashore. Behold! 
they saw a great many bones on the beach ; and the sand smellod of 
grease in front of the old village; and the houses were full of diied 
salmon, halibut, dried seals, sea lions, whale blubber; and four great 
whales were on the beach. They were surprised, and wondered on 
account of all the prince had done. 

Wlien the prince saw the canoe coming to his town, he went out, 
and would not allow them to come ashore; but they asked him to 
take pity on them. So after a little while they landed. Then they 
ate dried salmon, dried halibut, dried seal meat, dried sea-lion meat, 
and whale blubber; and when they all had had enough, the prince 
ordered them, and said, "Don't tell my father that I have plenty 
to eat! Tell him that I died long ago; but I want you to stay here 
two days and eat as much as you can, but don't take anything home 
with you. Tell my youngest uncle that I want him to come home 
soon. I will give him one great whale that is lying here on the beach; 
but I don't want my father and my mother here, nor my three elder 
uncles, who made fun of me at the time of the famine, nor any of 
my father's people; but I want all the different tribes to buy my 
provisions which you see m all these houses." 

Then he sent them back; and when they arrived at home on Nass 
River, the slaves landed in the evening. They went up to the house 
of their master. The chief asked them, "Is my son still alive?" 
They replied, "Yes, he is still alive;" and the slaves said further- 
more, "Your son, whom you deserted there, has plenty to eat. 
There is no room for all the meat and fat, for the dried trout, salmon, 
spring salmon, seal, sea lion, and dried halibut. Many houses are 
full of whale blubber, and all the houses are full of meat and of fish 
as well, and four great whales are on the shore, and a great many 
boxes are full of grease, and the whole surface of the water is covered 
with grease. The prince has succeeded in getting all these pro- 
visions, and he does not want to see you or his mother, only his 
youngest uncle. He asked him to come down to him, and he wiU 
give him one great whale. He does not want his three elder uncles 
and all your people, but he ordered me to teU all the different tribes 
to buy liis provisions." 

Then the chief and his wife could not sleep that night. Early the 
following mornmg the chief said to his great slave, "Order the people 
to return to our old town where we deserted our prince. Then we 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAJT MYTHS 231 

will ask him to take pity on us, lest we die of starvation." There- 
fore the great slave ran out and cried, "Return to the old town, 
great tribe! Move by tomorrow, for our great prince has plenty to 
eat m our old village." 

Early the following morning the chief and all his brothers-in-law 
and all his people moved, and returned from Nass River to the old 
village at Sandbar Town. 

Then the eldest uncle di-esscd up his two daughters. He placed 
them on a box in his canoe, for he thought his nephew would marry 
them. All the people paddled as hard as they could; and when 
they arrived in front of Port Simpson, behold! they saw that grease 
covered the water; and one of the young women stretched out her 
hand and dipped her fingers into the grease and ate it. The youngest 
uncle was behind the other canoes. 

One day about noon the prince saw a great many canoes approach- 
ing. Then he went out and asked them, "Where do you come 
from?" They replied, "Your father and all your uncles are here, 
and your father's people." Again he asked them, "WTio told you 
to come?" and they all remained silent. Agam he said, "Don't 
come ashore, or I shall shoot you with my arrows! Get away from 
here and leave me alone to starve!" Then all the people pleaded 
with bun, and he took pity on them. He asked them again, "Where 
is my beloved youngest uncle?" They rephed that he was far 
behmd. 

The prince did not allow them to land until his youngest uncle 
came. All the canoes anchored ui front of the old village. It was 
late in the evenmg when the youngest uncle came. He landed, but 
the prince refused to let the others come ashore until the following 
morning. He pomted out one of the great whales, and gave it to his 
youngest uncle, who gave his beautiful daughter to his nephew to be 
his wife. 

On the following mornuig the prince went out and called the 
people ashore. When the canoe of hLs eldest uncle was near the 
shore, the two girls dipped their hands mto the water to eat the grease 
that was floating on it. Therefore the prmce was very much ashamed. 
He did not want to see them. He cut one of the whales, and gave 
one-half to hLs father, and one-half to his eldest uncle. He cut 
another one, and gave one-half to his second uncle, and one-half to 
his third uncle. Then he opened his storehouse of blubber, and 
gave one piece of blubber to each man and each woman, and he 
gave small pieces to the children. He invited them to come to his 
house to his marriage. He loved his wife very much. 

On the following day all the tribes came to buy provisions. They 
bought them with elk sldns; and some chiefs of various tribes bought 
them with slaves, canoes, and costly abalone shells, and with many 



232 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

hundred score of dried raccoon skins, sea-otter skins, marten skins, 
dancing-blankets, and all kinds of goods. 'When he was richer than 
all the chiefs, he invited the chiefs of all the tribes and made a great 
potlatch and took liis new name, H^sdii, which means "craving 
food." He gave away many elk skins, slaves, marten blankets, 
dancing-blankets, horn spoons, abalone shells, and rings of killer- 
whale teeth, and he became a great chief among the Tsimshian, and 
his wealth increased more and more. 

Again he gave a great feast and invited all the chiefs, more than 
he had done before. When all the cliiefs were in his house, ho took 
ten costly coppers, ten large canoes, fourscore and ten slaves, elk 
skins, twenty score of sea-otter garments, marten garments, dancing- 
blankets, and many horn spoons and horn dippers, and many costly 
abalone shells, and earruigs of killer- whale teeth, and many boxes 
of grease and crabapples mLxcd with grease, and all khids of pro- 
visions. Before he gave away all of this, he took one of the costly 
coppers. They placed it on his chest, and he took his new name, 
Deserted One. After that they proclaimed his new name. Then 
he took the costly coppers and gave one to each chief, and he gave 
away the rest of his goods. All the princes of the various tribes 
received gifts from him, and all the chief tainesses received horn 
spoons and horn dippers, costly abalone shells, car-ornaments of 
kUler-whale teeth, and so on. And as long as he lived, the eagles 
gave hun whales, sea otters, sea lions, seals, spring salmon, halibut, 
and all kinds of fresh fish. His fame spread all over the country 
in those days, and he became greater and greater until his life ended. 

33. The Princess and the Mouse* 

It was soon after the Deluge. A new town was built in the same 
place where the old town had been before the Deluge, and the people 
grew up and became numerous in the same to-wni at Prairie To^^Tl. 
They had a great chief who had a beautiful daughter. Her mother 
and her father loved her very much. The girl grew up, and many 
princes wanted to marry her; but her parents refused them, for the 
chief wanted his daughter to marry a high prince. The chief watched 
her m the night, lest some one visit her. Her father made her bed 
above his own bed. She went up early every evening, and woke up 
late every morning, as her parents ordered her to do. When she 
wanted to take a walk in her father's village, she invited some young 
women to walk with her. She did so once every year. The name of 
this girl's mother was Gundax, and her own name was Su-da'"!. 

Thus many years passed. One night the princess felt that some 
one came to her, and she saw a young man by her side. Before day- 

1 Notes, pp. 747, 791. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 233 

break the young man went out, and the princess staid in bed until 
very late. The foUowdng night the young man came again, and she 
loved him very much. Every night he came to her. 

One night it occurred to the young princess that she wanted to 
know who the young man was who came to her every night. There- 
fore she watched hun early in the morning; and when the young 
man arose, he was transformed into a mouse, which went through 
the knot-hole above her bed. Then she felt very much troubled. 

She was with child; and when her time came, her father asked his 
wife the name of the man who had been \;\'ith his daughter. Her 
mother asked the young woman, but she did not tell her. Therefore 
her father invited all the best woodworkers and told them to make 
a box. They did so, and calked it with gum. AVhen they had 
finished it, they brought it to the chief. The chief ordered his 
attendants to take it dowm to the bank of the river. 

Then the great chief told his men to bring dowii all his wealth; 
and they brought downi ten costly coppere and many elk skins, 
marten blankets, and all kinds of expensive garments. They put 
the costly coppere in the bottom of the box, ami spread over them elk 
skins and marten garments, and skuis of many other animals. Then 
they put the prmcess into the box and tied it up, by order of the 
gi-eat chief, and they threw her into the river, and the sti-ong cur- 
rent took the box down the river. The great chief was very much 
ashamed on account of what his only daughter had done. Then the 
whole village mourned for the young princess. 

Now the box drifted dowm river to the sea. The young woman was 
still alive in the box. For many days she floated on the water. One 
day the young woman felt that her box was bemg moved by great 
waves. She felt it gomg up and do^\^l the great waves on a sandy 
beach, and soon she felt that her box struck the gi'ound. 

Now another noble family was encamped on this sandbar on Queen 
Charlotte Islands. Tliis family had lost theu" young daughter not 
many days before, and the great chief tainess was mourning for her 
day by day. Early in the morning the chieftainess went out walking 
along the beach; and when she came round the sandy point, she sat 
down there, weepuig; and while she was sitting there weeping, when 
she opened her eyes, she beheld a large object just under high-water 
mark. She stopped crying and went down to the place where the 
large object lay; and when she came to it, she recognized a large 
bundle of goods. She went back to her husband without touching the 
large bundle, and she said that she had found a large bundle on the 
beach. 

They ran down together; and when they came to the place, they 
saw elk skins around it. They took their knives ami cut the thongs 
with which it was tied. Then something moved inside. They 
opened the skins one by one ; and as soon as the last one was off, many 
mice ran out of the bundle to the shore. 



234 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. Axx. 31 

Then the chief and his wife ran back full of fear; but as soon as all 
the mice were out, they saw a lovely princess lying m there. She 
smiled when she saw the two people standing over her. Therefore 
they said, "This is our daughter that was dead. She has como back 
to life." So they took her to their camp and carried up the costly 
things. They found costly coppers m the bottom of the box. 

Now the noble family was very happy because they had found 
agam their beloved daughter. They loved her very much. The 
chief invited all the chiefs on Queen Charlotte Islands, and he gave his 
newly-found daughter the name of his late daughter. The chief had 
a nephew, a very excellent young man. Therefore the clrief 's nephew 
wanted to marry hLs uncle's daughter. 

Now we will turn to the mice. The many mice were the children 
of the young woman, which she had from her sweetheart in her father's 
house at the head of Skeena Kiver. 

Now her cousm married her on Queen Charlotte Islands, and she 
had a son, whom she called Yoihetk; and another son was born to 
her, whom she called Gamalukt; and still another son was born to 
her, whom she called Gayaa. Then the chief, the father of the young 
woman, who had found her on the sand beach, died; and after the 
chief had died, another son was born to her, anil she called him Bax- 
gwan. 

Not very long after this the wife of the chief also died, when she 
was very old. Then another child was born to her, whom she called 
Su-da'°l. Now these children were growing up together. The young- 
est children were playing about in the house, wliile the mother of these 
cliildren's father was sitting by the fire. Then one of the little chil- 
dren fell against her grandmother's back, so that she fell to the 
ground by the fire. As soon as she opened her eyes, she scolded her 
grandchildren, and said, "Nobody knows your family. You come 
from a country far away, you foolLsli, common people!" 

All these children were of a noble family, therefore their mother had 
given them noble names. The children cried, and their mother asked 
them what had happened. Then the elder ghl told her mother what 
then" gi-andmother had said to them, and the young woman went out 
and cried in the woods behind the house late in the evening; and the 
young mother came in again when her eldest son came home from 
hunting. He asked her what made her so sad, and his mother told 
him what his grandmother had said to his younger sistei's. Then the 
young man questioned her further, and his mother told her story. 
She said to him, "This is not our tribe. Our people live far away at 
the head of a great river. Our family is a noble family m a large 
town, where there are many people, and your grandfather's house is 
in the center of the town. It is a large carved house, and my uncle's 
houses are on each side of my father's house. I want you to go back 



BOAS] . TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 235 

to my country and to my people. Take all your brothers and your 
two sisters with you!" 

The eklest sou agreed to do what his mother saitl. Therefore he 
asked his father to make for him a good-sized canoe. His father 
did as his son had requested. He made a very good canoe for him; 
and after the canoe was finished, they made ready to go. The father 
of the children was very sorry to know that all his children were 
going to leave him. Before they set out, their mother took them to 
the sandbar at Rose Point. She pointed with her finger a little 
south of sunrise, and said, "Keep the head of your canoe in this 
direction; and when you reach the mouth of a great river, make a 
pole with which to punt up the river; and after you have passed a 
great canyon up river, you will reach a great town. That is the 
town of your relatives." 

Soon after she had given them this advice, the children started 
across the sea. For two days they paddled across the strait. Then 
they came to a passage between two large islands. They still kept 
the head of the canoe a little south of sunrise, and then they arrived 
at the mouth of a great river which had been unknowai to them before. 
They did as then- mother had commanded them; and when they 
camped iii a certain place, they prepared a pole to use on the river. 
On the following mornuig they started again, going up the river. 
Then- father had loaded thek canoe with meat of seals, sea lions, 
halibut, and all kinds of sea animals, also with shellfish. They went 
up the river day after day. Now they arrived at a large canyon, as 
their mother had told them, and after four days they had passed 
through the canyon. Another day passed, and they saw a large 
town before them. Toward evening they arrived below the large 
town and camped there; and before they walked up on the trail that 
led up to the town, they turned their good canoe upside down, and it 
was transformed into a little hill, and all the animals were changed 
into stones, which are there up to this day. 

In the evening they walked up to the vUlage, at the tunc when all 
the young people of the village were walkmg on the street. Then 
this noble family walked up and down, and nobody knew who these 
strangers were. They saw a large house in the center of the town, 
and their mother had told them that this was theu" grandfather's 
house. They met a young man, whom they asked, "To whom docs 
this large house belong?" The young man told them that it was a 
great chief's house. The eldest son understood the language of his 
mother, while the rest used the Haida language. Then the young 
man ran into the chief's house and told him that some strangers were 
standing outside — four young men and two 3'oung women. There- 
fore the chief sent four of his young men to call them in. The nles- 
senger went out on the street and told them that the chief invited 
them to come in. Then the chief ordered his men to spread a good 



236 TSTMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ANN. 31 

mat by the side of his large fire, and they sat dowTi there. Then the 
eldest son inquired if a chief of this towTi had cast out his daughter 
years ago on the river, and the new chief remembered that his uncle 
had cast out his only daughter on the river years ago. Therefore they 
said, "Yes, we do remember it." Then the eldest son said, "We are 
her children." 

The whole village was astir that night, and the new chief invited 
all the old men, and he told them that these four pruices and two 
princesses were the grandchildren of his late uncle. The wise men 
asked the princes for their names, and the eldest one told-them his 
own name, Yoihetk; the second brother's name, Gamalukt; the third 
brother's name, Gayaa; the fourth one's, Bax-gwan; the elder girl's 
name, Gundax; and the younger girl's name, Su-da'°l. He told them 
that their mother had given them these names. Then all the wise men 
received them gladly. They lived in their grandfather's house, and 
aU the people loved them very much. 

Now we will turn again to the mother of the young prmces and of 
the princesses on Queen Charlotte Islands. As soon as her children 
had gone away, she went into the woods weeping. She wandered 
away. While she was walking in the woods, she came upon a narrow 
trail. There she met some young people, good-looking young people, 
who asked her, "Why are you so sad?" She told them what had 
happened to all her children. She said, "All my children have gone 
to our old home, and I am left alone in this strange land, without 
relatives. I have only my husband." Therefore these young people 
said, "We are your children, too. Don't l)e so sorrowful! Come 
with us to our house, and you shall see how nnuiy children you have 
with you in this strange country!" 

Therefore the woman went 'wath them. They came to a large 
town, and crowds of people assembled around her. When all the 
people had assembled, one of them spoke: "Now, my dear mother, 
we all are your children. Our old grandfather cast you into the 
river, and us too. Therefore we are here. We can not go back to 
our own native country, therefore we built a town here. You shall 
stay with us here, for you brought us to this side. We will keep you 
as long as you live." 

The woman, however, wanted to bring her husband with her, but 
they would not allow it. Then the woman agreed to their request. 
This town was the town of the many Mice — the children of the woman 
and her Mouse lover, who came to her in her father's house in her 
native land, when she was young. Now they had a dance in their 
house to comfort their mother, and they danced day by day. Soon 
after their meal every morning they would dance. 

One day the husband of this woman went into the woods to search 
for his wife, but he could not find her. He went on day after day. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 237 

One day the woman went back of her cliildren's town to refresh her- 
self, as she used to do every day. Then she thought that she heard 
a low moan a little distance away, that called her name. She recog- 
nized her husband's voice, and went toward the voice secretly. She 
heard bun, and then she called bun to come. He emliraced her, but 
his wife told brm her whole story, and said that her children were 
dancing. So the man was very anxious to see the dance. She 
hastened to go home. Her husband would not let her go, but asked 
her to come back to his own home, but she would not go. She 
said, "Go away, for my children will kill you ! They wUl soon come 
to look for me." The man, however, still held her in his arms. At 
last four young men came to call their mother to the house. They 
saw the man with their mother, and they said that they must kill 
him. But their mother said, "Not so, my children! Be kind to 
him. He is my husband. He is like your father. He wishes very 
much to see your dance." Then they agreed to their mother's 
request. They said, "We wUl allow him four days in our midst. 
Then he must go away to his own house." Evening came, and they 
began to dance untU late at night. Thus this man learned theu- song 
and the dances that they had. The whole village was asleep in the 
daytime; but before dusk they awoke, took their meal, and after they 
had eaten they began to dance. AU the people of the vUlage came 
to the house where their mother was, and danced there all night until 
daybreak. 

At the end of four days they sent the man back to his own home, 
and they said, "After four days more we shall send our mother back 
to you ; " and the Chief Mouse commanded hini : ' " Don't maltreat any 
mouse when you human beings see one on your way or in your house, 
lest you be beset by dangers, for all the mice on this island are of 
noble blood. Therefore if any human being does somethmg bad to a 
mouse, we shall kill him. I will give you a dancing-feather, a neck- 
band, and a skin drum. Then you shall teach your people how to 
dance." 

As soon as the Chief Mouse had spoken, the man left and went to 
his owTi home. Then all his people came to bun into his house, and 
the man taught them his song. When aU his people knew how to 
sijig this song, he put on his eagle feather and his necklace, then he 
began to dance; and aU his people came to see him — men, women, 
and children — and everybody was delighted to see this dance. 

At the end of four days the wife also came. She was a good singer, 
therefore all the women stood around her to learn her songs, and 
she taught them. Thus all the different villages on Queen Charlotte 
Islands learned how to dance, because the Mouse taught them. 
When the chiefs of all the tribes assembled at a dance in a chief's 



238 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

town, the siiifjcrs fisscmbled in his houso. Thus the chief became 
the head of his people, ami they had dances all the tune. That is 
the end. 

34. The Young Chief Who Married his Cousin' 

There was the town of G'it-cjxa'la, and the great chief there had a 
beautifnl daughter, lie had also a nephew who was to succeed to 
his place when he himself should die. This young chief was very 
wealthy, because he was a good hunter. The young chief wanted 
to marry his uncle's daughter. The great chief agreed, and one day 
he married her. The young woman loved him very much, and he 
also loved her very much. 

A year passed after they had married, and the young chief wanted 
to take another princess to be his wife, for m olden times it was the 
custom of chiefs to have many wives. So it was with this young chief. 
But his former wife did not want to let her husband take another wife 
beside her. The young chief, however, wanted to follow the chiefs' 
custom to have many wives, and therefore he married the other 
prmcess; and when he had his new wife, he still loved his own cousin, 
but she became sadder and sadder day by day. The young chief 
told her that he loved her more than his new wife, but she was sad, 
and her husband said, "I love you with all my life." 

She, however, did not listen to liim; and after midwinter, when 
all the people moved to the fishing-ground, the young chief also 
moved. He took his two wives m his canoe, and his uncles moved 
with them m his owii canoe. They were there on the fishmg-ground. 
The young chief built hLs own new house, and his father-in-law lived 
in hLs old house. The young princess was still sad. She always went 
to her father's house; and when the yomig chief's slaves would bring 
salmon to the young chief, he would divide it between his two wives; 
but his first wife did not take hers because she was jealous, and she 
always went to her father's people to ask for salmon; and she took 
them to her parents, and her mother dried them for her. She became 
sadder and sadder every day, and finally sIk; left her husband and 
lived in her father's house. 

She would go often into the woods to gather berries, and there she 
would cry, and late in the evening she would go home. Her mother 
did all she could to comfort her, but she contmued to cry. 

There was a high steep rock a little above their camp, which they 
called Place Of Supernatural Beings. She was sittmg at the foot of 
the high rock. Every day she went into the woods to pick berries; 
and when her baskets were full, she would stay at the foot of a large 
old dry tree, weeping, for she was very unhappy. She did so every 
day, and in the evening she would go home. 

' Notes, p. 792. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 239 

Before she entered her father's house, she heard a joyful voice in 
her husband's house. Then she was still more sorro\\'fuI, entered her 
father's house, and went right to betl without eating anything. Slie 
wept all night. Early the following morning she went out again to 
pick berries; and as soon as she had filled lier two baskets, she sat 
down at the same place, crjing. 

While slie was there, a supernatural being came to her, who asked 
her, " Wliy do you weep, and what makes you so sad V She replied, 
"Because my husband has married anotlier prmcess. I love him, 
and that makes me sad every day." Then the supernatiu-al bemg 
said, "Don't cry! I have come to comfort you. I want you to love 
me." Then he asked her to man-}- him, and she agreed. She loved 
him very much. He told her that his camp was not far from hers, 
and he said, "I wHl come to you often." 

Tliis young man was as bright as the sun. He was the son of the 
supernatural chief who lived in the high rock, and whose name is 
K-xamin. It stands a little above the river. The shining young 
man came to her often: and every morning when she went to pick 
berries, a supernatural being came and helped her, and sometimes a 
supernatural bemg would bring them man}' salmon. 

Now the former husband of the young woman came often to take 
her back while the young woman was absent picking berries. He 
said to her parents that he loved her more than his new wife. When 
she came back, they told lier, but she did not want him any more. 

Soon this young woman was with cliild. In the fall the young 
chief moved back to his ovn\ village, with his uncle's whole tribe; 
but the young woman's father remamed behind. He staid there in 
winter, and the supernatural being brought all kinds of animals to his 
father-in-law. 

In midwmter the people moved again, and went to the same 
camping-groimd as before, and there a boy was born to the woman. 
He was like to his supernatural father. As soon as the nephew had 
put up his camp, he went to his uncle's house; and when he came m, 
the yotmg woman went out. There he saw the bright little boy, and 
he thought it was his child, but it was the child of the supernatural 
bemg. Therefore he was very anxious to take her back, but she re- 
fused to go. Every morning the father of this child would bring 
salmon to his father-in-law. He put them downi on the beach below 
the chief's house. But the young chief could not catch any salmon, 
while the young woman's father was successful in everything. 
His house was full of aU kinds of food, while in the house of his 
nephew was not enough food for aU his people. Therefore the men 
of his tribe brought him salmon and berries; and before the fall of 
the year the young chief's new wife called all the young people, men 
and women, and bade them help her pick wild crabapples on her 



240 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

husband's crabapplo ground and knife grass ground (?).' Two large 
canoes full of young men and young women started to pick crab- 
apples for the second wife of the yoimg chief. They went up 
shouting for joy. 

Wlien they had gone, the supernatural being came to his secret 
wife, and asked her, "Did you go with your parents when they went 
to pick wild crabapples?" She said, "No," l)ecause she was much 
ashamed because the second wife of the young chief had made fun of 
her. Then the supernatural bemg said to her, "You must go with 
them, for my father's slavas wiU pick wild crabapples for you." 
Therefore she went Avith them; and the supernatural beuig said to 
her, "Take many mats with you, many boxes, and many baskets!" 
and she did what the supernatural being had told her to do. They 
took a large canoe and went up above the high rock and camped 
there. Tlien the supernatural being came to them on the camping- 
ground. Tliey saw a crabapple tree full of crabapples; and the 
supernatural being said again, "I give these to my child. Clear 
the ground at the foot of the crabapple tree, and spread your mats 
all around it." She did so; and after she luid cleared the ground, 
she spread the mats. They sat down on thi^ beach, her parents a 
little beyond their daughter, who had gone to pick the large crab- 
apples. Then all the leaves of the crabapple tree began to shake, 
although the young woman did not see any one on the tree. 

She loved her supernatural husband. In the afternoon he said to 
her, "Go and see what has happened to your <'rabapple tree." She 
went up to the foot of the crabapple tree, and saw a great pile of 
crabapples on every mat which she had spread there, and there were 
no small leaves. She ran to the place where her parents were, and 
called them, "Come, parents, and look here!" Her mother came 
down from the tree, and she ran to her daughter, and they saw great 
piles of crabapples on every mat, and she saw the leaves in heaps by 
themselves on one side of the tree. She called her husband, and the 
old chief came to her and saw these things. 

Then the supernatural being spoke again to his wife, and said, 
"Tell your parents to cook these crabapples tonight, before they 
waste away!" Therefore the old chief built a large fire, put stones 
into it, put water into a square box, threw the red-hot stones mto it 
to make it boil, and when the water was boiling, they tlu-ew the 
crabapples into the hot water and covered the box. They finished 
this during the night. They filled ten or more large baskets. 

The slaves of the supernatural bemg were the silver-blue cod, and 
these had picked the crabapples. They were the slaves of the super- 

1 This word is unknown to me. I give Mr. Tate's translation. The original sentence reads: Adat 
gaxlgo'dEt dEmt sa-k!E'rElda ut* a'lgEm ratl'lkst nakst, gu t!aot nt'alguda lax-ye'al. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 241 

natural spirit who lives at the foot of Mount K-xamin, whose son 
married the .young woman. 

The followTjig day they went down to their camp, and they had 
ten large boxes filled %vith crabapples mixed with grease. 

On the following day the supernatural being came down to his 
wife, and said to her, "My parents want to see my child for a while. " 
The young woman said, "Oh, must it be? I am afraid he will cry 
when he is there." Then the supernatural being said, "No, not so. 
My father will make a cradle for liim." Therefore she let him have 
the child. The supernatm^al bemg said, "Come up to the foot of 
Mount K-xamin after two days, and stay a little below the high rock. 
There you shall have your child again." Then he went away with 
the chUd. After two days she said to her parents, "Take some elk 
skins and red ocher and eagle down, and let us go up to the foot of 
Mount K-xamin to see my child which his father took away two days 
ago!" They took a canoe and went up the river to the foot of 
Mount K-xamin. As soon as they arrived, a nice carved cradle 
came down on the water right to the foot of the high rock, and a 
sweet lullaby was heard in the mountain, and a live cradle was rolled 
along by the waves of the river, while the echo of the supernatm-al 
lullab}' was heard on the river and on the mountain. Tlie child was 
sound asleep in the cradle, and they learned the supernatural lullaby 
while the live cradle went up and down on the w^ves of the river. 

As soon as the lullaby ceased, the live cradle came right toward the 
canoe. Then the young woman heard her husband's voice, saying, 
"Take him I" The young woman took up the cradle; and the old 
chief took two elk skins, and said, "I present these elk sldns to you, 
for you made my grandchild's carved cradle." lie threw them on 
the water, and the two elk sldns went down; and he threw red ocher 
and eagle down into the water, which also went down. 

Before the people went home to their village, the supernatural 
being said to his wife. "Tliis year you may go home with the rest of 
yom" father's people, and I wiU still be with you and help you. Let 
no one marry you. I shall slay the woman who married your 
former husband." Then he went away. 

The boy grew up rapidly and came to be a j-outh. One day they 
moved to their home, but the chief did not camp with his nephew. 
There were many people in the young chief's camp. Thej- were 
always merry. Before they arrived at home, the chief's new wife 
took a good-sized canoe with some slaves, and went ahead of all the 
canoes, fuU of joy. While they were on theu- way, a great many 
killer whales came up, and one of them jumped on the canoe m 
which the new wnfe of the young chief was. It capsized, and she 
was droMHied together M-ith some slaves, and the young chief was in 
deep sorrow, and mourned for the death of his new wife. At last 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 16 



242 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

they arrived at home. The supernatural being had sent the killer 
whale to upset the canoe of the chief's new wife, who was drownied in 
the water. 

Now, the supernatiu-al being came to his wife bj- night, and told 
her that he had killed the woman who had made her unhappy. 
Two days after all the peojile liad arrived at home, the old chief 
arrived. Then they heard a great noise in the house of the young 
chief. They asked some people what had happened to the young 
chief, and they told them tlaat the chief's new \\'ife was drowned by 
killer whales jumping on her canoe. 

Then the old chief gave a great feast and showed his grandchild to 
the people. The chOd grew up and became an expert hunter and 
expert at halibut fishing, and he obtained all kinds of fish and water 
animals, large and small, and he was richer than any one else. He 
gave many feasts to all the tribes, and many chiefs wanted to marry 
his mother, but she refused. She did not want to marry again. 

Her former husband also wanted to marry her again, but she 
refused. Many yeai-s passed, and the wife of the old chief died. 
Then the son of the supernatural being was lonely, and said to his 
mother, "Let us camp somewhere with my grandfather!" Hismother 
agreed, and they moved, and camped away from the \illage. 

One day the young man's mother spoke to him, and said, "My 
son, I want to say Jhis to you: you ought to marry some princess!" 
but he replied, "No." And while they were encamped there, the 
supernatm"al being came and brought them many halibut, seals, 
sea lions, and other animals. They dried them, and built four large 
houses for drying halibut and seal and sea lion ; and when the four 
houses were full, they built another fom-, and filled them with whale 
blubber; and the supernatui-al bemg and hLs son brought four great 
whalej^, and he obtained many large water animals. Many houses 
were full of seal, sea lion, and whales. He caught four large whales, 
and they tied them to the beach. Seals and sea lions were lying 
about, and there was a smell of grease all along the beach in front of 
their camp, and the oil of the great whales covered the water of tlie 
sea. 

At the same time many people died because there was no food in 
their village. One day early in the morning the old chief took a 
canoe and went to the village. He loaded his canoe whh seal meat 
and fat and sea-lion meat and fat and also with whale blubber and 
dried halibut. When his people saw the canoe coming, they all 
went down to the beach, and the old chief gave each man a piece of 
seal meat and fat, sea lion meat and fat, and whale blubber; and he 
told the people that they had an abundance of food and that many 
houses were full of meat and fat, of whales, sea lions, seals, and of 
dried halibut: and he said, "Four great whales are tied to the beach 
at our camp, and sea lions, seals, and halibut are lymg about." 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 243 

When all the tribes round about heard that there was plenty to eat 
in the camp of the old chief, they loaded their canoes with elks, 
spoons of elk antler, and slaves, to present them to their old chief. 
They brought enough elk skins to fill two houses; and when all the 
tribes round about heard that there was plenty to eat in the old 
chief's camp, they went there to buy meat — the Tsunshian, G'itlama't, 
Bellabeha, the people from China Hat, and all the tribes speaking 
different languages. They bought dried meat and fresh meat, whale 
blubber, and fat of sea lions and seals, and so on. They bought them 
with slaves, many large coppers, and four houses full of elk skins, 
and they had many thousand raccoon skins, and spoons of elk antler, 
and horn spoons; and when all the buyers had assembled, the old 
chief gave a great feast to the people speaking different languages — 
those who had bought the meat and fat in his camp; and he gave 
away many slaves and canoes and elk skins, and raccoon skins: and 
the mother of his grandson gave away many spoons of elk antler, 
horn spoons, and many boxes of whale oil, and many boxes of sea- 
lion oil and seal oil. 

Then the old chief gave his name to his grandson, and he gave to 
his daughter a great woman's name; and when all the chiefs were 
satisfied, they honored the yoimg chief, and he became great among 
the people, and the people of his own tribe honored the young chief. 

A little later his grandfather died, and he gave a great feast to all 
the tribes. He became richer and richer because he was a great 
hunter and his father was a supernatural being; and his name was 
great among the people speaking different languages as far as the 
Bellabella and Tsimshian extend, but he never man-ied. His mother 
also was great among the princesses. She also was afraid to marry, 
lest her supernatural husband should be angry with her. 

(The supernatural being had told his wife that this would be the 
last time he would visit her. He said, "Let my son help you to 
everything you need." Then he disappeared.) 

35. The Story of Asdi-wa'l.' 

(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 71-146.) 

36, Waux, the Son of Asdi-w.v'l' 

In the story of Asdi-wa'l we did not tell about his only son. Now 
we will take it up again, at the time when Asdi-wa'l was living 
among; his brothers-in-law. 

His wife loved him very much because she thought he was a super- 
natural being. Not many days after they had married, the young 
woman bore him a son ; and his father, Asdi-wa'l, called his son Waux. 
That means "very light. " This son would fly away like a spark. 

' Notes, pp. 747, 759, 792. 



244 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth Ann. 31 

The child grew up and became strong in his mind. He went 
everywhere with his father. He went hnntmg in the woods or on the 
slippery rocks above the mountains; and he luiew well how to hunt, 
because his father taught him how to hunt wild animals. Wlien he 
went up the mountains with his father, his father would give him a 
spear and his dogs, and also his large hunting-hat, his little l>asket, 
and mat blanket, and his pole, to take care of while he crept up to 
the animals. He himself only took his bow and arrows and his 
snowshoes. 

The boy loved his father very much. When he moved to Nass 
River with his father and his uncles, they stopped halfway, and the 
young man went up the mountains with his father Asdi-wa'l. There 
they killed some bears in their dens. When they came home late in the 
evening, the boy told his uncles how many black bears his father had 
slain, and the young man took care of all the weapons which his 
father had given him. 

When his uncles left his father at KsE-ma'ksEn, the boy did not 
want to go %vith them, but they compelled hun to do so. Therefore 
he wept bitterly with his mother all the way whUe they were going 
up to Nass River. 

Not manj^ days after they arrived at Nass River, the mother and 
her son took a canoe by night and came down from Nass River, 
trying to find Asdi-wa'l. Wlien they reached the place on the follow- 
ing day, he had disappeared, and his wife and son were full of sorrow. 
They searched KsE-ma'ksEn, and thought that some wUd animal 
had come and devoured him. Then they went right down to their 
home on Skeena River. 

The young man was a very skillful hunter. He knew his father's 
hunting-ground, and he knew also how to use his father's weapons. 
He would kill all kinds of animals, and he became very rich in property. 
He had meat and tallow of all kinds of anunals, fat, and skins of all 
kinds; and he made black horn spoons of mountain-goat horn, and 
spoons of elk antler, and dippers of elk antler. 

Before his mother died she wanted her son to marry one of her cous- 
ins, and he did what his mother wanted hun to do. Not many days 
after he had married, his mother died, and the young couple were 
happy. He always went alone to hunt on his father's hunting- 
ground. He slew many animals. Sometimes his wife would go 
with him. There was a great mountain on which his father used to 
hunt mountain goats in the fall, when they were very fat. He went 
there, and camped in the hut that his father had built at the foot of 
the high mountain. 

His wife was with child, and the children struggled in her womb ; 
and when the tune came, behold! she gave birth to twins. In the 
fall they moved from the village and went to the foot of the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 245 

high mountain to live in the huntmg-hut. They camped there, 
as they had often done before. He killed the mountam goats, and 
they filled the hut with meat and tallow and fat. In the winter he 
went home, and gave a great feast to all the tribes of the Tsunshian, 
and he proclaimed his new name which his father Asdi-wa'l had given 
to bun as soon as he was born. His name was Waux; and he was a 
great hunter in those days, and his fame spread among all the tribes 
of the Tsunshian, and the animals of the woods knew hun also. 

His two children followed him wherever he went. One time he 
went up a newly discovered mountain, and there he lost his two 
children. They slipped on one side of that new mountain, and both 
died there in the Valley Of Supernatural Beings. Waux, however, 
was going to die there too. They mourned for the two children 
whom he had lost there. So they moved to the old hut at the foot 
of the high mountain, and Waux went every day to hunt mountain 
sheep. He enlarged the old hut which his late father had built, and 
filled it with di-ied meat and fat. 

Late in the fall, when the leaves were falling, he went up the same 
mountain for fresh meat. He forgot to take his spear along. He 
took only his huntmg-pole and his dog, his mat blanket, his little 
root basket, and his huntmg-hat. He saw great flocks of mountain 
sheep, and he pursued them, and the mountain sheep had no way to 
escape. There was only a narrow cleft on one side of the high 
mountain. Then all the sheep went into the cleft; and at the end 
of the cleft there was only bare rock like glass, and all the sheep 
slipped there. One large sheep was the last; and before the large 
sheep jumped off the slippery rock, it kicked the side of the mountain, 
and leaned its head against the rock to show that the mountain was 
angry with the hunter. 

After the sheep had done so, it leaped down the slippery rock. 
Then the high mountain shook for a while. Therefore Waux struck 
his hunting-pole through the hard rock. He took hold of it, and called 
hLs dog to his side. Wlien the mountain shook again, he looked 
down to his hut and shouted down to his wife, saying, "Sacrifice fat 
to the supernatural powers, for I can neither go on nor turn back!" 
The woman replied, "I can not hear what you say! What is it?" 
"Oh, sacrifice fat to a supernatural being!" She cried out and 
answered, "Shall I eat fat?" Waux answered still louder, "Offer 
to a supernatural being!" She replied again, "Shall I eat fat?" 
Waux repeated the same words over and over again, but his wife 
repeated her own wish. 

Finally Waux shouted, and said, "Go and eat all the fat you can! 
Melt it all and eat it; and after you have eaten the melted fat, drink 
cold water and lie dowii across an old log!" Then she heard her 
husband's words distinctly. She hastened into the hut, made a 



246 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

largp fire, and moltpd much fat, and ate it all. Then she felt satisfied 
and drank much water. She went toward an old log, lay down across 
it, and her body broke apart. She was transformed into flint, which 
is still lymg there at the foot of the high mountain. There is flint 
all over it, and a white stone like white marl)le is inside. 

Waux himself was transformed into stone, with his hunting-hat 
and his mat blanket and his pole, and his dog also was transformed 
into stone. He is standing there up to this day. The reason is that 
he forgot to take his spear. He had used the spear often before 
when some mountains were shaking. He just put the spear across 
the chasms between rot-ks after they had shaken, and a way opened 
for him; but this time he had no way, and his wife misunderstood 
his request to offer to a supernatural being. 

37. The Blind Git-q!.v'°da' 

In a camp at the mouth of a creek was a blind man. He used to 
camp there before he was blind and when he was a hunter. His 
wife and little son, who loved him very much, were with him. They 
were camping there, waiting for the salmon-run. They had a good 
little hunting-hut. They waited there a long time for the salmon, 
until the fall. Then, when the sabnon were in the brook, the woman 
and her son went up the brook and caught a few salmon, striking 
them with a harpoon. Then they carried them down to the hut 
where the old blind hunter was. This Was while the leaves were 
falling and before the wild animals got into their dens. 

Early one morning the woman said she would go to gather bark 
for winter fuel. She did so. She would always go with her little 
son. Late in the evening they came home. They did so every day. 
Very early one morning the boy went out; and while he was sitting 
outside, he looked across the brook, and, behold ! a great grizzly bear 
was coming down to the stream, looking for old dead salmon, which he 
intended to eat before his long sleep in his den in the long winter. 
Therefore the boy ran in and told his blind father that a great grizzly 
bear was coming down on the other side of the stream. The blind 
man said, "Take me out!" So the boy took him by the hand and 
led him outside. He said agam, " Run in and bring my bow and my 
good arrow!" The boy did as his father had said. He brought him 
the bow and the good arrow, and gave them to his blind father. 
Then his father said, "Now take the end of my arrow and point it 
at the shoulder of that great grizzly bear, that I may hit its heart!" 
The boy did as his father had told him. He took the point of the 
arrow and directed it toward the grizzly bear's shoulder. Then the 
boy said, "Now shoot!" The old hunter used all his strength to pull 
his bow, and he shot it. The arrow went right through the great 



> Notes, p. 825. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 247 



t> 



grizzly bear's heart, and it lay there dead. The old hunter said, "I 
killed it with one shot," for he heard the grizzly bear groan, and after 
a short time the groan ceased. He said again, "Now it is dead, for 
I hit the heart." 

Then his wife came out and made fun of him, and said, "Oh, yes! 
you killed it!" The blind man said, "Yes, I killed it." Then his 
wife laughed at him. The woman knew that he had killed the 
grizzly bear, yet she did not want to give him any of the grizzly-bear 
meat. Therefore she said to her blind husband that he had missed 
it. She thought that if her husband should die soon, she might marr}^ 
a man better than he. 

Late in the afternoon that woman said to her son, "Let us go across, 
my son, to get bark! We shall bo back late in the evening." Then 
they went to where the great grizzly bear lay dead; and when they 
came there, she said to the boy, " Now, my son, don't tell your father 
that he killed this gi-izzly bear! You and I will eat its meat and fat." 
Then she cut it up and filled her canoe twice, and late in the evening 
she came home. She had washed the arrow thoroughly. The blind 
man asked, "Did you find my arrow, my dear?" The boy said, 
"Yes, father!" — "Then bring it to me!" Then his wife brought it 
to him, and said, "Here is your arrow with which you shot the old 
log over there!" Then the old hunter took his good and successful 
arrow, felt of it and smelled of it, and said, "Yes, I know that I 
have killed the animal. I can smell the fat." 

Then his wife was angry. He said again, "O my successful arrow! 
I have smelled the fat of the great grizzly bear." 

Every morning she went out to gather bark with her son. She 
built a great fire and cooked as much of tlie grizzly-bear meat as she 
wanted, and she and her son ate all they wanted. Late in the evening 
every day she came home. She told her son many times not to tell 
his father that he had killed the great giizzly bear, lest he should eat 
the meat and it would all be consumed, and they would die of star- 
vation. She continued, "Let him die, for he is old and bhnd and 
of no use." 

The boy, however, did not listen to what she tokl him every day, 
for he loved his old father very much. He was always with him in 
his poor ])ed, and slept with him oftt-n. One night they went to bed 
early, and the boy whispered to his old father, " Father, you killed 
that great grizzly bear a few days ago. Here is a little meat which 
I hid behind my ear, for mother does not want me to tell you that 
we have plenty, lest you eat of the meat and fat. We always eat 
meat and fat every day. My mother makes a large fire out there, 
and she cooks the meat and fat, and she said that she would whip 
me if I should tell you. Here, I will give you tliis meat! Eat, my 
father! I don't want 3'ou to die! Do eat this, father!" 



248 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann, 31 

His father, however, refused, and said, "Go on, my dear son, eat 
it!" Then the old man began to cry. He cried the whole night, 
and before daylight he said to his son, "My dear son, I want you to 
lead me on the trail that leads toward the lake up in the woods." 
The boy asked laim, " Wliat are you going to do, father ? " He replied, 
"I vn]l stay there and comfort myself." The lad said agam, "No, 
I will not do it, father; you might die!" but the old man said, "If 
you love me, my son, do whsit I have asked you to," and the boy 
agreed; but he said, "Only don't kill yourself!" — "No, no!" said 
the old man, "but don't let your mother know about it." They 
went farther downi from the hut and came to the trail wlaich led up 
to the lake. They went on and on until they arrived at the lake. 

Then the old man said, "Now go back to your mother, my son, and 
let me sit down here!" The boy asked to be allowed to stay with 
him, but his father sent him down to his mother. They were both 
crying when they parted. The boy went down, and the old man 
remained sitting there alone, crying. He cried a whole day, and 
nothing would stop him. After a while, when it was near sunset, 
he heard a loon crying on the lake. The bhnd man was still crymg. 
Again he heard the loon still nearer the place where he was sitting. 
He continued to cry. He heard the loon a third time quite near to the 
place where he was sitting, and a little later some one nudged him, 
and asked him, " Wliy do you weep ? " He answered, " O Supernatu- 
ral One! I am in great distress. My wife has used me very badly." — 
"What do you want me to do for you?" said the supernatural being. 
The bhnd man said, "O Supernatural One! restore my eyesight." 
The Supernatural One said, "Turn toward me ! " Then the blind man 
hastened to turn toward the supernatural being, who took some 
rubbish from his right eye and from his left eye. The supernatural 
being threw this mass on the water. Then he said to the blmd man, 
"Do you see me now?" The blind man said, "I just see a little 
light." So the supernatural being put out his hands and took some 
more bad blood out of his eyes, and said, "You are a careless hunter. 
Why don't you hide your face when bad things pass in front of your 
eyes while you are sitting down? Now tell me if you can see that 
place." The blind man said, "It is not very clear." 

The supernatural being did this three times; and after he had 
done it four times, he vanished from his sight. Then the blind man 
went into the water, and saw that it was fidl of all kinds of rubbish — 
blood, ashes, hair, smoke, steam, dust, and so on. He was very glad, 
and wanted to know who had opened his eyes. 

On the following morning he hid himself, that his son should not 
see him if he should come. Early the following mornuig the boy 
awoke and ran up the trail to the lake; and when he came to the 
place where his old blind father had been sitting, no one was to be 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 249 

found; and he began to cry and call his beloved father, but nobody 
answered. He saw blood in the water, and thought some wild ani- 
mal had eaten him in the night, and he felt very sad. He went down 
the trail, crying and calling. His mother heard him when he came 
down the trail crying. She awoke, and wanted to know who was 
there. Behold! the boy was coming along crying, and said, "Some 
wild animal has devoured my poor father!" 

The boy's mother was angiy with her son, and said, "Stop crying! 
Let us be glad that your father is dead. Come and eat this rich 
meat! Stop at once, or I shall whip you!" The boy was afraid of 
her, and stopped crying; but he did not eat much, because he was 
thmking of his father. 

After they had eaten, she said to the boy, "Let us go to get 
bark!" The boy, however, lay down on his old father's bed, weeping, 
and his mother went alone. She followed the trail; and when she 
reached the place, she saw something that had been dragged down 
into the water, and she saw blood mixed wath rubbish, and she 
believed that her husband was dead. She was glad. She went a 
little farther down along the trail, and saw a large pile of thick bark 
some distance away from the trail. So she went toward it and 
piled it up. 

Now the man went down another way when he heard his wife 
singing happily instead of singing a mourning-song. He passed her, 
and went right down to the hut. Behold! there was his son lying 
on his bed crying. He said to his son, "My dear son, I am still 
aUve, and my eyes are open again! I can see clearly. Do not cry! 
Come, let us close up every hole in this hut, and I shall shut the door. 
Let your mother stay outside this night!" After they had eaten 
their supper, he went to bed with his beloved sou. 

Late in the evening the woman came home, and the door was shut 
against her. She knocked at it, and said, "My dear son, did your 
father come home, or are you still alone?" and there came no answer. 
She said to her husband, "Take pity on me! I feel very cold out 
here." Still no answer came from them. She felt very cold, and 
said, "Do open the door for me, my dear son ! " Her voice was shaking 
on account of the cold. She said, "Take pity on me, lest I freeze 
to death!" 

Before dayhght she was transformed into a hooting owl. Then 
the man ran out and opened the door. He saw an owl flying away. 
It alighted on a tree that stood near the hut, and hooted. So the 
man said, "Go away into the woods, owl!" and he became again a 
great hunter. 

Not many years passed, and he went alone into the mountains. 
He had often heard an owl hooting since his wife had been transformed 
into an owl; and one night when he was alone in the mountains, he 



250 TSIMSHIAK MYTHOLOGY [eth. an.n. 31 

heard again the hootinn; of an owl; and he said, "You fooHsh woman, 
go away from me! I don't want you to come near my camp!" 
Then the owl stopped hooting when she heard what her husband 
said, and the man forgot that he had been talking to the owl. He 
went out of his hut, and the owl flew just above his head, and he fell 
dead right there. 

38. Local Winter in Git-q!a'°da' 

Before the Deluge the Tsimshian lived on ilie upper course of 
Skoena River. There was the great village of the G'it-q!a'°da, 
and in it were many people. They had only one great chief who 
commanded his people and made laws for them in regard to every- 
thing.^ 

The son of that chief of the G'it-q!a'°da had married according to 
their custom, in winter. He was a young man of very good mind. 
Shortly after he had married, there was a great famine aU along the 
coast. In the spring a man cut a hole in the ice on Skeena River and 
put down his bag net. He caught a spring salmon. His wife steamed 
it in a box and put small sticks through the spring salmon the width 
of a fuiger apart. Then he invited all his tribe, and the people were 
very glad to have a fresh spring salmon. The starvation was almost 
forgotten; and after they had eaten, they went to their own houses, 
taking part of the boiled salmon to their wives and children. 

While they were on their way home, a snowstorm came up; and 
one man named G'augun took off the cover from his salmon, stretched 
both his hands toward Heaven, and said, ''How is it? Do you think 
winter is coming back again ? Look at the fresh boiled spring salmon 
that I have in my hand ! Shame on you for letting it snow every day !" 
Then he went home and gave his boiled salmon to his wife and his 
children. After they had eaten, they felt satisfied. 

Then all the jieople of the village were ready to go fishing the next 
morning on the ice. In the same night a heavy snowstorm set in, 
and it continued until the food of all the people was gone, and there 
was a very bad famine among the people. Many died of starvation. 
No one was able to work and to get food, on account of the snow- 
storms. 

The wile of the newly married prince had given birth to a child; 
and while it was snowing every day, the whole tribe died. Only the 
prince and his wife remained alive. They ate very little food once 
a day. The young woman would boil a little piece of dried salmon, 
and would take the soup for the child that she was nursing, while the 
prince ate a piece of the salmon. 

Soon their food was gone. Then the child died, for the mother 
had no milk for it. On the day after the child had died, a blue- 

1 Notes, p. 829. 2 Then follows a description of tlie marriage customs given on p. 532. 



BOAS) TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 251 

ja}- was sitting m the smoke hole with a large cluster of ripe elder- 
berries in its bill. The biid opened its mouth, crymg, "Qwash, 
givash, (iwasJi!" Wlien the elderberrias dropped dowii, the young 
woman arose and took them and showed them to hei- starving hus- 
band. Their heai-ts felt relieved. Then the woman said to her 
husband, "Be of good cheer, my dear! Let us try to leave this 
desolate place, and we shall fuid summer, for the supernatural power 
sends a large cluster of elderberries to show us that summer has 
come." 

Now, they made ready to go to another place wliQe it was stUl 
snowing heavOy. On the followmg day they put on their snowshoes 
and went down river, leaving their old home. They struggled along 
in the snow. The prince was very weak because he was starving, 
and his wife suckled him twice a day. They traveled for one day 
from the old village site, and they passed out of the snow and reached 
a place where it was summer. Wlien they looked behind, black 
clouds were still hanging over the village. They went farther down 
the river and made a camp. The prmce was still very weak, and 
the young woman suckled him. Then she went down to the river 
to fetch water, and brought it to her husband, and she would always 
see small trout among the stones in tlie shallow water. On the 
following day she told her husband that she had seen many trout 
among the stones in the shallow water. Therefore the weak prince 
took his knife and split a small ])iece of red cedar, and made out of it 
a fish trap. The young woman took it down to the river and placed 
it among the stones where the small trout were. There she left it 
over night. On the following morning she went down, and, behold! 
the trap was full of small trout. She took them to her sick husband. 
She boiled them in a root basket and took them to her husband. 
She gave him a wooden spoon, but the prince declined it. He said, 
"You shall eat it, and you shall go on sucklmg me." The young 
woman did so every day until the prince was a little stronger. Then 
he made a larger trap, for larger trout ; and every night they caught 
many trout, and also eels. They dried some of the trout and eels, 
and the prince made a still larger trap for salmon. Then he caught 
many sprmg salmon. 

Next he made two large traps, and he also buUt a weir on one side 
of the Skeena River, and put two large salmon traps in the deep 
water at the end of the bridge. He built a house for smokuig salmon. 
Then they had plenty to eat. There was no longer any famme. In 
midsummer they dried all kinds of berries, and at the end of the 
summer the prince buUt a large canoe; and after the canoe was 
finished, they loaded it with all kinds of dried salmon and boxes of 
dried berries. They went down river, and camj^ed at Fall Camp. 



252 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

On the following day they went up to Ksdal. They reached the 
mouth of the river; and as they camj^ed there, they uidoaded their 
canoe, and buUt a house in the strange country, which was unknown 
to them. In the autumn he often went up the mountains to hunt 
goats while his wife staid at homo with her unborn child, and the 
prince kUled many mountain goats. He took their meat and their 
fat. 

At the head of the brook he saw a large lake. One day he was 
tliinking of it, and m winter ho went up to the large lake and walked 
on the ice on his snowshoes. Then he went up the mountain at the 
end of the great lake. When ho reached the top, he looked down on 
the other side, and there he saw smoke ascending in the vaUey. It 
was toward evening, and he went back to his camp. Late in the 
night he came home. His wife was crying, thinking that she had 
lost him. Then he told her that he had seen smoke on the other 
side of the mountaui which he had climbed. They lived there all 
winter, and theii- provisions lasted xmtU the following summer. 
Toward the end of a hard winter they went across the lake m their 
canoe. They carried enough food with them, and their new child. 
They walked up the mountain, and soon they reached the foot of 
the mountain on the other side. Then they walked do-\vn over a 
large plana, and a brook ran through the plaui. They walked down 
alongside the brook; and when they arrived at its mouth, they saw 
a house on the other side of it. Therefore they called for some one 
to take them over. Then a small canoe came across. They crossed 
the brook, and they met four young men who were encamped there 
m a small hut, and who gave them food. They were very friendly 
to those four young men. The eldest of them was in love with 
the gui, and the girl also loved him deai-ly. At last the father of the 
girl became sick and died, and a few days after, her mother also was 
taken sick and died. Then the girl lived alone with these four 
young men. 

(These four young men were the offspring of a wild duck who was 
sent by the daughter of the South Wijid while she was in the house of 
Chief North Wind, where she was almost frozen.) 

The eldest of the young men wanted to marry tlie girl, and she 
agieed, so they were married. Then the girl gave birth to four 
children at one time, as ducks lay eggs in the spring; and the next 
sprmg four other children were born. They grew up to be men and 
women. Eveiy time she would give buth to four children at a 
time, and they began to build a village there; and when theu- mother 
died, they had begun to be a large and powerful people; and wherever 
these people moved, there was a heavy snowdrift on the ground. 

Therefore it is told among these people that no one should throw 
stones at wild ducks in wmter, lest a heavy snowstorm should set in. 



boas] tsimshia^^ myths 253 

39. The Drifting Log' 

There was a gi'eat war at G'itslEmga'lon between two clans — the 
Gispaw*adwE'da and the Eagle Clan. The Eagle people were defeated 
by the GispawadwE'da. There was a gi-eat battle on that day. ilany 
Eagle people were killed by their enemies. The last day they had 
a very hot battle, and nearly all the Eagle people were destroyed, 
and then- chief fled \vitli his young niece. The chief's name was 
Nes-wa-na'°, and the ghl's name was Daul. They crossed the high 
mountains between Skeena and Nass Rivers, ilany days they 
walked along the trail; and when they arrived at a village on the 
upper Xass River, at their Eagle relatives on Nass River, they were 
received gladly, and Nes-wa-na'° became then- chief. 

In the spring, when the people were expected to come olachen 
&hing, they moved down to their fisliing-gi-ouml and camped on 
Sandbar Camp. The olachen came up the river, and all the people 
were very busy. Then the children were always in the way of the 
fishermen, and some of the children were hurt and died. Some fell 
into the water and were drownetl, and so on. 

One day the new chief invited all his people to a council to talk 
about the children — how they could keep them safely in an empty 
house, and how some one shoidd take good care of them. On the 
following day the chilchen were gathered together in the new chief's 
house, but the boys were always fighting wdth the girls. Therefore 
another day they separated them, the boys by themselves, and the 
girls by themselves. 

A great number of girls went and found a hollow log lying above 
liigh-water mark. Their parents had chosen the princess Daul to 
take care of them, and all the guls loved her very much. They 
went into the hollow log and played that it was their house. They 
started a fire in it and ate there, and their ]iarents carried great 
quantities of provisions into the small log: and they had many gar- 
ments of black and arctic fox, martens, raccoons, weasels, and all 
kinds of costly garments. They staid there a long time, Avhile the 
people were working, and all the children loved the young princess as 
children love their mother. 

One night the tide was higher than it had been for many years, 
and the high tide carried away the large hollow log from its place 
while the children were asleep in it. The log floated out to sea with 
many children in it. Early the next morning the princess awoke and 
went out and saw that the log had drifted away. 

Before the log had drifted away, a young prince had given her a 
young eagle as a present. She loved the young eagle, and tamed it, 
and the young eagle learned to understand her words. Then she 

' Notes, p. 831. 



254 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

knew what had happened ; and when the princess went nearer the 
young eagle, it was ilying with its mistress, and the princess named 
it Young Eagle. 

She cried ; but when she went back into the hollow log, she stopped 
cr\nng. She was afraid that if the cliildren should know what had 
happened, they might faint. Therefore she tried everything to 
comfort them. The log was drifting way out on the great ocean. 

When the parents of the children missed the hollow log from its 
place, they began to cry. They took their canoes, and went down 
the river to search for their children, but in vain. They did not 
find them. They went back liome, full of sorrow on account of the 
loss of their children and of their young princess. 

The young eagle was seated on a root of the hollow log in which 
the cliildren were; and after a few days had passed, the young eagle 
flew back to Nass River. When all the people in the village were 
lamenting, the young eagle flew down from liigh up in the air, and 
alighted on the roof of the house of the princess's grandfather, and 
screeched. Then all the people of the village knew that the children 
were still alive. After the eagle had screeched, it flew away down 
to the mouth of Nass River. 

The log was still drifting about way out on the ocean, and the 
tide took it out between Queen (^harlotte Islands and Prince of Wales 
Island, and took it along the south side of Prince of Wales Island. 

The people of a Haida village were camped on the outer coast 
for halibut fishing; and when the sun set in the west and great 
waves rolled up on the sandy shore at the end of the camp of the 
Haida tribe, the log was carried ashore by the waves and grounded 
there; and when the tide receded, the princess said to all the children, 
"Now, cliildren, come out!" Therefore all the cliildren came out, 
and the princess said to them, "Now go up to the woods behind the 
village, and I will go in front." It was evening now, and all the 
children went up into the woods. Then she walked in front of the 
houses of the camp, and stopped in front of the chief's house. Many 
young people passed her without noticing her; and wliile she was 
standing there, some one came up from the beach. It was a young 
prince, who asked her where she came from and where she belonged; 
and she answered in her own language, which the prince did not 
understand, and the young princess did not understand what he 
said. The young man wanted to take her into his father's house. 
The princess fii'st refused, but finally she went with him. The prince 
stopped the young men who were playing at the door of his father's 
house, and led her into the cliief's house, who ordered his young men 
to spread mats at one side of the house. 

Tlien the great chief said, "My son shall marry you because I am 
your relative. What is your name, my dear ? " but she did not under- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 255 

stand what he said. Therefore they called one of liis female slaves 
who understood the Tsimshian language to be his interpreter; and the 
interpreter said, "The great chief aslved for your name." She replied 
through the interpreter, "My name is Daul. I am the niece of the 
great cliief G'it-xa'n and Nes-wa-na'°. They were all killed by the 
enemy. He was the only one who made liis escape from them. He 
took me across the mountains, and at a river on the other side of 
the mountain we found our relatives, who treated us well ; and the 
whole village loved my uncle and myself. When the olachen came 
up the river, they moved down to their camping-ground; and they 
did not want my uncle to work himself, so they gave him all their 
cliildren to take care of while the people went out fishing, and they 
gave me the girls to take care of. I took them into a large hollow 
tree wliich lay above high-water mark, and one night the high tide 
carried it away, and we drifted away from there to this place." After 
she had said tliis, she began to cry. 

Tlien the great chief said, "My niece, my son shall marry you." 
She replied, "I will do so if you will promise to take care of my girls." 
Therefore the chief said, " We will take care of them as though they 
were our cliildren." Then she sent the young men to bring them 
down. 

The young men went and shouted; but the girls were afraid, and 
ran away, for it was the first time they heard the Haida language. 
The young men came to the chief's house and said that the cliildren 
were afraid of them. Therefore the princess went down with her 
new husband to the hollow tree, and all the children were in there. 
She called them; and before they left the hollow tree, the princess 
asked them to put on their fur garments, and they all went into the 
great chief's house. The chief ordered his men and slaves to give 
them food; and after the food was served, the great chief said to liis 
new daughter-in-law, "I will take all these girls to be my own chil- 
dren; and if any one wants to marry any one of them when they are 
grown up, they shall come and talk to me; and if I agree, then they 
may have them." 

On the following day his son was married, and the great chief 
invited all the other chiefs to the marriage festivul. 

The young eagle still loved the prmcess, and she always fed the 
young eagle. Sometunes it went over to Nass River to visit her 
grandfather. It would stay there a while and then come back again 
to the prmcess. 

After a few months had passed, the young prmcess gave bu'th to 
a boy. A year passed, and another boy was born to her. Another 
year passed, and she gave bii'th to another boy. There were, in all, 
four boys and one girl, and then another girl. All her companions 
married. They also had children. 



256 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The princess's children were skillful sea-otter hunters. One day a 
great number of children were playing on the beach, and the prin- 
cess's youngest child was among them. She hurt one of her play- 
mates, and the child began to cry. Then the mother of the child 
which was crying asked, * ' Who hurt you ? " and the chdd of the mot her 
said that the younger daughter of t he princess had hurt her. Then the 
cliild's mother scolded the younger daughter of the princess, saying, 
''You have no reason to be proud, cliild; your father just found your 
mother on the beach. He did not intend to marry her like a 
princess, taking her from her father's house." The princess heard 
what she said, and she began to cry. She did not tell her husband. 

The princess's boys did not speak her language; only her elder 
daughter could speak her language. 

Now the four young men were grown up, and were strong men. 
They were playing outside, and began to quarrel with the son of one 
of their father's relatives. They began to fight, but the princess 
stopped them with kindly words; but the mother of their cousm was 
angry, and she scolded the princess's sons, saying, "We did not go 
to your mother's father's house to let my brother marry your mother, 
and now you pretend to be very proud, you slave ! They found your 
mother on the beach." 

When the princess came into her father-in-law's house, she cried 
bitterly. After she had cried, her husband came ui and questioned 
her, but she did not tell him. She only said to him, "Make a good- 
sized canoe. I wiU send all my children to my own country." There- 
fore her husband bought a large canoe; and one day in the summer- 
time they loaded the canoe with many things — costly coppers, and 
slaves for all the boys and for one of the daughters. The father kept 
only the younger daughter. Her mother called her elder daughter, 
and said, "The young eagle will guide you to our native home." 
The princess asked her husband to make a crosspiece of wood and 
fasten it on the bow of the canoe to let the young eagle sit on it. He 
made it, and they started. The young eagle was sitting on the bow 
of the canoe, and they paddled away along the south side of Prince 
of Wales Island, and the young eagle flew ahead of them. 

Before they started, their mother had said to her daughter, "You 
shall always ask the young eagle which way to go : ' Young Eagle, 
where is your mother's native land V and it will guide you on your 
way home." 

Now they started; and the young eagle flew ahead in front of the 
canoe. It would sit on a tree; and when the Ciuioe came to the place 
where it was sitting, it flew ahead again and sat down again farther on. 
Thus they continued all the way until they arrived at Root-Basket 
Camp. They camped there. In the evening they went around the 
small island and killed many seals. After they had dressed the seals, 



BuAs] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 257 

they went on until they passed Grizzly-Bear Pomt. Behold! there 
was a great sea in front of them. Then tlie girl asked the young 
eagle, "Where is your mother's native land, Young Eagle?" and 
the eagle led them to a camping-place. There they waited until the 
folio \\'ing mornmg. Early the following mornmg the eagle screeched 
to wake them up. They arose and went on. The young eagle flew 
across the great sea high up in the air, and the prmces paddled on as 
hard as they could; and when the sun rose high up in the sky, they 
saw a small blue mountain far aheatl. They followed the eagle, 
which was flying way up in the aii', and before evening they saw the 
island ahead. They paddled very hard, and late in the evening they 
arrived at Slave Island. They camped there and took a rest; a,nd 
after they had eaten, they slept . Only a girl watched over them while 
they were asleep. They camped there for two days. The following 
day they went on again and crossed Beaver-Tail Island. 

The girl asked the eagle again, "WTiere is your mother's native 
land, Young Eagle?" and it always flew ahead; and when they 
arrived on the mainland, they camped on Hole Island. On the fol- 
lowing day they went on to Nass River, and in the evening they 
camped on Gravel Bar Camp ( ? ?). The young eagle left them there ; 
and the}' did not know which way they should go, because it was at 
the mouth of three rivers where they were camping — the rear river, 
middle river, and Nass River. 

The eagle batl been awuy for two days, and the princess was still 
encamped there. The eagle had gone up to her ( ?) mother's uncle, 
and was sitting on top of his house, screechmg. After two days the 
eagle came back; and the princess started once more, going up 
Nass River, the eagle flying ahead. Now they understood that 
they were near home, and they were very glad. Before they arrived 
at the village, they put on their good clothes; and their sister looked 
shining, like a supernatural being, when she put on her dress of white 
sea-otter skm. The four brothers wore their garments of black sea- 
otter skm, and they had red pamt on their faces and eagle down on 
their heads. They paddled along, and the young eagle was sitting 
on the bow of the canoe. 

Before the sun set in the west, the canoe came up to a village; 
and the young people were shouting outside on the street, when they 
saw the canoe coming up to them. The canoe arrived on the beach 
in front of the village, and the people saw the young eagle sittmg m 
the bow. Some one asked them, "Where do you come from ? What 
people are you ?" Then the girl said, "We are the children of your 
Princess Daul, who was among the children that were carried awaj- 
by the high tide in the hollow tree." Then all the people cried, and 
some shouted for joy. They took them up into their grandfather's 
house. 

50G33°— :n ETH— 16 17 



258 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 

The cliief was very old, and was blind on account of Ids old age. 
Then all the people of the village came in to see them. They were 
seated on one side of the large fire. They were hke supernatural 
beings to look at. Then the old cluef asked, " Wliero is your mother ? " 
The gu-1 rephed, "She is at home with father." — "Wlio are your 
father's people?" — "He is the only son of a great cliief named 
G'it-xa'n." — "How many are you?" asked the old cliief. She 
rephed, "These four boys here and we two girls. My grandfather 
kept my younger sister to stay with liim. " Then the old man 
smiled, and said, "Come up to me, each of you, from the eldest to the 
last!" Tiien the eldest boy went to him. " What is his name ?" and 
the girl replied, "His name is Hais." Then the second one came. 
He felt of liim also, and asked, " Wliat is his name?" — "His name is 
Nes-awatk." Then the tldrd one came. "Wliat is Ms name?" — 
"His name is Xagigun." Then the last one came. "Wliat is Ids 
name?" — "His name is Xbi-ye'lk." And he called her to come. 
"My dear," he said, "I wUl feel of you." She went to him, and he 
asked her, "Wliat is yourname, my dear?" — "MynameisWi-n!e'°x;" 
and the old cliief continued, "Who gave you your names, cluldren?" 
She rephed, "My grandfather gave them to us." — "Yes, yes! he is 
my relative. Is it very far ?" She rephed, " It is not so very far. " — 
" Who brought you here ?" She said that a young eagle had brought 
them. "And where are aU your mother's companions?" — "They 
all married there. Not one of them was lost, and some of them have 
cluldren." Then all the people were glad. 

The cliief said to the eldest one, "You shall have my place, and 
try to go back to our own village at Gits!Emga'l6n and destroy those 
who killed your grandfathers." 

As soon as the old chief ended liis speech, he feU back and died. 
Then liis whole tribe mourned over him. The eldest son of Princess 
Daut succeeded to Ids place, and his people loved him very much. 
One day liis people wanted to go and visit their cluef's children. 
Many of them went in many canoes, and one of the sons of Daul 
went with them to guide them on tliek way; and they reached the 
village of the Haida, who received them peacefully, and they became 
very friendly. There was no war between them, and the Nass Kiver 
people took back some of their grandcluldren. 

As soon as they arrived on Nass River, the new cluef wanted to 
go and fight \\-ith the people of Gits lEuiga 'Ion, those who had mur- 
dered his relatives on the battle-field years ago. Therefore he made 
ready, with his whole tribe. They crossed the mountains, and 
arrived at the great lake of G'its !Eniga'l6n. They saw smoke up 
there, and followed it, and soon they arrived at a great camping- 
place near the lake. The people were beaver huntmg. They went 
there secretly by night. The people who were in camp there were 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 259 

the relatives of the murderers of the relatives of the young chief. 
The chief and his people staid belxind the house, waiting until their ene- 
mies were asleep. They were very merry in the evening, laugliing and 
shouting for joy, and making fun of the relatives whom their grand- 
father had destroyed on the battle-field years ago. The young chief 
heard all they said, and heard them laughing. At midnight the war- 
riors came in one by one; and when they were all in the house, the 
chief ordered his men to stand each by one of the sleepers ; and when 
they were ready, the chief shouted, "Now slay the murderers!'' 
Then his men killed all of them, and not one of them escaped. Only 
one slave-woman with her little daughter was saved. She Avas a 
relative of the young chief, and she was living in a little hut behind 
iier master's house, where she was weeping. She made her escape 
early in the morning. 

Early in the morning the four jjrinces sang their war-song, and 
the slave-woman knew her relatives' war-song. After they had sung 
twice, the slave-woman came out with her little daughter, and said, 
"You are my relatives, my dears. I know your war-song." The 
young cliief asked her, "Wliat is your name?" and the woman 
replied, "My namewas Wl-nle'^x. I am the younger sister of Princess 
Daul, whom my uncle Nes-wa-na'° took away from here to some other 
])lace; and these people took me captive, and I have been their slave 
for many years. They intended to kill me when they put up a totem- 
pole in winter." Then the four princes raised their voices and wept; 
and after they had wept, the young chief said to her, "My mother's 
name is Daul. She is stiU alive. She is married to a great chief's 
son in a Haida viUage. She is your sister. She had sLrc childi'en — four 
boys and two girls — and we are her children." Then the poor slave- 
woman embraced each of them. 

The young chief asked her whether any of the men remamed in the 
village; and she said, "Only one old chief remains, the one who de- 
stroyed all your grandfathers in battle." She asked, furthermore, 
"Is my uncle alive?" They replied, "As soon as we came home to 
his house he died, after having spoken to us, and I succeeded to his 
place; and he cliarged me to take revenge on these murderers who 
destroyed liis brother and his people. Therefore I have come across 
these mountains. All my companions are my people. " 

After this they had a long conversation, and the young cluef said 
to his men, "Now cut off the heads of those whom you have killed!" 
They did as their young chief had told them. And he said also, " Take 
their scalps!" and they cut down the bodies on each side of the 
chest down to the belly and puUed down the skin between their legs 
as a sign that the relatives of those slain should not take revenge in 
the future. When they had done so, they ])ut eacli of the bodies 
on a pole and placed them upright along the camping-ground. Then 



260 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 31 

they went down to the village of G'its lEmga'lon. They arrived at 
the village in the evening, and went into their enemy's house, where 
the old cliief was all alone. They saw him sitting in the rear of his 
house; and when they all had entered, the young chief said, "Now 
kill the old chief to avenge the death of my grandfather's relatives 
whom he destroyed." Tiien all his men clubbed him with their war- 
clubs, and the young chief destroyed all his property, pulled out his 
eyes, and hung the body on the grave of his uncles who were slain in 
battle long ago, head downward, feet upward. Then he sent back 
all his warriors to Nass Kiver, to their own home, togetlier with Ids 
third brother. The daughter of Ids captive aunt and two of his own 
brothers staid with him. He wanted his own sister to come and 
live with them, and he continued to live in his own native home. 
Wlien liis sLster came across the mountains, he married a princess, 
one of his neighbors' daughters; and many cliiefs desired to marry 
his sister, for she was verj' beautiful; and one of the G'itsIala'sEr 
came and wanted to marry her. Tlie chief agreed to it, and they 
were married ; and tliey multi]>lied among all the tribes of the Tsim- 
sliian; and so did her younger sister, whom her grandfather kept 
among the Haida, and also the daugliter of the captive aunt, whom 
he sent over to Nass River. These three girls were the ancestors of 
the Eagle family all over the coast, among the Tsimsluan. 

40. The Stohy ok Asdii.da and Omen' 

A long time ago there was a village called Dzl'gwu. There lived 
a chief and his wife. They liad two children, a boy and a girl. The 
boy was called Asdilda, and t he girl was named Omen (DPks) . 

One day the prince called his three friends, and they went up the 
river of Dzi'gwa in their canoe to fish for trout, as they used to do 
every spring. The prmce was seated in the bow of the canoe, two of 
his friends in the middle, and one at the stern. They went up the 
river until they arrived at their fishmg-ground. Then the prince 
looked down mto the clear water, and saw many trout under the 
canoe. He took his two-pronged fishing-spear. The prince wore 
his valuable hat. The hat was very expensive, and was called 
Cormorant Hat. It was covered with costly al)alone shells; and 
nobody was allowed to wear the hat except this prince, as a crest of 
his family. He speared a good many trout, and at last a large trout 
came up. He tried to spear it ; but before he succeeded, his valual)le 
hat fell down, and the trout was gone. He had missed it. He put 
his hat on, and looked down again, and saw a large trout come along 
slowly. He took his spear, and was ready to throw it; but before he 
could cast his spear, his valuable hat fell off, and he lost sight of the 

1 Notes, p. S32. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 261 

trout. Then he put on his hat a<cain and looked down. Ho saw 
another large trout commg up, and he tried to spear it; but before 
he could do so, the trout was gone, for his hat fell down agam, and 
he lost sight of it. Then he became angry, took off his valuable 
hat, tore it to pieces, and threw it into the water, and it went down. 
The steersman, however, took a long pole and fished up the pieces 
of the valuable hat, and placed them behmd himself in the stern of 
the canoe. Xow the prince said, "Let us camp here!" for it was 
getting evening. They camped at the foot of a large spruce tree, 
as they were in the habit of camping every spring. They l)uilt a 
fire, and were about to roast some trout for their supper. Soon the 
trout was cooked, and th(> friends got skunk-cabbage leaves and 
spread them on the ground. They used them as dishes to put the 
roasted trout on. Immediately a frog leaped on the cooked trout 
and remamed sitting on it. 

Then the prince became angry with the frog. He took it and threw 
it mto the fire, but the frog jumped out of the big fire. He took the 
frog again and tlu-ew it onco more into the fire. The poor thmg tried 
to escape, but in vain, for the young man was stronger than it. At 
last the frog was killed in the fire; and one of the prince's friends 
took the burnt frog away and secretly threw it into the bushes. 

Then they had their supper. They lay down and slept ; and on 
the following morning, very early, the prince said to his companions, 
"Let us go home! " They launched their canoe and started home- 
ward. When they were all aboard, they paddled along. When 
they were a little distance from the camp, behold! a young woman 
was seen coming dovai to the beach behind them. She shouted, 
saying, "My dears, please take me along with you!" The woman 
had her face blackened whh charcoal, for she was in mourning. 
The young man turned back to her, for the prmce was much pleased 
by the beauty of the young woman. He jumped out of the canoe 
to take her, and stretched out his hands to embrace her; but the 
woman vanished, and only a frog leaped away from bun. 

He went down to his canoe, and they paddled on. When he had 
gone some distance, they heard somebody crying behmd them, 
saying, "My ilears. Mill you take me along with you ?" and the young 
man stopped. They looked back, and the prmce saw a beautiful 
girl. He said to his companions, "Let us turn back and take her 
along!" So the canoe turned back toward her. When ihey arrived 
near the shore where she had come down to the beach, the prince 
jumped out of the canoe and walked up to the woman. He stretched 
out both hii arms to embrace her, but she vanished again. Only a 
frog leaped away from him. He went do^vn to his canoe, and they 
started again. After they had paddled some time, a woman came 
down to the beach and shouted, saying, "My dears, please take me 



262 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

alonjj: with you!" Then the men stopped, liokod back, and saw a 
<^()()d-looking woman coming down. Tlic prince asked them to turn 
back and to take her aboard. So they turned back and reached the 
place where she liad come do\Yii. The prince jumped out and went 
to meet her, and the woman came down to the beach; and the prince 
stepped up to her quickly and stretched out his hands to embrace 
her, but she vanished, and just a frog leaped away from him. He 
went down to liLs canoe, and they paddled away; and after they 
had gone some distance, they heard some one crymg behind them, 
saying, "My dears, take me along with you!" Then the prince 
answered, "No, you will vanish away from me." Thus said the 
prince to her. And she asked once more to be taken along, but they 
did not heed her request. They paddled away as hard as they could. 

Then the woman said to them, "My dears, listen to what I say to 
you!" They stopped and listened. "As you go along, when you 
arrive at that point yonder, your prince will fall back and die; when 
you reach the next point, one of those who sit in the miildle of the 
canoe will die; and before you arrive at the beach of your village, 
the next man will die, too; and as soon as your steersman finishes 
telling to vour people the storv of what has happened to you, he 
will die." ' 

Thus spoke the woman to them. They paddled away from her, 
laughing, and scorning her, "Ha, ha! you will soon die yourself!" 
They paddled along, and soon reached the point about which the 
woman had told. Then the prince fidl back and died. His friends 
paddled along, weeping and sad; and while they were paddling along 
weeping, one of those sitting in the middle of the canoe fell back and 
died also. Xow, only two were left who were paddling along. 
Before they reached the shore of their village, the next one fell back 
and died, and only the steersman remained. 

When he arrived at the shor(>, crowds of people came down and 
questioned him about what had happened to those who had di;>d. 
The steersman did not say a word, but went up to his father's house. 
The people continued to question hun as to what had happened to 
them. As soon as he came into his father's house, the crowds fol- 
lowed him, and the house was full of the people of the whole village. 
Then the steersman began his story. 

"Yesterday, when we arrived at the fishing-ground, our prince, 
Asdilda, speared many trout ; and before he went to camp, he looked 
down and saw a large trout coming along. Immediately he took up 
his harpoon, ready to spear the large trout, but his hat fell over his 
eyes, and the trout disappeared. His valuable hat fell several times 
just when he was ready to throw his spear, and the trout was gone. 
At last he became angry, took off' his hat and tore it to pieces, and 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 263 

he threw it into the water; and when I saw the hat smk slowly, I 
took my pole and fished it up, and put it behind nie in the canoe, at 
the stern. 

"In the evening we camped at the foot of a large spruce tree, and 
built a large fire, ready to cook our supper. We roasted some of the 
trout, and soon they were done. Then we went for skunk-cabbage 
leaves, and we spread them on the ground to serve as dishes. Then 
we put the roasted trout on them. As soon as we sat around there, 
a frog leaped on the fish; and our prince, Asdilda, became very angry 
at the frog, took it, and cast it into the fire. The frog leaped out of 
the fire, but the prince took it again and threw it in. The frog tried 
to escape from him, but could not do so. Again the frog tried to 
leap out of the fire, but the prince took a long pole and pressed it into 
the fire. The fi'og tried to escape, but could not«do so. He pressed 
hard, until the poor tiling died and was burned." 

The steersman continued, "Then I took the body secretly and 
threw it into the bushes. Our fire was almost out, and we lay down 
in our camp to sleep until the following morning. Then we had our 
breakfast; and after we had eaten, our prince said that we should go 
back home. 

"We started for home; and when we were paddhng along from our 
camp, we heard some one shout behind us." Thus said the steersman 
wliile the people crowded about him in his own house. 

"Then," said the steersman, "we beheld a young woman, who 
stood on the beach of our camp, with her face blackened vnth char- 
coal as a sign of mourning; and she said, 'My dears, -w-ill you take me 
along in the canoe ?' Our prince said, ' Let us turn back and take her 
with us ! ' So we turned back to her ; and when we reached the shore, 
our ])rince jumped out of tlie canoe, went to her, and stretclied out 
liis arms to embrace her, for he was pleased with her. She had a 
lovely countenance, and was beautifid to look upon. Therefore the 
prince put forth liis arms to embrace her; but she vanished from our 
sight, and the prince saw only a frog that leaped away from him. 
This happened to us three times. 

"Then we paddled away from our camp, not heeding her words. 
She cried out repeatedly after us; and at last she said, 'My dears, 
just stop for a while, until I have told you sometliing.' Then we 
stopped paddling, and she said, 'Just listen to what I say. Wlien 
you reach the point yonder, your prince wiU fall back and die; and 
when you reach the other point, one of those seated in the middle of 
the canoe will die ; and the next one will also die before you arrive 
at home; and your steersman will die as soon as he has finished 
telHng Ills story to the people.' " 

Thus said the steersman, and fell back and tlied. 



264 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



1 KTH. AXN. :^0 



Then all the people of the villajTe moved away. They took the 
bodies of the dead and buried them. On the followino; morning an 
old woman who lived at the end of the towoa went to the house of the 
chief, of the father of the prince who had died. The old woman said, 
" Send for all the people of the village." The chief obeyed, and invited 
all liis people in; and when all the people were in the house, the old 
woman said, "My dear people, I had a dream last night;" and all the 
peo]>le were very anxious to know what the old woman had dreamed. 
So tlie people questioned lier, and asked what her dream had been. 
She said, "I had a very bad dream;" and she said to the chief who 
had lost Ms son, "Dig out the earth in the middle of your house. 
Dig a deep hole, and put your only daughter into it." Therefore 
the chief ordered liis people to dig out the ground; and after they 
had dug a deep hcje, they put costly coppers into it first, painted 
garments, and much property. They put the costly coppers on each 
side of the pit, and also garments of sea-otter skins, of marten skins, 
and woven blankets, and many elk skins. Then the girl went into 
the hole, and they covered it over with blankets, and filled it in over 
the blankets. As soon as the old woman knew that the princess 
Omen had been covered with earth, she said, "I saw in my dream 
that fire fell from heaven and consumed this village. I saw a fire 
fall on top of that mountain yonder." And as she pointed to the 
top of the same mountain, behold! a little firebrand fell down on top 
of the mountain, and it began to stream down quickly like water 
from the top of the mountain. The fire went around the village, 
and the water in front of the village burned like oil. The people of 
the village could not escape from it. They were all burned up. Only 
the princess, who was hidden in the- hole, was saved; and the old 
woman also hid herself in the ground. 

The princess Omen heard the noise of the fire passing over her 
while she was sitting in the pit; and when the noise had ceased, she 
heard the voice of a very old woman coming down crj-ing ; and Omen 
heard the mourning-song of the old woman, and Omen knew that the 
old woman was weepiiag on the ground above her; and this is the 
mourning-song of the old woman: 



i 



# 



im^ 



^ 



Am - sa- gait - dil 



i 



6hC 



na - ga - 



E^^ 



w 



Beps dEp an-qa dEp an - qa 
I gather the bones oi my dear ones, my dear ones. 



bOAS] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 



265 



The girl heard it wliile she was in the pit. After a Uttle wliile, she 
heard anotlier voice coming along. So she [nislied away the cover, 
and, behold ! she saw a chief tainess holding a cane in her hand. There 
was a live frog at the lower end of the cane, and a live person on top 
of the live frog, and a live eagle was at the upper end of the cane ; and 
the cldeftainess was wearing her large hat made of spruce roots 
painted green. She walked slowly along, talking with the aged 
woman. She said to the old woman, "Don't you know that Asdilda 
cast my only child into the fire ? Therefore I burned up this village." 
She sang — 




^qe 



m 



I 



Yfia ho j'Ba ha 
Dzila'°gan3 ya, 



yea ho y6a ha 
Dzila'°gans ya, 



ayea a yga-ha 
ayea a yea-ha 



ye ho yea (three times) 
ve a ye 



And she went along all alone, crying while she was walkmg. 

After she had repeated her song three times, she put her child's 
name into the mourning-song, in the last line of her song. Her name 
was Dzila'°gans. Tliis was the name of the frog that had been 
tlu-own into the fire by the prince while he was on his way to fish trout. 

Wliile the cldeftainess was going away, the girl Omen came out 
from her liiding-place. She had learned well the mourning-song of 
that cliief tainess who had just gone. As soon as she was out of her 
pit, she looked around, and with deep sorrow she saw that nobody 
was saved, that the whole village was bm-ned. 

She went along, not knowing which way to go; but before she 
went, she put on her garments of sea-otter and of marten skins and 
the chief's woven dancing-blankets; and she put in order the costly 
coppers and the elk skins, which she left in her liiding-place. Then 
she went off full of sorrow, and singing her own mourning-song. It 
is as follows: 



'W'^r 


_^^_H. • ^ 


H — r-^ 




i>=^ 


■ 




L U — \ U-J-J 


L_J — J 


-& — 




1 ^ 1 



^ 



^ 



1. Xa dEm maige eint giina'dil can-wa'Ida; a yi yi 
Na dEm maige sint gima'dil gau-wa'Ida; a yi yi. 

2. Nil wil ga-xbESEm-laxla'xl guMiauts guna'dil ^au-\va'lda; a yi yi. 
Gan-hi-gaxl wi-gal-ts!abEm Dzi'gwa; a yi yi. 

.3. Gan-hi-gaxi na-gal-ts!a'pgES guiia'da; a yi yi. 
Gaii-hi-gaxl w-i-g-al-tsla'bEm Dzi'gwa; a yi yi. 

■i. Nil wil ksi-latkl gus-Hkla'k"; a yi yi. 

Gan-lu-gaxl wi-gal-tsIa'bEm Dzi'gwa; a yi yi. 



266 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. .-.l 

1. When went to epoar fish my dear lord, aUxs! 
^Vhea went to spear fish my dear lord, alas! 

2. Then fell the cormorant hat of my dear lord, alas! 
And so the town Dzi'gwa was destroyed, alas! 

3. So the town Dzi'gwa of my dear lord was destroyed, alas! 
So the great town Dzi'gwa was destroyed, alas! 

4. Then the shining garment appeared, alas! 

So the great town Dzi'gwa was destroyed, alas!* 

Sh(' went on and on until she came to a large lake; and while she 
was walking around the lake, she beheld a beautiful garment spread 
for her on the ground, glittering like the stars of heaven. The gar- 
ment was full of the foam (?) of living persons; and she put this glit- 
tering garment into the mourning-song. 

She went along, weeping, past the garment; and while she was 
still going on along the lake, she suddenly heard a great noise coming 
forth from the water of the lake. It sounded like I he rolling of 
thunder. She looked up, and saw a supernatural halibut coming 
up out of the water in the shape of a house with carved front, and 
she put it into her mourning-song. She passed by, going her way, 
struggling along until she felt weary and faint, because she was 
starving, and her voice was almost lost on account of her weakness. 

After some time Omen came down on the other side of the lake, and 
she saw a fire burning under the root of a spruce tree. She went 
toward it, feeling very weak. Her garments were almost gone on 
account of her long journey. She sat down by the fire, with her 
back toward it. 

On tills fire the body of a dead princess of a town near by had been 
burned. The oidy daughter of a chief and his chieftainess had died 
and had been burned there. And while the wandering princess was 
sitting by the funeral pyre warming herself, a canoe came along with 
four people in it. When they saw the princess sitting by the fire, 
they passed on toward the village on the other side, and they took 
the news to the people of the village, saymg that they had seen a, 
young princess sitting by the funeral pyre; and all the people were 
glad, and said that the princess had come back to life. Therefore 
the chief and his wife went over to see what had happened there. 
They arrived at the beach, and, behold! a princess was sitting down 
by the fire. They came ashore as quickly as they coukl, and the chief 
and his wife went up to the fire. Then the whole company, and also 
the cliieftainess, embraced the girl; and the chieftainess asked her, 
"Wliat is your name?" The girl said that her name was Omen, 
and so on; and this had been the name of the chicftainess's only 

' Mr. Tate has given tune and words apart, and I can not fit the words to the music— F. B. 



boas] tsimshian myths 267 

daughter who had just been burned on the funeral pyre where the 
wandormg princess was sitting. 

Then the chief and his wife and his people took her home, fuU of 
gladness, and gave a great feast to the people, because his daughter 
who had been dead a little while previously had come hack to life. 
So the princess lived with her new parents; and after she had been 
there for some time, her new parents loved her very much, and her 
father wanted to marry her to one of hLs nephews. 

The following summer, when the strawberries were ripe, all the 
young women started to pick strawberries on a certain island a little 
distance away from their village. All the young women left the 
canoe and went to pick berries on one of these islands. The young 
princess was left alone in the canoe; and when the whole party began 
to pick strawberries, the princess, who was alone in the canoe, started 
to go out to the next island. While she was on her way, a south- 
westerly gale began to blow, and drove her away. The strong wind 
drove her canoe away from her new home; and so she arrived in 
the middle of the great sea, in an entirely unknown part of the world. 
Then she sang her mourning-song which she had been singing while 
she wandered'away alone, after the fire had consumed her own father's 
village. Then she looked, and, liehold! a large object like a great 
eagle came forth from the water, with ten little eagles on the head of 
the large one. She drifted on until she landed a little distance outside 
of our old town of Metlakahtla. She reached the shore of the G'id- 
wul-g'a'dz tribe, and their chief took h(>r into his house and mar- 
ried her. 

She bore him three sons and two daughters, and she was happy in 
her new home. The chief who had married her had five wives besides 
her, so he had six wives altogether. And one day the older \vives of 
the chief quarreled with the princess because the chief loved her most ; 
and the elder wives said to the young princess, "The chief ought not 
to have married you, for you were driven away by the southwest 
wind while you were picking strawberries, you Haida slave!" Thus 
said the elder wives of the chief to Omen. 

Her children grew up. The eldest son used to go out hunting, and 
they became rich in the foreign land. The boys gave a great potlatch 
to all the Tsimshian tribes, and took their names. The eldest son 
took the name Asditda, and the second one took the name Younans, 
the thirtl one Gamqagun; and the first girl was named Lu-xsmiiks, 
and the second one Alulal and Sagabin. Then they had another 
great feast, and Asdilda made a cormorant headdress covered with 
abalone shells, like that of the former Asdilda, which he wore when 
he was out fishmg for trout at Dzl'gwa; and he made a cane like that 
of the Frog Woman, with the frog at one end, and the live person on 



268 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. an.\. 31 

the frog, and a live eagle at the upper end; and he made a glittering 
garment, hke the one which his mother saw by the side of a lake, and 
a supernatural halibut, and the eagle that his mother had seen in mid- 
ocean while she was being driven away by the southwest wind. Then 
they gave their mother a new chief's name, Picking Strawberries and 
Great Haida Woman. She got these names on account of her quarrel 
with the elder wives of the chief a little while ago. Therefore these 
people have these names and crests, and they have their mother's 
mournmg-song which she sang while escaping from the burnt village. 

Many years after this the mother called her children together and 
told them what had happened to her. She said, "These are not 
your people. Our people lived on the other side of this land, way 
out at sea." She told them the story about her brother Asdilda — 
what had happened to him when he was out fishing trout, and how 
the Frog had l)urned their vUlage, and how she alone was saved 
when her father dug a pit and put her into it with much valuable 
property and sLx costly coppers, and so on, and how she came to the 
other village among her relatives who had the same crest, and how 
she was driven away by the southwest wind, and so on, until she 
had married the children's father. Thus spoke the princess to her 
children. 

As soon as she ended her storv', one of the boys said, "Let us go 
and visit our native land and our relatives there!" Then the eldest 
one said, "Let our younger brother and our younger sister go to 
visit them!" So they made themselves ready and went. Their 
father the chief bought a new good-sized canoe, large enough to 
withstand the sea and the wind, and the mother went down with 
them to the beach. She pointed out the direction with her finger, 
saying, "You must keep ahead between Dundas Island and Stephens 
Island; and when you get out to sea, keep ahead in the direction 
where the sun sets, and the stern toward sunrise; and when you get 
to the islands, turn your canoe to the southwest. Then you will find 
your grandfather's village." Thus she said to her two children. The 
children started out, and six slaves went along with them. They 
went on and on until they passed between the two islands, Dundas 
and Stevens, and went out to sea, as their mother had told them. 
Then they turned their canoe to the southwest; and after some 
time, when the mainland sank out of sight, they saw land ahead of 
them, and they were glad. On the following morning they landed 
on the other shore and camped for a while. They went on, turning 
their canoe southward, as their mother had told them, and they went 
along the shore of the island; and when they passed the first point, 
they saw a village in front of them, and before evening they arrived 
in front of the village. 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 



269 



The j'ouug prince said to them, "My dears, have you lost a princess 
who was on her way to pick strawberries many years ago T' Then 
the people of the village called them ashore and took them into the 
house of the new chief; and they told the story how their mother 
was driven away by the southwest wind while on her way to pick 
strawberries; and some ol the people who knew their mother were 
glad to hear the good news about the princess who was lost many 
years ago. Then the people told them how their mother had a good 
home among the Tsimshian tribe, and how the elder brothers had 
given great feasts, and that their father was a chief of one of the 
Tsimshian tribes; and at the end of their speech, theii- grandfather's 
nephew invited in all the chiefs, and told them that the old man's 
grandcluldren had come safely, and they were all happy. The boy 
went on the following day to visit the old home of his mother, trying 
to fmd the costly coppers and the property that was liidden, as his 
mother had told him. He arrived at the old desolate village-site of 
Dzl'g^va, and he found all the tilings as his mother had told him. 
He found all the costly coppers and the other property, and that is 
the end. These are Omen's mourning-songs, which she sang when she 
went along her way, after she had left the ^^llage that had been 
destroyed by fire: 



s 



^^ 



isi 



g 



^^ 



JJJ J 



1. Na dEm maige sint gima'dii ^an-wa'lda; a yi yi 
Na dEm maige sint guua'dil gan-walda; a yi yi. 

2. Nil wil ga-xbESEm-laxla'xl gul-hauts guna'dil gan-wa'lda; a yi yi. 
Gan-lu-gaxl wi-gal-ts!abEin Dzi'gwa; a yi yi. 

3. Gan-lu-gaxl na-gal-ts!a'pgEsguna'da; a yi yi. 
Gan-lu-gaxl wi-gal-ts!a'bEm Dzi'gwa; a ji yi. 

4. Nil wil ksi-latkl gus-likla'k"; a yi ja. 
Gan-lu-gaxl wi-gal-ts!a'bEm Dzi'gwa; a ji yi. 

1. When went to spear fish my dear lord, alas! 
WTien went to spear fish my dear lord, alas! 

2. Then fell the cormorant hat of my dear lord, alas! 
And so the town Dzi'gwa was destroyed, alas! 

3. So the town Dzi'gwa of my dear lord was destroyed, alasl 
So the great town Dzi'gwa was destroyed, alas! 

4. Then the shining garment appeared, alas! 

So the great town Dzi'gwa was destroyed, alas! ' 



I See footnote on p. 266. 



270 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[tlTII. ANN. 31 



^ 



-f^ 



Am- sa- gait- dal 



^ 



^ 



e 



seps dEp an- qa dEp an- qa 

I gather the bones of my dear ones, my dear ones. 



^ 



fe 



I^M 



FT-- jja 



^^^B 



y?a ho yea ha yea ho y6a ha 



ayea a y6a-l.a 



ye ho yea 



^ 



s_^5E 



TTV^^ 



f t f-o 



^ 



^ 



Yea ho yea ha yea ho yea ha ayea a y6a-ha 



ye ho yea 



i 



fe 



W 



tXiJ. --J 



P P-fS 



1 



-^± 



Yda ho yea ha yea ho yea ha ayga a yea-ha 



ye ho yea 



i^B 



g . 



S 



f p-g fl ^ 



^m 



-=— «i — k 



Dzila'°ganfl ya, Dzila'°gan8 ya, ayga a yga-ha ye a ye 

41. Explanation of the Beaver Hat' 

There was a great war between the Eagle Clan and the Ganha'da, 
who lived in villages, one on each side of the river. A prince of tlie 
Ganha'da was married to a princess of the Eagle Clan. One day 
the young man was jealous of his wife. He took his knife and cut 
her, and the young woman ran over a bridge to her uncle's house. 
As soon as she got across, she fell down dead; but before she died she 
told her brothers that her husband had cut her \\'ith his big knife. 
She died, and her relatives did not weep over her. They just hid 
the body. Her younger brother looked just like her. He took her 
clothes, put them on, and pretended to be the young woman. He 
looked just like his sister. One day he was walking about outside. 
Then the .young man from the village of the Ganha'da saw his 
wife walking about on the other side. Therefore one evening he 
went across, trying to take her back. As soon as he met his wife, 
he entreated the young man who pretended to be a woman to go 
back with laim. The young man replied, "I am not angry with you; 
you were jealous. So if you want to come in with me tonight, 
come, but I don't want you to do me any harm again;" and the 
young man of the Ganha'da promised that he would not do her 



> Notes, p. 834. 



Bois] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 271 

any harm. Late in the night they went into the house; and as 
soon as the young man was sound asleep, the man who pretended to 
be the woman took lais knife and cut liis brother-in-law's throat. 
Then he threw the body out of the house. 

Now the two villages began to fight, and had a great battle. Some- 
times the Eagles were victorious, sometimes the Ganha'da. At last 
the Ganha'da vanquished the Eagle Clan, and therefore the latter 
fled. Tliis happened on Copper River in Alaska. The people of 
the Eagle Clan took to their canoes, and escaped soutliward. They 
took with them their costly coppers and many elk skins, marten 
garments, and other kinds of property, and the3^ left in more than 
ten canoes. After traveling three days, they came to a nice bay. 
They tied their costly coppers together to make an anchor. On the 
following day, when they pulled up the anchor, their line broke, and 
they lost ten coppers. They went on southward for many days. 
When they came to the mouth of the river, they took one of their 
expensive crests, a stone carved like an eagle, put cedar bark around 
it, and cast it out to serve as an anchor, and all the canoes gathered 
there. On the following morning they pulled up their carved eagle; 
but before they could take it into their canoe, the line broke. Then 
they would mourn over their loss. Again they started, and went 
on southward until they arrived at an inlet, up which they went. 
There they camped. They were glad to have escaped from their 
enemies, but their hearts were heavy because tliey had lost their 
carved eagle and their coppers. In the great battle they had lost 
their princes, and they had to leave a part of their property in the 
houses. They were going to make tliis inlet their new liome. On the 
following day three of their young people went out in a canoe across 
the inlet; and when they reached the foot of a steep cliff, behold! 
a large halibut came up, opened its mouth, and swallowed the canoe 
wdth the three persons — two princesses and one prince. The people 
on the other side saw it. Therefore two of their brave men went to 
kill the monster who had devoured their prince and their princesses. 
They crossed the inlet in their canoe, having their large knives tied 
to the right wrist. As soon as they reached the foot of the steep 
rock, a lialibut came up, opened its mouth, and swallowed the canoe 
with the two brave men; but as soon as the halibut had swallowed 
them, they cut it inside with their knives. They cut up its intestines 
until it died. Then the supernatural halibut felt the pains in its 
stomach, jumped out of the water, and struck the water with its 
tail. It swam around the inlet, and finally ran ashore and died 
there. Then those who had remained alive went down to the beach, 
and saw that the great supernatural halibut was dead. They cut it 
open, and saw the two canoes and five persons. Then they sang 
their mourning-song. 



272 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ANN. 31 

Before they left tlieir camp, one of their princes went up into the 
woods to refresh himseK, for he was in deep sorrow. lie went on 
and on until he came to a plain. There he found a large lake. He 
stood on the shore of the lake, weepmg, on account of his brothers 
who were swallowed by the sui)ernatural halibut; and while ho was 
weeping there, he heard a noise. He looked up, and, behold! there 
was a large beaver on the water, with copper eyes, copper ears, 
copper teeth, and copper claws. It struck the water with its tail, 
making a noise like thunder. Then the young man went back to 
the camp, and told his people that he had seen a large beaver m the 
lake above their camp. On the following morning they went to 
hvmt the large beaver. Soon they came to the lake, but they saw 
nothing. Everytlung was quiet. Wliile they were still standing 
there, they heard the sound of a drum, followed by a mourning-song; 
and after a while they saw the large beaver come out of the water, 
with copper eyes, copper claws, copper ears, copper teeth. They 
agreed to kill it, for they needed the copper. Therefore they tried 
hard to break the dam in the large lake. After many days they 
succeeded. Before the lake was dry, the beaver came out. The 
men killed it and skiimed it, taking off the copper claws, the ears, 
eyes, and teeth.' As soon as they had killed it, they went down and 
took the beaver to be their crest, and therefore the Eagle Clan use 
it now. No other clan can use this large beaver. When the head 
chief LEg'e'°x makes a great potlatch, he wears it on his head, and 
four head men take hold of the headdress, and one of each clan, so 
that the people may know that he alone is the head chief of all the 
Tsimshian. They always kept the beaver hat ui their family. 

42. The Water Being Who Married the Princess^ 

(There are a great many stories of human beings who made wonder- 
ful marriages, telHng how a prince or princess was taken away from 
the old town of Metlakahtla, where, after the great Flood, all the 
villages of all the tribes took their beginning.) 

A great chief lived there, who had a very beautiful niece, a young 
princess, whose name was Sagapgia. This princess was very much 
beloved by the yoimg women of her imcle's tribe. One day in 
summer, when the salmonberries were ripe on Skeena and K^dal 
Rivers, many yoimg women of one tribe, of a Raven to'.ra, took a 
large canoe. The canoe was fidl of young women, and the prmcess 
Sagapgia was among them. She was sitting in the center of the 
large canoe. They have to pass a slough (?) near the mouth of 
Skeena River, and there is a great sandbar which they saw in front 



1 In a letter, Mr. Tate says that the beaver's mouming-song contains only one word— ' beaver-in-h''s- 
houseof-the-lake." 
= Notes, p. 834. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 273 

of the canoe off the mouth of Sandy Bay Creek. They went with 
the tide, and therefore the canoe was very swift; and when it was 
near the bar, they saw a mass of foam over the sandbar; and while 
the young women went across the foam, they paddled very hard; 
and when they had passed by, they found that they had lost the 
jirincess oiit of the canoe. The canoe was full of foam where she 
had been sitting. Then they cried for her sake. They made a 
camp at Autumn Camp, which is now named Port Essmgton. There 
they waited for the tide to turn, and when the tide was out, went 
home and told all that had happened to them. 

Then the wise men said that the supernatural being of Sandy Bay 
had taken her. Therefore the great chief, her uncle, called all the 
shamans from all the villages and paid them. The shamans said that 
the son of the great supernatural bemg of Sandy Bay had married 
the girl. Therefore the uncle of the princess sacrificed for her sake 
grease, crabapples, cranberries, dried berries, elk skins, costly coppers, 
garments of sea-otter skm, marten garments, abalone shells, canoes, 
and slaves. He made a great sacrifice. The young prmcess saw 
aU these thhigs, which came into the house of the chief of Sandy Bay, 
where she was sitting at the bottom of the sea. 

As soon as she entered the house of the supernatural being, Mouse 
Woman came to her side, and said to her, "Throw your woolen ear- 
ornament hito the fire!" and when she had done so, the Mouse 
Woman took the burnt wool out of the fire, and asked the prmcess, 
"Do you know who has brought you here ?" She said, "Xo." — "This 
is the house of a great cliief of the supernatural bemgs. His son 
wants to marry you." Thus said the Mouse Woman, and went away. 

When the sacrifices of her uncle came into the house of the super- 
natural being at the bottom of the sea, the young man loved her very 
much, for she was very beautiful. She staid there many years. 
She had a son, whom her father-in-law called Down The Useless River 
(Wa-mEdi-a'ks). ^Yhen the boy was born, the grandfather took his 
forehead and pulled it, and he also pulled his legs and his hands and 
his body, and the infant was called by its grandfather Y!aga-gunu'ks 
Do-s\Ti The Useless River (Y!aga-watkda wa-msdi-a'ks). 

One day the supernatural chief was sittuig by the side of his large 
fire with his back against the fire, his face toward the Useless-River 
a httle above his house. He said to the Useless-River, "Send dox^-n 
to my daughter-in-law a baby girl!" On the following morning the 
princess had conceived ; and when the time came, she gave birth to a 
baby girl. The cliief made it grow quickly, as he had done with the 
elder cliild ; and when the children had grown up to be a young man 
and young woman, the old chief invited all the supernatural beings 
of the rocks; and when all the supernatural beings came into the 
house, the great chief's people served food to his guests. After 
50630°— 31 ETH— IG IS 



274 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

they had eaten, the supernatural chief said to them, "My dear chiefs 
of the supernatural bemgs of all parts of the world, I ■sv-ill speak a few 
words to you. Let all my grandchildren's people live! Don't do 
them much harm, because many of them have been drowned in the 
river by you. Therefore I have invited all of you to my house." 
Then all the monsters rephed, "Yes, we will do what you have said." 
North Wmd said, "I \vill not blow so often;" and South Wmd said, 
"Neither will I;" and West Wind and East Wind said the same; and 
all the supernatural beings said the same. 

(Before the old supernatural chief had invited all the monsters to 
his house, many canoes were capsized on Skeena River and along the 
coast, for the supernatural beings in the water wanted to eat the dried 
berries which they carried in their canoes. Therefore many canoes 
were cai)sized by them.) 

After they had all said that they would not do any more harm to 
the people, they all went out, each to his ovn\ home. 

Now many days had passed, and the great chief said to his son, 
"Now, my dear son, let my grandcliildren and their mother go back 
to their own home!" Therefore on the following day they started 
homeward; and when they arrived at the Raven town, they were 
all happy, and the tribe of the young princess's uncle was full of 
joy because she was still alive. 

He invited all the Tsimsliian tribes, chiefs, and other people to 
show them Hs two grandchildren, and he gave out their names. 

Then the young man and his sister did all they could to obtain 
animals of the woods and of the water. The young man was very 
rich, and he would give great feasts to his uncles' people. In course 
of time his uncle died, and he gave a great feast to all the Tsimshian 
cliiefs and to their people, and he took the name wliich his super- 
natural grandfather on the sandbar had given to him while he 
was with him in the town of the supernatural beings in Sandy Bay. 
He had called him Down The Useless River. 

Soon after he had given a feast to all the Tsimshian, he said to his 
mother, "Now I shall invite all the supernatural beings which were 
my supernatural grandfather's guests when we were in his house!" 
and his mother said, "Do so, my dear son! Your supernatural 
fathgr and your supernatural grandfather will help you." Then the 
young chief sent word to a man of the tribe of G'it-la'n of the Tsim- 
shian, who know how to make carved wooden dishes; and he sent 
word to the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts to make carved wooden spoons ; and he 
sent word to the G'inax'ang'i'''k to make carved wooden boxes; 
and he gave order to the G'id-wul-g'a'dz to make deep wooden 
dishes with carving; and he gave order to the Git-dzl'°s to make 
carved horn spoons ; and he gave order to the G'inada'°xs to dry much 
mountain-goat meat and tallow; and he gave order to theG"i-lu-dza'r 



WMbJ TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 275 

to pick cranberries and crabapples; and he gave order to the Gid- 
wul-ksE-ba'° to make many hundred score of dried cakes of hemlock 
sap ; and he gave order to the G'its !ala'sEr to dry many bundles of 
berries; and he gave order to the tribe «of Gits lEmga'lon to dry 
many hundreds of salmon, and to the women to make mats of the 
bark of the i-ed cedar. 

Tliis was two years before he gave the great feast to all the monsters 
or sujiernatural beings in the water. At the end of two years all 
the Tsimsliian tribes brought the tilings they had made. The G"i- 
spa-x-la'°ts brought ten boxes of carved spoons, the G'it-la'n brought 
ten boxes of carved wooden dishes, the G'inax'ang-I'''k brought many 
carved boxes, the G'id-wul-ga'dz brought ten large boxes filled with 
deep carved wooden dishes, and the G"it-dzi'°s brought ten boxes 
of carved horn spoons, and the G"inada'°xs brought many boxes 
filled with dried meat and tallow, and the G"i-lu-dza'r brought many 
boxes of cranberries and many boxes of crabapples mixed with 
grease, and the G^id-wul-ksE-ba'" brought many hundreds of bundles 
of (b'icd cakes of hemlock sap, and the G'its !ala'sEr brought many 
hundreds of bundles of dried blueberries and many boxes of cran- 
berries mixed %\'ith grease, and soapberries, and the G'its lEmga'lon 
brought many hundred bundles of dried spring salmon and many 
hundred bundles of silver salmon. 

He sent word to the tribe of the G'it-qxa'la to shred bark of the 
red cedar and to bring eagle down and tobacco, and he sent word to 
the G"it-q !a'°da to make blankets of yellow-cedar bark and to bring 
burnt clamshells. Now, the tribe of Git-qxa'la brought many boxes 
filled with slu-edded red-cedar bark, ready to make into headdresses 
and necklaces; and the G-it-qla'^da brought many boxes filled with 
yellow-cedar-bark blankets and cloaks ready to wear, and burnt 
clamshells; the Git-qxa'la also brought many boxes of tobacco. 
His own tribe, the G"idzExla'°l, took down their canoes and loaded 
them with all these goods. Many canoes were filled with the goods 
made by all the Tsimshian tribes. All these tribes used the same 
language. 

Now this young chief moved from the old town of Metlakahtla up 
to Nass River; and when he arrived there, he built two large houses 
just above the rock of Algusauxs. He built also another house for 
his mother. Then he sent out his young men and his sister with 
them in a canoe as messengers to invite all the supernatural beings 
of the rocks and from the water from all over the world. The canoe 
was away for ten days, and then came home. The days passed on, 
and not one of the guests had come to his feast. 

Then he and his sister went to their supernatural grandfather to 
ask him why all the supernatural beings had not come. The super- 
natural chief replied that they had not come, because one of the 



276 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [etii. ANN. .'U 

supernatural chiefs had not been invited by the messenger. There- 
fore all the other chiefs had not come. Thus said the supernatural 
chief to his grandson. He led his grandcliildron to the place of the 
supernatural chief who had been missed by the first messengers. 
Then the two young people went back to Nass River, where they 
had come fi'om. 

On the following morning they saw a great dark bar at Crabap pie- 
Tree Point, below their camp. The prince said to his people, "Go, 
and flee into the woods, and don't come down when floods of water 
swamp our houses and when floods of foam come! Wlien the flood 
comes a second time, then you wiU know that they have left." Then 
all his people went into the woods on the hiUs behind the houses. 

Now aU the monsters came up Nass River; and storms of wind 
were blowing that day, and floods of water came, and floods of foam 
covered the houses of the young chief and of his mother and sister. 
Only these three remained in the camp. The fii-e of the great young 
cliief who had invited the supernatural beings could not be extin- 
guished by the flood. The people who were in hiding beliind the 
camp on tlie hill heard the voices of the young chief and his mother 
in the houses below, in the flood of water and foam that covered the 
houses. Then the wind and rain storm ceased, and the floods 
decreased, jind the liouses a])peared out of the waters. 

Then the young chief said to those that were high in the woods, 
"Let aU the young men come down and help me serve food to these 
cliiefs!" Therefore all the young men came down to their master; 
and when all the young men came into the chief's house, they saw 
strange forms sitting around. Two of them were very ugly. The 
names of the ughest two were Spagait-an-a'tk and K-knaaze. The 
name of another one was Kuwa'k. He was very good to look at. 
He always smiled when looking around. He was bald-headed. 
Another one was caUed K-lgu-a'l. His liat and liis blanket were fuU 
of arrows. Another chief was called Lax-an-batsa'xl. He wore a 
hat made of twisted cedar branches. Another chief was called 
Long Hands (Wut!E-an'6'n) ; another one, Drift Log Enemy (Wil-n- 
lEba'1-g'al-soks); another one, Short Nose (Lgu-dzak). Others were 
named K-spE-ha'walk, K-nE-dEp-wa'n, K-wil-g'ig'a'mk, K-wil-dza'n, 
Txam-a'x, Nlalis and liis grandfather, K-ts!Em-a'us, K-wI-ts!u- 
wanxl, G'adEm nagai, Wa-niEch-a'ks, K-sana'il, K-sbaxl, K-gwilax- 
la'k, (Wll-g-ig-a'mk), Wtl-g-amk-ga-a'ks, K-n-ts!ah5'mt, K-sbalil, 
K-gutisga't. 

Ail the supernatural beings wore their crests on theii- heads and 
on their garments'. Therefore when all the young men came into 
the house, they saw the wonderful tilings that the guests of the 
young princess had. The young cliief took his new name, Down 
The Useless River ( Y ! aga-watkda wa-mEdi-a'ks), and his sister took 



KOAS] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 277 



the name Killer Wliales Are Keatly To Go Up (Wl-alas-latk-gul-nexl- 
al-yo). After the two liad proclaimed tlieir names, the young man 
helped the chief serve the dried salmon and tlie other food. They 
put it into the carved dishes, which they placed before the guests. 

Alter a wliile the young cliicf said, "Throw all the carved wooden 
dishes into the fire!" The young men did so; and when all the dishes 
that were filled with roasted dried salmon were burned, the chief said 
to his attendants, "Take the deep carved wooden dishes and put the 
dried berries mto them!" Thcj- did as they had been told; and 
after they had eaten the dried berries and salmon, the fat of mountain 
goat was tliro\ra into the fire. Alter they had eaten the berries 
mixed N\-illi crabapples and cranberries, the}' filled the carved square 
boxes and threw them mto the fire with the carved wooden spoons; 
and when the monsters had eaten dried blueberries mixed with 
crabapples, they looked at one another with smiling faces. Then 
the chief said to his attendants, "Xowgrmd the roasted hemlock 
bark!" They did so, and mixed it with hot water and grease and 
with cranberries, and placed them m carved boxes. They put one 
spoon in each box — a nice carved mountaha-goat-horn spoon. They 
threw these also into the fire: the carved boxes, wooden dishes, 
and spoons which aU the Tsimsliian tribes had made for two years 
before the feast. They cast everythurg mto the fire with the food. 

After the food had been served, the chief piled up many elk skins, 
marten garments, raccoon garments, weasel garments, and othere, 
and goat fat, tobacco, ocher, and costly coppers. He gave them 
away to all these supernatural chiefs. Then he said to all his guests, 
"I want these two chiefs to take their place way back of Canoe Pass, 
because these two chiefs are so hard for human bemgs to pass." 
Then all the monsters consented to what Down The Useless River 
said. That is the reason why these two chiefs, Spagait-an-a'tk and 
K-knaaze, left their places. 

On the following day the young chief said to his attendants, "My 
dear young men, now go and flee agaui up the liiUs!" So they went 
into the woods up the hills and momitains. Then the wind blew 
harder and harder. The flood came, and the houses were covered 
with foam and water, and it was stormmg the whole night. On the 
fpUowing mornmg the whid ceased, for Chief K-gazoun jjoured his 
seal oil on the water, and it was c^uite calm ; and when all the monsters 
were gone, the chief's people came do.wTi to their camp ; and they saw 
that the chief's house was carved with the great starfish covered 
with costly abalone shells, and the other house was carved with a 
large bullhead with Hve children on its back, with beautiful green 
abalone shells in the eyes and fins. These two carved houses were 
given to the chiefs by the monsters. Then all the people of the 
chief's tribe loved their master very much, and the chief and his sister 
also loved their people. 



278 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

43. The Story of Part Summer' 

In olden times there was a very happy people in the village of 
G'itslEmga'lon. They lived in a veiy pretty town of three rows up 
the G'its!Emga'l6n River. I called it the Three-Row Land, for tlio 
village was built in three rows. They built their houses on top of 
the liill, the second row under the first, and the third row under tlu; 
second one. The town was on the bank of a river, a very good 
river, and the village was not far from a very large lake. They went 
there very often in the summer for picking berries of all kinds, which 
were growing along the sides of the lake, which was their himting- 
ground. Sometimes the people would live there in summer for dry- 
ing berries for ^vinte^ use, and in wmter the hunters would live 
there. Therefore they built their little huts on the shore of the large 
lake. Many famiUes had several huts for use in the proper season. 

There was a great chief in this village who had five children — 
four boys and one girl — whom he loved very much. In those days 
the people of each tribe were m the habit of going for one or two days 
to catch salmon to be given to the chief, who was to use them in the 
winter; and in the winter the people would often go to the chief's 
house, and the chicftainess would feed them. So the people caught 
salmon for their chief, and the women worked for their chicftainess. 
They would go some days and pick berries for her. The chief and his 
wife did not work for themselves. The peoj)le worked for them. The 
chief also had many slaves, male and female, and he had many 
wives — many chiefs had as many as twenty, some ten, and others 
four — and these slaves and wives would work for the people, but 
the head \\'ife did not work Uke the others. 

The four sons of the chief were very expert hunters, and the 
youngest one had two beautiful huntmg-dogs. They were very 
useful dogs. One was called Red, the other Spots; and the girl 
hked the dogs very much. Her name was Part Summer. She was 
very dear to her brothers, for she was the only girl among them. 

One day the women of the village started out picking berries for 
the chicftainess, and the young princess wanted to go with them. 
So they started from their camp on the shore of the large lake; and 
when they came to the berryuig-ground, they soon filled their bags 
with berries. The bag of the princess was not quite full yet, when 
she slipped, stepping on the dung of a black bear. She became 
angry, and said, "Oh, tliis big dung stuck on my foot! How nasty 
it is ! " Thus said the princess. All her companions gathered around 
her and filled her basket with berries. Her basket was not as largo 
as those of the others. Then they started for their camp; and as 
they went along, the carrying-strap of the princess's basket tore, 
and all her berries were scattered on the ground. Her companions 

1 Notes, pp. 747, 834. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 279 

came and filled her basket again. They went on some distance, 
and again her carrying-strap tore. Then some of the women went 
away home. The berries were scattered on the groimd and were 
mixed with dirt, but a few companions staid with her and gathered 
the berries. They went on, but agam her carrying-strap broke; 
and her companions said to her, "Let the bags go! We have plenty 
of bags fuU of berries for you. You do not need those for yourself. 
Let us go on instead of gatheruig those berries, before night comes, 
lest the ^\ild beasts devour us and we perish." 

The princess, however, answered, "No, I will not leave my berries. 
Go right on if you want to. " When all the young women had left 
her in the woods, and she was alone there picking up her berries, 
behold! two young men came to her, and asked her, "What is the 
matter?" She told them that her carrpng-strap tore several times. 
They asked her what had become of her companions, and she rephed, 
"They would not wait any longer. " Then these two men asked her 
to let them carry her basket, and she consented. They took the 
basket of berries, and went on until they arrived at a village that 
was unknowTi to her. 

She was standing outside a large house. Then the father of the young 
men asked them, "Did she not come on with you, my sons?" They 
replied, "She is standing outside." — "Bring her in!" So two girls 
went out to get her, and took her into the house, and she was made to 
sit on one side of the fire. 

As soon as she was seated, a blouse Woman came to her side, and 
asked her, "Don't you know who has brought you here?" The 
princess repHed, "No." — "The Black Bear brought you here, for 
you were angry when you slipped on the bear dung while you were 
picking berries.* Therefore they brought you here. Xow take good 
care. They will give you something to eat, but do not eat the first 
salmon that they offer you. It is the stomach of a human body. " 

Xow the Bear people took good dried salmon and roasted it, put it 
into a dish, and placed it before the princess, but she did not eat of it. 
They took it back and ate it themselves. Then they took real salmon 
and roasted it. This the Mouse Woman had said was real salmon, 
so she ate of it. 

The !Mouse Woman had told her also that they would offer berries 
mixed Math crabapples, and that she was to refuse this. She said, 
"Don't taste of it! That is decomposed flesh of a body, and the 
crabapples are the eyes of the dead person; but the second dish of 
berries mixed with crabapples will be good. " So she ate of this, and 
continued to do so. 

She became the wife of one of the sons of the Black-Bear chief. 
She staid there a long time, until the fall. Every morning the male 
Beai-s went for salmon, which they caught in the brooks, and the 
female Beai-s went into the woods to pick berries, and in the evening 



280 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

they would all come homo. Some of the male Bears would not come 
home with the rest, and some one said, "My companion's fishing-line 
is broken. " Then a very old Bear would say, "Oh, perhaps he used 
the common bushes, and therefore it was broken. Cranberry bushes 
are the best for maldng lishing-lines. " Alter he had been away for 
two or three days, he would come back home downcast. This was 
because some person had killed a Black Bear near a brook. 

Some female Black Bear would do the same. ^Vhen the rest came 
home in the evening, some one would say, "My companion's 
carrying-strap tore;" and after she had been away several days in 
the woods, she came home slowly. 

Now, it was late in the fall before the animals went into tlicir 
dens. Then the Black Bear chief invited his whole tribe in; and 
when all the people were in the house, he asked each family of liis 
people, and said, "In what den will you lie down this winter?" 
Then one male Bear would answer, "We shall lie down in the den of 
So-and-So, " and he mentioned the place where the den was. And 
after he had asked every family for their dens, then he turned to liis 
eldest son, who was married to Part Summer. The Bear chief said, 
"Now I will ask you, my daughter-in-law, and my elder son shall 
answer me, 'In what den are you going to lie down this winter?' " 
Then his son replied, "We shall lie down in the den of Mountain 
Beautiful." Then the princess said, "Oh, it is very easy for my' 
younger brother's dogs. Red and Spots!" Therefore her husband 
asked, "What do you say to the den of ]\Iountain Side?" — "Oh, it 
is easy for the dogs Red and Spots!" He mentioned all the dens he 
knew in every place; and the woman always said that it was easy for 
her younger brother's dogs, Red and Spots. 

Therefore the chief said again to his daughter-in-law, "Do you 
want the difficult den Both Sides Rock Slide or Both Sides Drum ? " 
This the princess accepted. She said, "That is the den that I wanted. 
It is (UITicult to get at. " 

Her father-in-law questioned her, and said, "How many brothers 
have you, daughter?" She replied quickly, "I have four brothers." 
The chief asked, "Are they hunters?" The princess replied, "Yes, 
they are. AH of them are very expert hunters; therefore I do not 
like to choose an easy den to lie in this winter with my husband, lest 
they should kill lis easily." 

The chief said, "Now I will ask you just one more question. How 
many mats has your eldest brother?" The princess replied, "My 
eldest brother's mats are sLxty. " Then sLxty Black Bears hung 
their heads, and the tears ran down their noses. ' ' Sixty mats' ' meant 
that her eldest brother had lain sixty times twenty days by himself, 
using one cedar-bark mat, and that he had taken a bath every second 
day, tliat is, ten baths in each twenty days; and after each two 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 281 

days' bath ho had taken away the mat and put it aside, and had 
taken a now mat for the other twenty days.' 

So Chief Black Beai' asked the young princess how many mats her 
eldest brother had; and these sixty Black Bears hung their heads, for 
they IvJiew that they would soon be slain by the eldest brother of the 
princess. Therefore they hung their heads and cried. 

The Black Bear chief asked her further, "How many mats has 
your second brother?" — "My second brother has forty mats." 
Then the forty Black Bears hung their heads, and the tears ran down 
their noses. Again the chief asked, "How many mats has your tliird 
brother?" The princess replied, "My thii'd brother has twenty 
mats. " Then twenty Bears hung their heads, and the water ran 
down their noses. 

Again the chief asked, "How many mats has your youngest 
brother, princess?" — "My youngest brother has five mats." Then 
five Black Bears hung their heads, and water ran down their noses; 
and the princess's husband also hung his head, and the tears ran 
down his nose. 

After the chief had questioned them, he said to all his people, 
"Tomorrow you shall go all over the country and gather wild carrots 
for your own use in your dens for the winter. " Then the old Bear 
said, "We shall he down under old fallen trees; " and the chief said to 
his people, "As soon as you hear the thunder rolling, then each shall 
go to his own den, lest danger come upon you. " 

On the following morning all the Bear people went out; and soon 
the thunder was heard rolling, and each Bear family went to its 
own den. 

Now the eldest brother was prepared to go hunting. He had been 
away for a month in the mountains, and had succeeded in killing 
sixty black bears. He went home, and the second brother was 
ready to go hunting. He staid in the mountains for a month, and 
then went home, having Icilled forty black bears. When the third 
brother was ready to go, he left home, and staid in the mountains a 
month, and then went home, having Idlled twenty black bears. Then 
he came home. 

Now the youngest brother was ready, and went with his two dogs, 
Red and Spots. He went on and on, and did not find anything. 
He went farther on. Many days had passed and he had not killed 
anything. So he stood at the foot of a mountam, cryuig, and thinking 
of his sister that was lost the preceding summer. 

While he was crymg, his two dogs raised their noses and went up 
a mountain with a rock-slide on each side. Soon they came up to a 

* They used this custom when they wanted to have success in hunting. Original: Ada laxst a 
gu'plElda sa'°t a l;p!e'lda laxst a mEla-klE'rElda sa°t hi-ga'odi klErElda laxst. Dat gik l!i;g4' nakst ligi 
ami dzE wa-na'kst dat gi ligi-lEp-wila's hana"'Rat ana'gat, adat da'mgEt; dit hi-sa-ba'g6'°p'Elda sa'°t 
laxst ganl sil-na'kgA hana'gat; datksa-ga-sgantatma'gat. Adaam tset-ma'gat. Adat gik ga° su-sgant 
a gik klE'rElda gidis sa°. 



282 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ax.n. 31 

place where a few trees were. The young man heard the dogs 
barking up there. Then he stopped crying, and looked up to the 
place where his two dogs were barking. Then he saw them run 
about barking and wagging their tails. Therefore the yoiing man 
tried to climb the mountain. He put on his snowshoes, which 
huntere use when they climb mountains, put the points of mountain- 
goat horns under his snowshoes, four horn-points on each side. Thus 
the young man was trying to reach the place where his dogs were 
barking, and he was using his own staff. 

(Hunters' staffs are seven or. eight feet long, and have a horn at one 
end. They use these when they walk over sliding snow, so that they 
will not slip.) 

He climbed; and it was very hard to go on quickly, for the snow 
was slippery. 

The dogs were still barking, but the young man could not go on 
any farther. He was always sliding back, for the snow was very 
soft. Alas! he stood there not halfway from the foot of the slippery 
snow, his face directed to the place where his dogs were barking. 
He was thinking that he could not get up there. Then he wanted to 
turn back. 

At this time his sister looked down at him. She stretched out 
her hand, took some snow, pressed it, and it rolled down. The 
young man saw the small ball of rolled snow coming down. It struck 
the front end of his snowshoe. The young man took it up and looked 
at it. Behold ! there were the unpressions of four fingers of some 
person in the snow. Then he tried again to climb up, and finally he 
reached his two dogs, who were still barkmg. They had their ears 
down and were wagging their taOs. 

He came to the opening of a den; and when the dogs came to the 
place where the young man was, the jirincess recognized her brother's 
dogs, Red and Spots, and the princess called them by their names Eed 
and Spots; and therefore the dogs wagged their taOs, and their ears 
drooped, for they knew her also. Still the dogs saw the Black Bear 
seated with her, and therefore they barked. Now the man came up, 
and he also saw his sister in the Bear's den. Then the princess called 
him m, and she said, "Wait, brother, until I give birth." She gave 
birth to two children, and handed them to her brother, who was 
standing outside the den. So he took them and put them inside his 
hunter's garment. Then the princess came out of her den, and said 
to her brother, "Now, my dear, do not kUl your brother-in-law with 
knife, spear, or arrow. Just make a smudge in front of the den." 

Then the young man said to his sister, "I will kill him;" but the 
princess said, "No, not so, my brother! Kill him, only do not use 
your spear if you kill him, that you may not die." Therefore the 
young man made a fire at the mouth of his brother-in-law's den. and 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 283 

the den was full of smoke. Soon they heard his brother-in-law groan 
m the den, and then they heard the groans cease. Now he put out 
the smudge, for he knew that the Bear was dead. 

The young man went in and drew hun out; and while the bodj' 
was lying at the mouth of the den, the princess sang a song. After 
she had sung, she said to her brother, "Now, my dear, cut hun up!" 
The young man just put his knife at the Bear's chest, and she sang 
again the Bear's mournmg-song. 

Before the young man had reached the place where the den was, 
the Bear had taught the princess to sing this song as soon as he 
should die, and to sing it again when he was being cut up; and when 
they dried his skin, and when they roasted his heart, another song 
was to be sung; and when the skin had been dried, they put red 
ocher over it from the head to the tail, and they also put red ochcr 
across it under the arms. 

The Bear had also said to his wife, the princess, "They shall put 
my skin by the side of a fire to chy it; and when j'ou hear a creaking 
noise, you shall know that I feel chilly and shall add fuel to the fu'e." 
Thus the Bear had told her. 

Now, after the young man had cut up the bear, he rolled it down 
the mountain, and slid down the snow as did his sister and the two 
cubs. They went right home. The young man was very glad to 
have succeeded in rescuing his beloved sister. 

When they arrived at theh home, the people of the three-row town 
assembled to see the princess and her two cubs, and the people who 
saw her coming home shouted for joy and gladness. Her father 
gave a great feast and named his grandchildren. 

The childi-en soon grew up. They were both boys. Every 
morning they played outside and in the houses; and when they saw 
little clouds arising in the hills, they would say, "There is the smoke 
of our Bear grandfather!" and then the hunters would go and kill 
bears. 

Many times they Saw the smoke. One day they played in their 
grandfather's house, running about and knocking each other down; 
and they ran around behind the people who were sitting around the 
fire; and her grandfather loved them very much. Another day they 
would get up again in their bed and run about in the house, knocking 
each other over. When they were playing together, one of them fell 
against their grandmother's back, and the old woman fell back and 
fainted; and all the people in the house jumped up and worked over 
the old woman to revive her. She came back to life, but she felt 
distressed, and groaned, and said, "Oh, these little slaves have hurt 
me! We don't even know where they come from." 



284 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. an-x. 31 

Then the chUdreu were much ashamed at what their grandmother 
had said to them. They wopt bitterly, and the mother also was 
ashamed and wept. The children went to their mother and asked 
her to leave the village, saying that they wanted to go to see their 
father's people. Theh" mother said to them, "Don't come back any 
more, but stay with your father among the Bear ])eo|)le, and bring 
food to me from time to time, and give animals to your younger 
uncle." So they went on theu" way, sorro\vful. Their mother 
was very sad, and theh' grandfather missed them much. That is 
the end 

44. Explanation of the Abalone Bow' 

In olden times there was a gn^ut chief of the Raven Clan called 
Ayagansk. He was a very rich man among his ])eople, and he was 
a great warrior. He had gained victory in many battles, and he 
was an excellent hunter. 

One day ho called his three companions and asked them to go 
with him to hunt seals. On the following day they went out in their 
canoe. They passed around tlie large island on which the village 
was situated. The weather was very bad. They had a good-sized 
canoe, and went on until they came to the foot of a steep cliff. As 
soon as they came there, the water all of a sudden began to move 
up and down. Then a live abalone bow appeared on the water, 
carved with the figure of a raven, and inlaid with costly abalone 
shells. Then the hero stretched out liis hands and took hold of it 
at one end. They paddled away. The brave man held on to the 
bow, and the thi-ee men paddled away as hard as they could. Then 
the live bow died, but the green abalone shells were still as beautiful 
as before. Ayagansk gave a great feast to all the tribes, and he 
gave away the red wood of the bow, and he proclaimed that no other 
clan should use the abalone bow as their crest ; and so all his relatives 
after tlus generation kej)t the abalone bow, and no other clan have 
it except the Raven Clan. It is a chief's crest, jind they had a song 
of this bow. The chief of the Raven Clan used it when he was raised 
to a high position and he took a new name. Xot all members of the 
Raven Clan used tlus bow. Only one cliief in each generation used 
it at a time. When they take it', they give away many costly coppers, 
canoes, slaves, and ail kinds of goods, and then they give out the 
story where they obtamed it first, and thus all the clans understand 
it. Some of these abalone bows were kept through four or five gen- 
erations; and they changed them only when the wood was rotten, 
but the abalone shells were kept. 

1 Notes, p. 835. 



boas) tsimshiax myths 285 

45. Story of Guxaxxesemga'd ' 
(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 147-192.) 

46. Story' of the Ganha'da^ 

Once upon a time a man went out hunting in his canoe, but for 
three days he did not catch anything. On the fourth day he saw 
swimming on the sea a large raven, which was flapping its wings and 
diving and emerging again. Under the wings he saw many people. 
When he came back home, he built a house and painted on its front 
the sea raven (TslEm-a'ks'). 

47. G-it-na-gux-a'ks* 

A long time ago a hunter and liis family lived in his own town. 
This was soon after the Deluge. The jieople were all scattered over 
the world. So it was ^\-ith this family. They made their home on 
an island outside of China Hat. 

Once upon a time they set out to hunt sea otters, sea Uons, and 
seal. Thej' left their new towai. There were not many people at 
this time, but only a few. The name of this chief was Dragging 
Along Shore (Dzagam-sa'gisk). They went on many days, but they 
caught notliing. They were still looking for animals, but they were 
tired, for. they had not caught anything. Therefore the head men 
in the canoe said, "Let us turn back to go home!" and they all 
decided to go back. As they were going along the channel, evenmg 
came; and when they came to the foot of a steep motmtain, the 
steersman said, ''Let us cast anchor here for the night, and stay 
until tomorrow morrung!" They all consented, and the steersman 
cast his anchor-stone. Then they all went to sleep in the canoe. 
There were four men in the canoe. The head man slept in the bow, 
his two companions iii the middle, and the steersman slept in the 
stern. They were all fast asleep. 

When they were fast asleep, about midnight, tho hunter ui the 
bow of the canoe was awakened by a noise which he heard around 
his canoe. Therefore he looked into the water, and saw a beautiful 
blue cod ^ s\vimmmg around the canoe. Therefore the man. Chief 
Dragging Along Shore, was angry with the codfish, because he could 
not sleep well at night. He took her up and broke up her Httle fins. 
Then he threw her away, and said, "You disturbed ray sleep tonight!" 
Then he went to sleep again. He wrapped his blanket over his head, 
and soon was fast asleep. 

When the steersman had cast anchor, the anchor-stone had 
dro])|)ed on the roof of the house of a supernatural chief wliich 
stood at the foot of the steep cliff in the water at the bottom of the 

1 Notes, pp. 747, 635. ' I Notes, p. 846. 

2 Translated from Boas 1, p. 293.— Notes, p. 846. ' A female slave of Na-gtm-a'ks. 

3 This is a personification of the snag. 



286 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

sea. Its name was G'it-na-gun-a'ks. Therefore the chief, Na-gim- 
a'ks, sent his slave to see what was the cause of the noise on his roof; 
and therefore his codfish slave went around the canoe, and the 
chief hunter broke her fins. 

The ])oor slave-girl came back to her master's house weeping, and 
the cliief asked her what was the matter. The poor slave replied 
that human beings had cast their anchor and dropped it on the roof 
of the house, and also that the chief had broken off both her fins. 
She wept bitterly. 

Then the chief said to iiis people, "Take the canoe down into my 
house." Therefore they took the canoe dowai to the chief's house 
at tlie bottom of the sea while the men were fast asleep m their canoe. 

While these four men were still sound asleep, the steersman felt 
a drop of water falling into his eye; so he opened his eyes, and saw 
that a sea anemone hud fallen on them. Then he sat up, and saw 
that they were inside of a large house. Their canoe was on the 
highest platforni in the rear of the house. Then he saw peoj)le sit- 
ting around the large fire in the bottom of the house. Then the 
steersman shook the canoe, and said in a whisper, "Alas! we are in 
danger." All his companions awoke, and they all began to cry. 
They saw a great chief sitting in the rear of the house m front of 
his fire. 

After a while the chief said to his attendants, "Let my guests come 
down to the fire!" So they brought them down; and as soon as 
they were seated by the side of the large fire, the Mouse Woman came 
and touched the chief hunter. She said, "My dear, throw your ear- 
ornaments uito the fire ! ' ' Therefore Dragging Along Shore threw Ms 
woolen ear-ornaments into the fire. Then the Mouse Woman took 
the scorched woolen ear-ornaments, and said, "Don't you know in 
whose house you are?" He replied, "No, I do not know." Then 
she said, "This is the house of Chief Na-gun-a'ks. You cast your 
anchor-stone on the roof of his house last night. Therefore he sent 
his female slave, because he mshed to know what caused the noise 
up there, and you have broken her fins. She was crying when she 
came in. Then he sent liis attendants and took you down into his 
house. I advise you to ofl'er him what you have m your canoe, lest 
you be m danger." Thus spoke the Mouse Woman, and went away. 

Cliief Na-gun-a'ks said to liLs attendants, "Boil some seals, that I 
may feed my guests!" Therefore his attendants took four large 
boxes and four large seals. They put red-hot stones into the four 
boxes; and when the water began to boil, they put a seal into each 
box; and when the seals were done, Chief Na-gun-a'ks said, "Take 
one seal to each of the men!" They did so. 

Again the wise Mouse Woman came, and said, "Don't be afraid 
when they bring you a whole seal ! Just open your mouth wide, and 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 287 

you shall swallow it. It will not hurt you. Tell your companions 
what I have said." Those three men belonsjed to the crest of the 
Killer Whale, while the steersman belonged to the Eagle crest. Then 
each man took up a pole. They took up a seal and brought it to the 
guests. One of the men who held the boiled seal at the end of his pole 
stepped m front of Dragging Along Shore, who opened his mouth; 
and the man who held the seal took it by the tail; and the chief swal- 
lowed the whole seal, begmning at the head. The second man stood 
in front of the next one, who opened his mouth and swallowed the 
whole, seal. Finally the last man who had a seal m liis hands at the 
end of the pole stood in front of the steersman, and said, "Open your 
mouth!" So the steersman opened his mouth and tried to swallow 
it; but the whole seal would not go down his tliroat, because he 
belonged to the Eagles. 

(The other three men belonged to the Killer- Whale crest, thei-efore 
they could swallow the whole seal; but the steersman belonged to 
the Eagles.) 

Now, Cliief Na-gun-a'ks said to his servants, "Cut that seal to 
pieces, so that he may eat it easily." Then they did so. 

The men had been there a whole year. Then the other super- 
natural beuig who lived on the other side of the sea would often say, 
"Let your guests come out!" Chief Na-gun-a'ks loved these human 
beings who had come to his house. So one day Cliief Na-gun-a'ks 
said to his attendants and to liis servants, "I ^\^ll give a great feast 
to all my fellow-chiefs in the rocks. I will invite them, and wiU 
show thera my human guests. After that I will send these my 
friends to their own home." Ilis attendants consented, and there- 
fore he sent messengers all over the world to invite his fellow-chiefs, 
the supernatural beings of the rocks. 

The men did not know how long they had been there, and they 
never felt hungry. Before the monsters came into their host's house. 
Chief Na-gun-a'ks said, "Get into your canoe, and you shall see what 
will come to pass!" Before they went aboard their canoe, Cliief 
Dragging Along Shore said to his host, "Shall I give you a present ?" 
His master said, "Do so!" and he presented him with four coppers 
and the fat of mountam goat, and tobacco, with a box of grease 
and a box of crabapples and a box of cranberries, also with 
red ocher and eagle dowTi. Na-gun-a'ks was very glad to have all 
these presents. His house was full of the tliuigs which Dragguig 
Along Shore had presented to him. Chief Na-gun-a'ks sent them 
into their canoe after they had put away all the presents. 

Then the chief commanded that the door of liis house be opened; 
and when it opened, the water rushed in. The house was full of 
water, and the canoe was floating on the first platform of the chief's 
house. Then the waters subsided until the tops of the various kinds 



288 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. Axx. 31 

of supernatural cliiof.s of the rocks were seen. Many difTcrent Isiuds 
of monsters were left dry on the floor of Cliief Xa-gun-a'ks's liouse. 
The chief showed liis guests all these monsters who had assembled 
from all parts of the country. Some of them looked nice, others 
curious, still others ugly, and others terrible. Chief Na-gun-a'ks 
himself wore his own garments in the form of the body of a killer 
whale, but the body was set all over \vdth horns. 

Then Chief Na-gun-a'ks said to his guests, "My dear supernatural 
beings, I am glad that you have all come to my feast. My brother, 
Draggmg Along Shore, and his two nephews, and his brother-in-law, 
Iloldamia, came to my house several days ago. They brought me 
costly coppers and all kinds of provisions. I have kept them here 
for a whole year, and now I will send them to their old home as soon 
as possible. Therefore I have called you all. I wish to let you 
have what they gave me." And after he had handed his gifts to all 
the monsters, he said again, "I will give liim my own garment 
covered with horns, and my 23rmcij)al crest, the mermaid children 
going up the river, and my copper canoe, the copper stem-board, and 
copper paddles, and also my carved house." 

Then all the monsters were much ])leased on account of the gifts 
which they received from Na-gun-a'ks. Hesaidalso, "Iwouldadvise 
you, supernatural chiefs in the rocks, let not one of you, my dear 
chiefs, frighten my brother here, because he pleased us by givmg us 
his provisions and costly coppers; and when you see liim hunting, 
I wish that all of you may help him, so that he may have good luck." 
All the monsters of the rocks agreed to what Chief Xa-gun-a'ks said. 

On the following day the door of Chief Na-gun-a'ks's house opened, 
and the water ran in rajiidly, running through the open door. Again 
the canoe of Dragging Along Shore was floating above the first plat- 
form of the chief's house. After a while the water subsided, and a 
carved room appeared on each side of the inside of the house. One 
side room was carved with two killer whales, with their noses joined 
together. It was called Dash Against Each Other. The room on 
the other side was carved with green seaweed, and there was a copper 
canoe with coppers and a stern-board of cojijier and a copper bailer. 

Then Na-giui-a'ks blessed Dragging Along Shore, and said, "You 
shall receive everything you need in the future in your land; but do 
not hurt any fish, or anything that you may see in the water, lest 
you be in danger. When you go hunting, offer burnt-offerings. 
Then you shall have good luck. Come to this place over my house 
and offer me something, that I may help you right along. You 
shall go home tomorrow." 

He also said to the steersman, "I will let you have my own hat," 
and he gave Mm a large sea-apple shell with a hving person in the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 289 

center with a face like that of a man, and a good-sized box inlaid 
with abalone shells. 

After he had given his presents to these men, he said, "Now go 
aboard the canoe and sleep there tonight." They did as he had said. 
The men had always slept in the canoe ever since they had been in 
the house. Early the next morning the steersman awoke from his 
sleep, and, behold! there was a mountain of foam around the canoe. 
Therefore he called his companions, and said, "Alas! we are m 
danger." They all awoke, and the mountain of foam became less. 
However, the men did not know how. The foam was changing mto 
a thick tog, so thick that the men could not see one another in the 
canoe. Then their hearts failed. The steersman, however, encouraged 
his companions, who were silent from fear; and while they were still 
silent, they heard a noise hke the rolling of thunder. The thick fog 
vanished, and there was bright sunshine. They looked at one 
another, and they saw that the hat of the cliief in the bow of the 
canoe was full of all kinds of seaweed, sea anemones, and sea kale ( ?) 
of all kinds, and the hats of the other men in the canoe were just like 
his; and the canoe itseK was full of seaweeds, sea anemones, and 
sea kales. Then the man at the bow said, "Take up your paddles 
and paddle away!" They saw that they were at the foot of the 
high chff where they had dropped their anchor a year before. So 
they took their paddles and paddled away; but their i)addles also 
were fuU of seaweeds, and were very heavy because they were made 
of copper. 

Draggmg Along Shore said to his men, "Don't pull the seaweeds 
off from the canoe, from the ])addles, and from our clothes!" Now 
they paddled on; and whenever the handles of their paddles touched 
the canoe, it sounded like a bell. The canoe went as fast as a bird 
fiies, and at midnight they reached their o^^^l home. 

Early in the morning one of Dragging Along Shore's elder sisters 
would come out and go to the east side of the village, waiting for her 
brother who had been lost the preceding winter. As soon as she 
came out this time, behold ! there was a large monster floating on the 
sea in front of the village. She saw something that seemed aUve on 
top of it, and it made a noise like a beU, boom! 

She ran in and called her husband, and said, "Alas! we are in dan- 
ger." Her husband arose and went out. He also saw the curious 
monster on the water. He inquired, and said, "Who is there?" 
Then they answered, "Was not a chief lost from here last whiter?" 
They said, "Yes." Then the men in the canoe replied, "We are 
coming home again safe." 

Then the whole village was in excitement. ^Ul the people in the 
village went down to the beach to welcome those who had been lost 
a long wliile. Some of the people were afraid when they saw that 
50633°— 31 ETH— IG 19 



290 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

their clothes were full of seaweeds, soa anemones, and sea kales, and 
that all Idnds of shells were sticldnn: to the canoe, to the paddles, 
the stern-boartl, and thi^ bailer, that their root hats were covered 
with shells and seaweeds, and that everything in the canoe was that 
way. 

Soon they came ashore. Then the youu"; pcHiple wanted to take 
lip tlic canoe; but they could not, because the canoe was made of 
copper and was very heavy; and two yoiino; men carried up their 
paddles, which were also made of copper; and when they had carrii^d 
up everything, the four men themselves carried up the copper canoe, 
two men at each end. 

Now Dragging Along Shore sent messengers to his tribe to invito 
all his people. When they were all in, he told the story of what had 
happened to them on their way — how they had been in the house of a 
chief at the bottom of the sea, and how his host had invited all his 
fellow-creatures when he had given him his presents, and also how 
his host had given him his own crest. He showed his people a killer- 
whale hat covered with horns, and the garment of green seaweeds, 
and the two rooms with carved sides, also the copper canoe and 
paddles; and he told how Chief Na-gun-a'ks had given his 1)rother-in- 
law a real sea-apple hat and a carved box-cover set with all kinds of 
shells, and how they had feci them with one seal each as soon as they 
had been taken down. 

After he had tokl his story, he asked his i)eople if he should give 
a great feast and invite all the tribes around them. His people 
agreed, and he sent messengers around to invite the chiefs. 

On the appointetl day all the chiefs came to his feast, and a crowd 
of canoes covered the water in front of his house. Then the head 
man of the village came out and called them ashore; and when all 
the guests were ashore, they called them in; and when all the chiefs 
were in the house. Dragging Along Shore asked every cliief to wear 
his own crest, hat, and decorated garment. Therefore all the in- 
vited chiefs wore their own crests. 

When they had put on their own crests, Holdamia opened his 
carved box, the cover of which was inlaid with all lands of shells, 
and thick fog filled Dragging Along Shore's house. Then the chiefs 
from all the tribes were silent. They were afraid to speak. Soon after 
the thick fog had come out, Holdamia closed his carved box, the fog 
disappeared, and the chiefs looked around the inside of the house. 
They saw that it was now full of seaweeds, sea anemones, and sea 
kales, which were hanging all around the house, and the copper canoe 
was on the first platform of the house ; and there was a carved room 
on one side, with a design of the two killer whales joined together 
by their noses, and named Dashing Against Each Other; and on the 
other side of the fire a room appeared carved with green seaweeds. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 291 

Dragging Along Shore wore his Ivihor-whale garment covered with 
many horns, and the guests were also covered with seaweeds. 

Therefore Dragging Along Shore proclaimed that his famil}- name 
would be G'it^na-gun-a'ks, and this name was to continue from him 
from generation to generation. 

Holdamia also gave a great feast to all the chiefs around, and he 
showed them what he had received from Chief Xa^gun-a'ks. lie held 
in his hand a copper paddle, and wore his sea-apple hat with a living 
person in the center. The abalone box was filled with thick fog. He 
also aiinounced Xa-gun-a'ks as one of the Eagle Clan. 

Now Dragging Along Shore prospered, for he was successful wher- 
ever he went hunting, and he could get many animals. His fame 
spread all over the world, and he was known to all the people round 
about his village, and he gave a great many feasts to the chiefs. He 
gave a feast almost every year, for he was a very successful hunter 
because he had the blessing of Chief Na^gun-a'ks. 

Once upon a time he went out again, as usual, to hunt, and three 
other men were ^\^th hun in his canoe. They did not Icnow his 
taboos, although Chief Dragging Along Shore told them that they 
must not touch any fish. He obtained all the animals he wanted. 
He foimd almost all the animals already dead, and on the way home 
dead animals or fish would float on the water in front of the canoe. 
They took them into the canoe. When evening came, thej^ went 
ashore to seek a place in which to camp. They made theii- camp 
there, and took the animals and fish out of the canoe. 

When the young men who were with the chief carried up the goods 
from the canoe, they saw a large l)ullhead aground. They ran there 
together, and one of the young men took the bullhead and clubbed it; 
but the other said, "Leave the bullhead alone, we have plenty of 
good fish!" But the young man who took itfirstsaid, "No, Iwantto 
have it, for our chief said that we should take everything that we meet 
on the way." The two others, however, compelled him to leave it. 
They took it from Mm, and laughed at the bullhead. They cut open 
both sides of its mouth to enlarge it. The other man, however, was 
sorry, and went to tell his master what the two other men were 
doing. Then the chief was angry, and said, "Oh, you two! You 
have brought us into danger!" He told the j'Oung man to go up the 
hill and look down to the sea before they rounded the next point. 

Then they took their canoe down, put aboard a few things, and 
paddled away from their camp to round the point; and the young 
man was sitting on top of a hill, looldng down. His eyes were follow- 
ing the canoe. As soon as they went around the point, the young 
man who was sitting on top of the hill saw how a great whirlpool 
opened and how it swallowed the canoe. 



292 TSIMSIIIAN MYTHOLOGY I kth. anx. ril 

Then the young niaii left. In less than half a day ho reached 
home, and told his jjeoph^ what had Ix^eoine of their master, and how 
he and the two others pcrisheti in the whirlpool. 

Dragging Along Shore now lived in the house of Chief Na-gun-a'ks; 
and the two other men who had laughed at the bullhead perished in 
the bottom of the great whirlpool, because they had disobeyed the 
commands that Chief Na-gun-a'ks had given Dragging Along Shore 
before he sent him home, when he commanded him not to hurt any 
kind of fish. 

48. The Four Chiefs and Chief Giuzzly Beak' 

A long time ago, before the Deluge, while the people were livmg 
■on the upper course of Skeena River, there were four brothers, all 
chiefs. Each of them had a house. They lived in the old village 
Prairie Town, and their people were very proud of their fuur good 
chiefs, who treated them well. 

One hard winter, when all the food was used up, each of the four 
brothers made a fire in his house every morning to show the people 
that they were still alive, but others were starving to death. Many 
people were dying of starvation, and every day they made a fire to 
show that they had plenty to eat . 

One day toward evening a thin person came down the river on tiie 
ice, and the eldest one of the chiefs sent out his attendants to call 
him into his house. The man came in, and they spread mats by the 
side of the great fire, and the thin man seated himself there. Then 
the eldest chief, who had invited him in, inquired, "How long is it 
since you left your homel" The man replied, "It is many days 
since I left my home." — "What have you been eating all the while 
along the way?" The thin man replied, "I have eaten only snow 
all along the way. " Then the chief said, " Bring in snow in a wooden 
dish!" and his attendants filled the dish and put it before him. The 
man did not eat the snow, but arose and went out. 

Another evening the thin man came round to the village again, 
and they told the second chief that he was coming, so he sent out his 
attendants to invite him in. They spread mats by the side of the 
fire, and the second chief asked him, "How long is it since you left 
home?" The thin man replied, "I left home many days ago." 
The chief said, "What have you been eating all along the way?" — 
" I ate only snow. " Then the second chief ordered his attendants to 
bring in some snow in a wooden dish. They did so, and brought in a 
large wooden dish full of wet snow, and put it before him, and gave 
him a spoon; but the man did not eat. He arose and went out. 

Another day toward evening, while the young people were playuig 
games, the lean man came down again from the woods. They told 

1 Notes, p. 847. 



noAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 293 

the third chief that the thin mixn was coming down from the woods. 
Then the third chief sent out liis attendants to invite him in, and the 
thm man came in. They spread the mats before liim. He sat doAvn 
on the mats, and the chief asked liim, " Is your village very far away ?" 
The thin man said, "Yes, it is very far away. I left there many days 
ago." — "And what have you been eating all the way down?" He 
said, "I ate nothing but snow." The third chief sent his attendants 
to bring in some snow. They did so in a large wooden dish, which 
they placed before him. The thin man did not eat, but arose and 
went out. 

The people were still dying of starvation. Anotlier day toward 
evening the thin man came down from the woods. They told the 
youngest of the four chiefs, and he sent his servant and one of his 
owm nephews to invite him in; and when the man came in, they 
spread mats by the side of the fire, and the man sat down. As soon 
as he was seated on the mats, the fourth chief said, "I have heard 
what my three brothers have done to you, my dear, and I am very 
much ashamed of what they have done. They have no pity. They 
did not show a kind heart to a stranger who comes and visits their 
houses. They are bad people." Thus said the young chief. 

He said to his wife, "See if a dried salmon remains in your box!" 
Then his wife arose, went to the empty salmon-box, and there was 
only one large spring salmon left in the box. She took it to the 
fire and roasted one half. She put aside the other half. And after 
she had roasted it, she put it in a dish and gave it to the thin man. 
After he had eaten the dried salmon, the chief's nephew soaked dried 
berries in water and mixed them with fi-esh red berries. They gave 
these to the thin man, and many kinds of provisions besides. After 
they had eaten, when it was nearly midnight, the chief said to the 
thin man, " Wlien do you intend to go back home?" The man said, 
" I will go back home tonight. " Then the chief said to his wife, " My 
dear, give the other half of the dried salmon to this chief, that he may 
eat it on his way home ! " So she gave him the other half of the dried 
salmon, of which he had eaten one part a little while ago. He went 
back the same night. 

Before he left he said to the chief and his wife and his nephew, 
" I am much pleased because you have shown me kindness, and you 
have given to me your last provisions in this hard season of starvation. 
You have taken pity on me. I have been to the houses of all your 
elder brothei-s, but they all made fun of me, and gave me nothing but 
snow. Therefore I will reward your kindness to me, and by tomorrow 
I will give you a costly crest. Early tomorrow morning, when you 
hear a noise yonder, take your canoe and go with your nephew and 
your wife. Let your three brothei-s come afterward. Then I will 
give you my present. " As soon as he had said so he left. 



294 TSIMSIIIAX MVTHOLOdV I i:tii. axn. 31 

The chief and his wife did not sleep that night; and before day- 
break the young chief heard something like a song on the other side 
of the river. He arose, called his nephew sind liis wife, and said, 
"Let us be off!" So they crossed the river; and when they arrived 
on the other side, at the foot of a rock-slide, they heard a shouting 
above. Behold ! a man was coming down wearing four crests, a 
grizzly-bear hat, red leggmgs, and a bow in his hand. Another young 
man was coming down wearing a mountain-goat hat, and a woman 
with two large dishes — one carved witli live frogs, and the other one 
with a mountain si)ring. Then they sang a mourning-song. The 
words of their song are these : 

'"Ai-yu' wa hoo hi, yea, ha-ha -ha — a! " 

They repeated this many times. After the two had sung their 
mourning-song, the one took off the grizzly-bear hat and gave it to 
the chief, and he took off his red leggings and gave them to the chief, 
also his sinew bow. The young man who wore the mountain-goat 
hat took it off and gave it to the chief's nephew, and the woman gave 
her two dishes to the chief's wife. Then they went up the rock-slide 
again and were transformed into tlu'ec grizzly bears. 

Later on the three elder brothers heard a noise on the other side. 
They went across quickly in their canoes, but they were too late. 
They met theb youngest brother on his way back, but the three 
elder brothers paddled across in vain. They came bnck empty- 
handed. 

Now the young chief became the richest among all liis people. 
With his sinew bow he shot allkinds of animals; and while the winter 
famine lasted, he had plenty of meat of all kinds, fat of all kinds, and 
skuis of all kinds. He fed all his people, also his three brothers, and- 
all his people brought hmi all kmds of property as presents. 

Before the winter famine ended, he uivited all the people of the 
river, and gave away property to them, and he put on his mountain- 
goat hat and sang one mourning-song while he piled up his property 
before it was given away. And this crest went on through all gener- 
ations throughout the ages. 

He made another feast and invited all the different tribes, and he 
wore his grizzly-bear hat and his red leggings, and he carried his 
smew bow and sang the two mournmg-songs which he had received 
from the grizzly bears who rewarded him for his kindness to the 
Cliief Bear. 

• Then his wife showed the guests her two carved dishes, which she 
also had received from the grizzly bears in return for her kindness; 
and the guests were delighted to see the new crests and to hear the 
two songs. Tlien the chief proclaimed that no one should use these 
crests and his mourning-songs, only his clan after him through all 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 295 

generations. He also took his new ciiief s name, which the grizzly 
bear had given him to reward him for his kindness. This name was 
Nes-nawa. 

The three brothers were jealous of their younger brother, but the 
people of all the tribes loved and honored him, anrl his name was 
great among the people. His own tribe was veiy proud of their 
chief, who was the richest among all the chiefs. 

Wlien he was old, he went again to his hunting-ground; and while 
he was there, while they wei'e encamped, in the evening, a man came 
to him, and the old chief invited him to eat with him. So they ate 
together; and while they were eating, the man said, "T will give you 
my mountain-pole. You shall keep it, as you did the other tilings 
which I gave you before." Then the old man's eyes opened, and lie 
recognized him, and another song went with this pole. A small live 
man was seated at one end of the pole. 

When the old chief went home, he gave his last feast; and when all 
the guests were in, he took his new crest, the pole, and he sang the 
song of the pole. After he hatl given away all his property to his 
guests, he said, "This is my last feast, and this is the last time I 
shall see your faces. I shall leave all my property to my only nephew, 
and also all my crests and my mourning-songs. He shall have all 
my power and my honor. He shall have my hunting-ground and 
my house, and he shall be kind as I have always been kind to my 
people." After that he gave his blessing to his nephew. Then he 
took a wooden drum, sang liis mourning-song with all his relatives, 
and all the guests were sorry to hear his last kind words to his 
relatives. At the end of his song he lay down and died, and all 
.the guests mourned over him for two days and two nights. His 
nephew succeeded him. 

{Anotlicr Version) 

Cliief Dzeba'sa used the Prince Black Bear when he danced among 
the other chiefs in the winter dance. In olden times, when the 
people still lived on the upper part of Skeena River, in Prairie Town, 
there was a great famine among the people. There were six chiefs 
in the village, and each had a house. During the famine the smoke 
continued to ascend from their houses every morning, but many of 
their tribe died of starvation. 

One morning in winter it was very cold. The Skeena River was 
full of ice, and snow covered the ground. Then a stranger came 
along on the ice. He went into the house of the oldest cliief, wdiose 
attendants spread a mat by the side of the fire, and the cliief ortlered 
liis attendants to put fuel on the fire. They did so. Then the chief 
asked the stranger, "Wliat kind of food do you eat down river?" 
The stranger replied, "I ate only snow while I was coming along." 



296 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY I inn. ANN. 30 

So the chief ordered his attendants to bring snow in a dish. Tliey 
brought in a large wooden dish filled with snow, and placed it 
before the stranger. Then the stranger stood up and went out. 
The stranger looked very poor. 

On the following morning the same stranger was seen coming along 
the ice. He went into the house of the second chief, whose attendants 
spread mats for him by the side of the fire. Then the chief ordered 
hi s attendants to put fuel on the fire, and they did so. The cliief 
asked what kind of food the stranger had eaten when he was coming 
down the river. Ho replied, "I ate only snow when T was coming 
along." So the chief ordered liis attendants to bring in snow in a 
wooden dish, and they did so. They filled a large wooden dish with 
snow, and placed it before the stranger. The stranger went out 
without touching the snow. 

The third morning he was seen coming along on the ice. He went 
into the house of the third chief, and the same happened as before. 
Finally, on the sixth morning, the stranger went into the house of 
the sLxth chief, who was a very young man. The six cliiefs were 
brothers, and this one was the youngest of them. The stranger 
entered the house, and the young chief welcomed him. He said to 
his attendants, "Spread the mats by the side of the fii-e." They did 
so, and they put fuel on the fire. The young chief had seen the 
meamiess of his five brothers to the poor stranger who had come to 
their village, and he had made up his mind to be Idnd to him and to 
comfort Mm. His wife arose, went to one of the boxes, opened it, 
and took out their last dried salmon, half of which she put back in 
her box. The other half she put in a wooden dish, and placed it 
before the stranger, who ate it. After the stranger had eaten, he 
said to the young cliief, "Very early tomorrow morning go to the 
other side of the river. If you should hear anything, you might go 
across. I will then give you a present." The young chief did not 
sleep that night. Very early next morning he arose with liis attend- 
ant. They crossed the river, and as soon as they came to the other 
side, they heard a mourning-song. Then the Prince of the Black 
Bears came down from the hills singing this song, and with three 
crests, red leggings, a mountain-goat hat, and a grizzly-bear hat, 
and he gave them to the chief in return for the half-sahnon which 
he had eaten in the chief's house the day before. Then the five 
brothers of tlie young cliief quarreled with their younger brother. 
Since that time the GispawadwE'da have the Prince of the Black 
Bears in their dances, with abalone shells in each ear and on each 
eye, and abalone shells on each tooth, and no chief besides Dzeba'sa 
can use Prince of the Black Bears. 



boasj tsimshian myths 297 

49. Gau'o' 

(Printed in Boas 13, pp. 19.3-226.) 

50. Story of the G'ispawadwe'da^ 

Once, upon a time a man went out hunting mountain goats. He 
met a Black Bear, who carried him to his den. There the Bear taught 
him how to catch salmon and how to huild canoes. Two years later 
the man returned home. When he arrived, all the people were afraid 
of him, because he looked like a bear. One man, however, caught 
him and carried him to the house. He was unable to speak, and did 
not want to eat boiled meat. Then the people rubbed him with 
medicine, until finally he resumed his human form. After this, 
whenever he was in diiEculty, he went up the mountain to his 
friend the Bear, who would help him. In winter, when nobody was 
able to obtain salmon, he would catch fresh salmon for him. Then 
the man built a house, and painted it with a picture of the Bear. His 
sister wore a dancing-apron with a representation of a bear. There- 
fore his sister's descendants use the bear as their crest up to this day.^ 

51. TSAUDA AND HaLUS ^ 

There are many (HfTcrcnt tales belonging to the time after the 
great Deluge, when the people were scattered all over the earth, and 
when they had villages at Metlakahtla. 

There was a great chief who had a wife, and they had an only 
daughter who was very beautiful. In olden times people would love 
their children very much. So it was with this chief and his wife. 
They loved their only beautiful daughter. They did not let her go 
out often in the daytime, and all the princes in the village of Metla- 
kahtla wanted to marry her; but her parents would not let her 
marry, because they loved her dearly. She was quite young, and 
her father chose the daughters of liis principal men to be her friends. 
Ten of these were chosen. Once a month throughout the year she 
would take a walk with the maids on the street of her father's village, 
and all the young princes followed her when they saw her walking on 
the street. 

Now, the princess came to be a woman, and she wished in her 
heart to marry soon, before she should be old ; and she lay in bed 
sleepless every night, thinking about this matter. Her bed was over 
her parents' bed, and the beds of her maids were under hers. 

One midnight she thought that she saw a vision. She saw a 
shining light come down through the smoke hole. It went to her, 
and she saw a young man in the midst of the shining light. He said 

■ Notes, p. 847. 2 Notes, p. 855. 'Trausliited from Boas 1, p. 293. 



298 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. asm. 31 

to her, "Shall I marry you, my dear princess?" She said that she 
would tell her father, and the prince promised to come back again 
some other night. So he went. This prince came i'rom heaven. 
His name was Tsauda, and his slave's name was Halus. This prince 
had a wonderful garment of sliining light. 

The following night he sent down his slave to talk to the young 
princess to ask her to marry him. So his slave HaJus went down to 
her. He went to her bedroom, going dowai tlu-ough the smoke hole. 
He stood by her side, and the young princess smiled when she saw 
him coming back, as he had promised a few days before, and the 
slave Halus staid with her. The princess told the slave that her 
father had consented to their marriiige. The princess thought that 
this slave was the prince with the garment of shining light who had 
come to her a few days before, so she loved him very much ; and Halus 
told her that he had a good slave, and that he wanted her father to 
give him a wife. The young woman said, "I have a little sister, but 
she is lame, and I want to take her along when you take me to your 
father's house." 

Willie they were still talking, a shining light came tlirough the 
smoke hole, as before. Now the young woman was afraid, and 
Prince Shming Light said to his slave Halus, "Wliathave you been 
douig here?" but Halus remained silent. Tsauda said, "Everything 
that you do in the future will turn out badly, and you will be disa])- 
])ointed with your wife!" and Tsauda said, ''I shall marry your lame 
sister, and she will have good fortune." 

Then he went away. Halus, however, loved his beaut if id wife. 
On the followmg day Tsauda came and put on his shming-light gar- 
ment. He came to the chief's house, and the great chief was very 
kind to him. Soon after the chief had given him to eat, Tsauda said, 
"I wish your second daughter to be my wife." The great chief 
replied, "My second daughter — she is lame!" but the prince urged 
his suit, so at last the chief consented ; and Halus's wife was laughuig 
at Tsauda because his wife was lame. Tsauda, however, took no 
notice of what she said. 

After many days had passed Tsauda said to his lame wife, ' ' I shall 
take you up to my father's house, and I shall wash you in my wash- 
tub." So on the following morning very early they went. Tsauda 
took his lame wife under his shmmg wing and flew upward. Now 
they arrived at Tsauda's father's house, and the supernatural <'hief 
was very glad to see his daughter-in-law. The supernatural chief 
took her and washed her four times in his own bathtub, and the lame 
girl shone almost as brightly as her husband Tsauda. And Tsauda's 
father gave to his son a magic sling and four sling-stones like pebbles 
out of a brook. Then Tsauda left his supernatural father's house; 
and when he arrived at his father-in-law's house, the latter was verj- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 299 

much pleased to see them come home again. HLs father-ui-law was 
glad to see his lame daughter transformed mto a beautiful woman as 
fair as her husband. He loved Tsauda more than his elder daughter's 
husband. 

One day his father-in-law said, "Tomorrow, when my son-in-law 
Halus comes home, let him bring some firewood. I intend to invite 
my people. I want to tell them that I am going to invite aU the 
chiefs fi-om every village to the marriage feast." Halus awoke early 
in the morning and went for wood. He came to a sandy beach and 
gathered the driftwood there, filled his canoe quickly, and came back 
early in the forenoon. The great chief sent down his yt)ung people, 
and they carried the wood to the chief's house. 

Tsauda just blew some water from his mouth, and said. "The 
driftwood that Halus brf)Ught will just smoke in the house.'' WTien 
the young men piled up the driftwood on the fu'eplace. it began to 
smoke very much. 

Halus's mother-in-law loved him. while the chief loved Tsauda 
better. Now the mother-in-law's eyes were full of smoke. There- 
fore she tln-ew the driftwood away from the fire, and said, "Oh, that 
common man Halus brought this smoking driftwood!" and Halus's 
beautiful wife began to cry, because she was very much ashamed. 

Early the next mornmg Tsauda went out to get wood; and when 
he reached a rocky place, he went up into the woods and brought down 
di-y pitch wood. Soon he had filled his laige canoe. His wife was 
with hun. They came home during the forenoon, and many young 
men came down and carried up the good fu-ewood to the chief's 
house. They piled it up on the fireplace, and the pitch wood burned 
like fat. Then the chief loved Tsauda still more, and the chief gave 
a great festival to all the fellow-chiefs from all the tribes because his 
two daughters were married. 

Early m spring all the Tsimshian were ready to move to Nass 
River for fishmg; but the north wind was still blowing hard, and when 
they arrived outside of Port Simpson, they could not round the long 
point there. AU the canoes of the Tsimshian were on the south side 
of the long point. So Halus said, "Tsauda, let us tlu-ow our sling- 
stones through that rock, that om" way may open! " and all the people 
shouted because Halus had a magic sling. Then Tsauda said, "You 
throw first, and I shall tlu-ow afterward!" Then Halus stood up 
on top of a large box and put his stone in a sling. Tsauda blew water 
out of his mouth, and said. "Let Halus's sling-stone pass through his 
mother-m-law's lip-hole." 

(What I mean by lip-hole is this. The old women in our country 
had a queer custom, that every woman should have a hole in her 
lip. Wlien a girl was able to walk and had no hole in her lip, they 
would call her a slave. Therefore when a gui was able to walk. 



300 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

her parents made a little hole in her lip. They would call all men 
and women of their exogamic gi'oup, and the mother of the girl would 
give all she had to the husband's relatives, the aunts of the child; 
and when the child was grown up, they enlarged the lip-hole; and 
when she w;is full-grown, the lijj-hole was larger than her mouth. 
The highest chieftainess had a lip-hole larger than that of any other 
woman. This was a sign that she was of high rank. She was the 
wife of a great chief or the relative of a great chief.) 

Now Halus threw his slmg-stone. Before he tlu"ew it, he swung 
his sling over his own head, and the stone slipped off from his sling 
and went through the lip-hole of his mother-in-law. Then all the 
people shouted and clapped their hands. Next Tsauda stood up 
and said, "Let me try to use my poor sling! " So all the people were 
quiet. He took up his sling and a smooth pebble out of his bag. 
He tlu-ew it, and there was a large hole tlirough the rock, and the 
way was opened for them to pass through. All the canoes went up 
through it. 

Before they reached then- fishing-camp, the chief said, "I need that 
copper yonder on the top of the high mountain." Therefore aU the 
canoes assembled at the foot of tlie high mountain. 

(That large copper wtxs hanging on top of that high mountain. For 
many years they had seen it, but they could not get it. Many daring 
men tried to take it, but they all perished, because no one was able 
to climb the slippery rock. Copper was then very expensive among 
the people. Therefore they tried over and over again, and they 
could not get it because the rocks were so slippery and tbe top of the 
mountain was very cold. Therefore all the brave men jjerished on 
that mountain.) 

Now Halus was ready. He stood up in the canoe and took out 
his sling and a stone, ready to throw it. Then Tsauda blew out some 
water from his mouth, and said, "Let Halus's sling-stone go through 
the bow of his father-in-law's canoe!" and when Halus swung his 
slhag, the stone slipped out and went through the bow of his father- 
in-law's canoe. Then all the people clapped their hands and shouted 
as much as they could. Now Halus had t%vice disappointed them. 
The}" said, "Oh, oh, you clumsy one!" Halus felt very much 
ashamed, and his wife cried, and also his mother-in-law was much 
ashamed; and Halus was angry and threw away his magic sling. 
Tsauda put a stone in his slmg, stood up on a box, and threw a stone. 
It hit the large copper on the top of the high mountain: "Damnum ! " 
Then all the people shouted for joy, and the great copper came 
slithng down slowly. Then all the men and women stepped forward 
and blew water out of their mouths against the copper, and said, 
"Toward iiorthwest!" and "Toward the rivers!" and when the men 
and women spoke these words, the large copper, which was sliding 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 301 

dowTi slowly, divided in the middle; and one part flew away to the 
northwest (Alaska), and another part flew away to the head of 
Copper River (the head of the rivers). This is the reason why good 
copper was found in ^Uaska long before the white people came to this 
country, and that good copper was also found at one of the head 
waters of Skeena River. Our people call this copper "living copper." 

(They say that a spring salmon went up this river; and when they 
reached the deep water at the upper part of the river, the salmon 
became copper. Therefore the Indians know that there was live 
copper in this brook or river. ) 

After Tsauda had thrown the copper from the top of the high 
mountain, they went on until they arrived at their camping-place, 
and made ready for fishing ; but somehow the fish were late in coming. 
When the time had come for the fish to arrive, the river was full, 
and everybody went out to fish. The men had their wives with them 
in the fishing-season. 

(When the fish first go up the river, the IncUans use wooden rakes. 
The man sits in the bow of the canoe, and the woman sits in the stern 
to keep the canoe straight, and to steer it quickly among the many 
canoes. They use large canoes, and in half a day they fill them with 
olachen. The men work day and night with the rakes. They went 
with the tide until eight days had passed. Then they changed their 
fishing-implements. They put away the rake — a wooden rake made 
out of chy red cedar, and pins made out of large rotten spruce 
branches. The inner part of the branch is very hard. They split 
it and sharpen it like the point of a pin. They are three fingers long. 
Then they change these rakes after eight days, and they use the 
bag net, because the olachen goes farther down in deeper water. 
Therefore they use the bag net. They put the bag net at the end of 
a pole five fathoms long, and everything thus. Two or three people 
are in each canoe. The man holds the net-pole, and his wife and the 
man's sister or mother are with them.) 

Now Halus was very proud because he had a beautiful wife, and he 
showed her among the people on the fishing-ground. He did not care 
much about the fishing. When the fishing-implements were changed, 
the chief said to his elder daughter, "Let your husband fill one canoe 
for me tomorrow, and one for each of your three uncles, and Tsauda 
shall do the same." 

The following morning they both set out. Halus went very earh' 
with his wife and mother-in-law, and Tsauda went with his wife and 
one female slave. Tsauda went a little later. Halus went among the 
canoes which were fuU of fish. Then Tsauda blew water from his 
mouth, and said, "Let Halus's bag net be filled with mud of the river, 
chips, and whole leaves from the trees, but let him not get any fish!" 
Halus took his pole with the bag net on it and went to work; but 



302 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY |eth. amn. 31 

every time he let down his bag net, it came up full of mud from the 
river. Tsauda, however, filled his large canoe with fishes, and they 
went home early. ^lany slaves carried up the fish to his fathei'-in- 
law. As soon as they had emptied the large canoe, they went again 
the same day, and toward evening Tsauda came home again. Then 
his father-in-law's slaves carried the fish to his father-in-law. He 
had two large canoes full of fish, which he gave to his father-in-law. 
Late in the evening the chief's other son-in-law came home secretly. 
That was Halus. Before daylight Ilalus went again with his wife 
and liis mother-in-law; but he caught nothing, only loaves and mud. 

Tsauda went again with his wife and a female slave, and before noon 
he had filled his largo canoe with fish. 

Tsauda met Halus while he was going home, and Halus's bag net 
was full of leaves, mud, chips, and all kinds of rubbish; and when 
Tsauda came alongside his canoe, Halus was ashamed to see Tsauda's 
canoe full of fish. Now Tsauda gave his fish to his wife's elder uncle; 
and soon after he had eaten in the house of his wife's uncle, while the 
slaves were still carrying up his fish, Tsauda started again. He passed 
the place where Halus was, and he made fun of him. "Have you 
filled your canoe noAV with fallen leaves ? " Halus felt very much dis- 
tressed on account of what his master said. He cried, and his wife 
also was sad, and so was his mother-in-law. Tsauda went in his 
canoe twice in one day and filled it with fish. He gave ono canoe to 
his wife's second uncle. 

On the following morning Tsauda went early; and when ho was 
fishing, his bag net wa.s filled with fish. Just as before, his canoe 
was full again. Halus came toward him, and said, "Master, will 
you let me have some of your fish to take in my canoe?" Tsauda 
replied, "Wait until the season is over." Therefore Halus was much 
ashamed. Hestoodup and jumped outof his canoe, and said, "I shall 
become your snag." He was drowned. His wife also jumped out 
of the canoe, and said, "I shall be your codfish." 

Tsauda continued to work with the bag net. Halus went to 
Tsauda's bag net and caught it. Tsauda's net was caught. Tsauda 
knew that Halus had caught his bag net. Therefore he said, "Halus, 
let go of that net! If you don't let go of it, I will curse you." But 
Halus did not want to let go. Then Tsauda cursed Halus, and he 
became a red cod. He told him that his head would always be 
downward and his tail upward, and that if he looked up, then his 
stomach would come out through his mouth and he would die and 
float on the water. That is why the red cod is this way now. As 
soon as it looks up, it comes up to the surface of the water, for its 
stomach comes out through its mouth. 

Halus's beautiful wife became a codfish, a blue-side cod, wliich is 
a beautiful fish. Tsauda caught her in his bag net, and he recog- 



BOAS] TSI-MSHIAN MYTHS 303 

nizcd his sister-in-law. As soon as he saw her among the olachen, 
he took her out and threw her into tlie water again. That is the 
reason why the blue-side cod is the prettiest of all the fishes, for it was 
a princess. 

ITalus's mother-in-law was very sad because she had lost her beau- 
tiful daughter. She came home full of son-ow; but, for fear of her 
son-in-law Tsauda, she did not dare to look angry, lest he transform 
her into a fish. 

Now Tsauda's wife was with child, and gave birth to a beautiful 
.daughter. Tsauda said, "This is my sister-in-law come back again 
through my \\'ife:" and the girl had four holes in each ear and a hole 
in her lip and in the septum of the nose, as a sign of her liigh rank. 
Then they gave her a baby girl's name, Another Dear Girl (G'ik-lu- 
da'°lk). Tsauda gave tliis child to his mother-in-law, and she took 
comfort because her daughter had come back to her again. She 
loved her more than her own daughter whom she had lost. 

Soon the people had finished boiling their fish, and they moved 
down to their village. Tsauda's father-in-law also moved; and 
when they arrived at home, Tsauda said to his father-in-law, "Soon 
I shall go away to my own home with my wife. Wlien she has 
another child like herself, I Avill come again and give it to you, so that 
you may have another girl like the one you had before. You shall 
call her Moon." 

On the following day Tsauda went away to his father's home ^\ith 
his wiie; and when he arrived there, liis own father was much pleased 
to see his son and his wife; and after they had been there a wliile, 
Tsauda's vdie gave birth to another child, and Tsauda took the child 
and gave it to his mother-in-law, as he had promised before he left 
them. 

Wlien Tsauda and his daughter flew toward his father-in-law's home, 
the cliikl was grown up to be a woman; and when Tsauda arrived 
there, he took her out from under his mngs, and a young woman 
came out, whom he handed to his mother-in-law. They received the 
child joyfully, and named her Moon, as Tsauda had requested. 

These two girls grew up to be very beautiful young women, like 
their lost aunts. Tsauda, however, went, and never came back 
again. His wife also never came back. This is a story of the Wolf 
family. 

When the elder girl was married, she told her husband that her 
father, Tsauda, told her of a good copper in the Copper Creek at 
the head of Skeena River. Therefore the prince called liis three 
young men to go with hi in to see the good copper at the head of that 
creek; and when they were going in their canoe up the river, they 
smelled sweet-smelling scents; and when they went farther up, they 
smelled still more fragrant odors; and they went on and on, and the 



304 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

odor was sweeter than ever. Before evening they camped, and the 
prince went into the woods; and as he went through the valley, he 
saw something standing in the middle of a nice plain, moving and 
waving. He went near it, and he saw that it was a live tree of odors. 
So he ran to it and embraced it, and all the branches of the tree also 
embraced Mm, and the living tree pressed him hard and squeezed 
him; and before he lost consciousness, he shouted, to call liis men to 
come to his help. They ran cjuickly, and saw the prince and the 
living tree of odors embracing each other. The prince said to Ids 
men, "Dig away the earth from the roots quickly." The men dug 
away the earth quickly: and when all tlie roots were out of the 
ground and the branches were dead, the priuc-e was released from the 
branches. All the branches let go of his body. 

This is the tree of odors, or the live tree. 

This prince was very successful, because he was married to the 
daughter of a supernatural being. He cut the tree into short 
pieces, and he also cut the branches and the roots, and he gave to each 
of his men one root; and Ms men filled their bags with the soil from 
the place where the tree of odors had been, and when they came 
back home, they sold them for a high price. Then all the chiefs from 
all the tribes came to buy one of the short pieces at a high price, and 
the princes and the princesses came and bought pieces of the tree of 
odors, and the prince became a great chief. 

Then the younger daughter of Tsauda said to her husband, "My 
dear, my father has told me that there is a good copper at the head 
of a creek;" and the husband of the younger one called his young 
men to go with him up there. The following day they set out and 
went up that creek, and night after night they camped. That young 
prince went walking along the bank of the river, searcMng for smooth 
copper pebbles; but he could not find any, because the time had not 
come yet. They traveled on many days, until they reached a place 
way up the river, and toward evening they camped there. There 
was not much water in the river, and they could not travel on by 
canoe, because three small brooks joined where they camped, and at 
tins place the deep water ended. The young prince walked along the 
bank of the river. Then he saw many salmon. He hastened back to 
his men, and told them that many salmon were in the deep water 
there. Therefore he took Ms salmon-spear and went down again, 
wMle Ms men started to light a fire in the camp. He went down, and 
stood there ready. When he saw a large salmon come up, he struck it 
and took hold of it. He dragged it up to the shore and clubbed it. 
Then he took out Ms dart and threw the salmon backward. So the 
salmon strack the smooth stones of the river-bank. It sounded like 
copper. Then the young prince went to the place where he had 
tMown the salmon. Pie took it up again to see if anytMng was under 



DOAS] TSIMSHIAII MYTHS 305 

it, and, behold! the salmon was transformeil into copper. So he 
took it np to the camp of his men and showed it to them, and they 
were all very happy. In the night they got ready for the next morn- 
ing. They spent the whole night making a new pole and new darts 
to be used the next day. Before daylight they all went to sleep, and 
the jDrince took his copper and put it under his head as his pillow. 
Late on the following morning, when the sun was high in the sky, the 
steersman woke up and aroused his fellows; and when the brealdast 
was ready, they called the prince. Then they found that he was dead. 
They wept over him; but the wise man said to his fellows, "He died 
because the live copper killed him. Let us burn it !" Thus said the 
steersman. 

They threw the copper into the fire to be burned, took the bark of a 
dried spruce tree, and started a large fu-e, and the live copper was 
melting; and when the fii'e had gone out, the pure copper remained 
in the ashes like a pole. They saw that the copper was very good 
and soft. They took it and put it into a bark bag, took the prince's 
body down to the canoe, wrapped him in a new cedar-bark mat, and 
carried liim in their canoe down the river. 

When tliey arrived at liome, and the prince's wife saw him dead 
and saw the melted copper, she felt very sad. She went into the 
woods weeping for her husband. 

While she was sitting at the foot of a large white-pine tree, she 
heard a noise on the tree above, and saw a shinmg light. There was 
a man who came down from the top of the white-pine tree and smiled at 
her, and said, "My dear daughter, what ails you?" She said, "IVfy 
beloved husband is dead." And Tsauda rephed, "Don't feel sorry 
for him! If you want hhn alive again, I will resuscitate him, my 
dear daughter!" 

Now, Moon knew that her father had come down to visit her. 
Therefore she stopped crying, and said, "Bring him back to life for 
my sake!" Tsauda said, "Call out aU the people, and I will bring 
hun back to life." So she went into the house. She sent out all 
the people. Tsauda came in and took the cold water of life from the 
sprmg and sprmldcd his face with the water. He slapped the dead 
man on both cheeks with the pahns of his hands, and said, "Come 
back to life from death, son-in-law!" and the prince sat up, and his 
wife came to him and embraced him. 

Then Tsauda said, when the young man was alive agam, and when 
all the people had come into the house, "Be careful of the living 
copper of that river! Let nobody go there, but my son-in-law and 
his descendants! I shall teach them how to kill the live copper and 
how to make costly coppers. Then he shall teach his children as I 
taught him." Thus spoke Tsauda to the people; and when his 
speech was at an end, he called his son-in-law aside, and also his 
50(i33°— 31 ETH— IC 20 



306 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

youngest daughter, and told them how to kill the live copper. Ii(> 
said, "As soon as you catch the salmon coppei-s or live coppei-s, 
make a large fu-e and throw the salmon coppers into it, as many as 
you caught in one evening at your camp. You must throw them all 
mto the fii"e, and the fumes will not hurt you, but it will make you 
richer than any cliief in the whole world; but if you tell these high 
commands to some of your relatives or friends or to your tribe, you 
shall become poorer than ever, and those to whom you have told my 
secret shall become rich. Let nobody go with you to that river! — 
only you two, you and my dear daughter. She shall go with you ; 
and if she has some children, then you shall take them with you; 
and whoever goes there without your consent, he shall die by the 
fumes of the live coppere." 

After Tsauda had given this advice to them, he said to his favorite 
daughter, "Now, my dear, go with me to the foot of that white-jMne 
tree!" and when they reached there, he told his daughter, "You 
shall eat the pitch that covers this white-pine bark as a medicine 
against the influence of your copper-work. You shall rul) it over 
your hands and face before you take the live copper." As soon as 
Tsauda had said this, he flew up to his supernatural home. 

Then the prmce and liLs wife went up ther(> for coppers. He did 
all that his father-in-law had commanded him to do, and he was the 
first copper- worker among the natives. He became richer than any 
chief round about, and his fame spread all over the country. Chiefs 
from all the different tribes came to buy his costly coppers with 
many thousands of costly animal skins, and canoes, slaves, boxes of 
grease, costly abalone shells, and aU kinds of things. So this prmce 
was great among all the chiefs. He gave away many times costly 
coppers, male and female slaves, elk skms, and all kmds of goods. 
At his last great feast he invited the chiefs of all the tribes, and they 
proclaimed that he shoidd take his great grandfather's name. Around 
Tlie Heavens, and all the chiefs said that he shoulil be the' head chief. 

52. Story of the Wolf Clan ' 

There were two villages in the Strait of iletlakahtla. One was 
inhabited by the Eagle Clan, the other by the WoK Clan; and they 
were on friendly terms, for the chief of the Eagle Clan was married 
to the princess of the Wolf Clan, whose name was Bidal. The 
chief's name was Nes-wa-na'°; 

Once upon a time these two friendly people agreed to build a weir 
between the two islands, so as to catch seals and fishes at low tide. 
After they had finished the weir connectmg the two towns, they 
made an agreement that whoever shoukl awake first in the morning 
should go down and take something caught by the weir. The people 

1 Notes, p. 857. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 307 

of the Wolf Clan would go down first abnost cviTy morning. There- 
foro the chief of the Eagle Clan was angry with liis brother-in-law's 
tribe, and war began between them. 

The Eagle Clan gained the victory over their enemies, and the 
chief killed all his wife's relatives. Then he took the weir as his 
own. Therefore his people went down every morning and brought 
up sometimes seals or halibut or other kinds of fish. 

In the other village only women and girls remained. No men 
were there. Miev a while a prmcess, the wife of tlie cliief, gave bnth 
to a girl. So the chief asked the women who nursed his wife, "What 
kind of a baby is it ?" They told hun that it was a girl, and he was 
glail of this. He said to his slaves, "Keep her in good health." 

After a while the young woman was agaui with child; and when 
the time came, she gave birth again. The chief asked the women 
again, and they tohl hun that the child was a boy. Then the chief 
ordered his attendants to kUl his own son, and they did as he had 
ordered them. His wife's grief was almost too much to bear. 

Again she was with child; and when the tune came, and she gave 
birth, the chief asked again his wife's nurse, "What kind of a baby 
is it?" They told him that it was a l)oy, and he ordered them to 
kiU him. They obeyed and killed hun. 

Now, the girl grew up. She looked into the sun, and her eyes 
became sore. Therefore her father named her Ya°l. 

The mother was with child again; and when the tune came, she 
gave birth. When the chief asked the nurses, they told him that the 
child was a boy, and he ordered them to kill him. They killed him 
also, and the young princess's grief was almost too great. 

She was with child agam; and when the time came, she called her 
own maid, and said to her, "When I give bii-th again, and the child 
is a boy, do not tell the chief when he asks you, but tell hun that it is 
a girl, else he might kill hun also." The maidservant promised lur 
to do so; and when the time came and she gave birth, a boy was born. 

The chief asked the prmcess's maidservant, "What kuid of a baby 
is it?" and she deceived him, and said, "It is a girl." So the chief 
said, "Keep her in good health." The child, however, was a boy. 

The princess, the chief's wife, kept her boy and tramed hun. 
The boy grew up to be a j'outh, and the father learned that his wife's 
maidservant had deceived him. Theri'fore he was angry with her, 
and one day killed her. 

The boy, however, grew up. His mother was always with him, 
for she knew that liis father sought the cliikl's hfe. She told her 
son that lus father had slain aU her relatives and all her sons. 

Now the cliief's hatred of his wife and of liis son was so great that 
his wife and her son fled. The young man culled three youths, his 
friends. Every day they weixt and hunted birtls. The young prince 



308 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn 31 

was very skillful in making bows and arrows, and he gave them to his 
three friends. When they grew up to be young men, they were able 
to shoot large animals. Then the mother of the prince told her son 
aU that his wicked father had done to her other sons, how he had 
killed them as soon as they were born, and she told her son how his 
father had killed all her brothers and uncles on account of the trap 
that had been built between the two villages, and she told him every- 
tliing about her wicked husband. 

The young man took pity on her and wept with her, and he hated 
his father; and one day he killed him to avenge his uncles and liis 
mother's uncles and his own brotliers, but he was afraid lest the 
people should laugh at liim. 

Then his mother told him a story about an arrow with a Uving 
reptile-head, wliich was in another village far away in the uttermost 
parts of the world, in the northwest, in the house of a chief called 
Gutginsa'. She said, "Many brave men have tried to gain this 
arrow of supernatural power, but they all failed because it is so far 
away." Thus spoke the woman to her son. 

Then the young man left his mother. He called his four compan- 
ions who had always been with him ever since liis youth. He told 
them the storj' that liis mother had told him, and he said t« liis com- 
panions that he intended to go there. They all agreed. 

They made a good-sized canoe; and when they finished the canoe, 
the prince asked Ms mother to collect as much food as she could. 
She did as her only son said. Then they loaded their canoe with all 
kinds of food — grease, fat, dried beri'ies, meat — also with coppers, 
eagle down, and red ocher, and set out. They went toward the 
northwest. 

One night they camped in a certain place. Then the young man, 
all by liimsclf, went into the woods to wash, in order to gain success, 
wliile his companions started the camp-fire. While he was in the 
brook batliing, he beheld a young man who stood by the pool where 
he was batliing. The young man said to Mm, "What have you done 
with my batliing-place ? " The prince, who was batliing, said, "O 
supernatural one, take pity on me! I did not know that tliis pool 
belonged to you. I came here to bathe because I wanted to have 
success and take revenge on the enemy of my relatives." Then the 
supernatural being said to Mm, "What do you want to have?" The 
young man repUed, "My mother told me that a cliief in a far-away 
country has a hve arrow. His name is Gutginsa'." 

The supernatural being rephed, "Yes, it is very far away from 
here, in the outermost part of the world, but you shall get there. I 
will let you have my blanket; and whenever you reach a village, you 
shall wear it, and you shall shout belund the houses. Then they shall 
tell you how many more villages there are before you reach the place 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 309 

where yon want to go; but }'t)ii shall liide j'oiir canoe from every 
tribe that you pass. Don't show yourselves, lest they teU you how 
difficult is the way that you are to go ; and you shall order your com- 
panions always to offer burnt-offerings." 

After the supernatural being had said so, he handed him the sldn 
of a sparrow and vanished from Ms sight. 

Then the young man went to Ms compamons, who were encamped, 
and told them to offer a burnt-offering. They did so. 

On the following morning they went on, and toward evemng they 
saw a village in the distance. They camped near by and hid their 
canoe. Early the following morning the young man put on his 
sparrow blanket, flew up, and ahghted on the branches of a tree 
beliind the house of the cMef of the village. Then the sparrow 
began to sing; and an nkl man in the cliief's house said, "O super- 
natural one, supernatural one! there are many more villages before 
you reach the place where you want to go." 

They started again, and reached the next village. The prince put 
on Ms sparrow garment, ahghted on the top of the cMef's house, and 
began to sing, "CHsguufs gut ginsai!" An old man who heard the 
bird said, "0 supernatural one, supernatural one! the country that 
you want to reach is very far awaj^." 

The prince's compamon made a burnt-offering in every place where 
they camped. 

They started agam, and reached another village, and, sitting on 
the top of the chief's house, he began to smg, as he had done before in 
the villages that they had passed. The same answer came from the 
mouth of an old man, who said that there were many more villages 
before they woukl reach there. 

They went on, and passed many villages. Finally they came to a 
large village; and the prince put on Ms sparrow blanket and began 
to sing, as before; and an old man in the cMef's house said, "O super- 
natural one, supernatural one! there are only three more villages 
before you reach there, but it -mil take a month to go from one village 
to the next one." 

They traveled on and on. A month passed, and they reached the 
next village, larger than the preceding one. The prmce put on Ms 
sparrow blanket and began to sing, as before. Then the old man 
in the cMef's house said, "O supernatural one! there are only two 
more villages before you reach there, but it takes a month to go from 
tMs village to the next one." 

They started again, and at the end of a month they arrived at the 
next village, larger than the other two. The prince put on Ms spar- 
row blanket and ahghted on the cMef's house and began to sing. 
Then the old num in the cMef's house saiil, "O supernatural one! 



310 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. anx. 31 

there is only one village more before you reach there, but it takes a 
month to go from here to that village." 

They went on again, and at the end of the following month they 
arrived at the last village. The prince put on liis sparrow garment 
and began to sing, seated on top of the chief's house. The old chief 
said, "Come down to me, supernatural one! I will give you advice 
as to how to obtain the lif(^ arrow. You might perish between here 
and Cliief Gutginsa"s village." 

So the prince went in and sat down on one side of the large house. 
The chief asked Hm, "Where are your companions?" and the young 
man replied that they were in hiding behind the village. Then the 
cliief ordered his attendants to bring them to the house, and they 
went to caU them. The chief ordered his men to give food to the 
guests, and they did so. 

After they had eaten, the cliief said, "My dear prince, I have seen 
how patient you have been all along the way you came. I know you 
have met with many difficulties, and stiU you kept on going. Now, 
there is no other village besides tliis, and no land. This is the one 
corner of heaven, and there is only the air beyond. Therefore 
no living being can reach there, where Chief Gutginsa"s house is. 
Therefore let your young men remain here in my house, and I will 
go with you. Wear your sparrow garment, and I shall put on my 
hummingbird garment. Then we will fly to the air island where 
Cliief Gutginsa' lives, and we will borrow his life arrow until the time 
when your enemy shall have been destroyed. Then he shall take it 
back again. I received all your burnt-offerings that you made along 
the way." 

The prince decided to foUow his advice, and the cliief also told 
Ills companions to continue their offerings while they were away. 
He said, "We shall be back tomorrow evening." 

The next morning they started. Cliief Hummingbird flew first, 
and the Sparrow behind him. They flew upward under the clouds; 
and when they saw the air island before them, it seemed as large as 
a man's finger. They came nearer, and arrived there at the same 
time. Then the two birds flew into the house of Chief Gutginsa'. 

Now Chief Hummingbird said, "My dear, great cldef ! will you lend 
us your live, destroying arrow until this my brother has taken revenge 
on the enemies of his relatives ? Then you shall take it back again." 
Chief Gutginsa' gave his destroying arrow to Cluef Hummingbird. 
They flew back, and it was late in the evening when they came home 
safely, while the prince's companions were still making burnt- 
offerings. 

Chief Hummingbird said, "Keep this arrow in good order, and let 
nobody see it, lest the arrow should kiU some one; but if you want to 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 311 



kill anything, teU your arrow the name of the enemy, of the man or 
of the animal you want. Don't leave it in the house, but put it in a 
box, and place the box on a tree, and don't go in to a woman as long 
as you keep the arrow. When you get home, invite some old men 
from every tribe, one at a time, and let them instruct you how to 
use it; but don't ask the old men how to use it, only ask them what 
employment they have had since they were youths, and each will tell 
you some curious story. Then stop them and send them out with 
some person until you find a warrior. You shall reward him amply, 
and he will instruct you how to use the arrow guldani, for that is its 
name." Thus spoke Chief Hummingbird. 

The following morning they started for home Chief Hummingbird 
said, "Keep the bow of your canoe toward the rising sun, but you 
shall not travel by canoe. Wear your sparrow garment and fly 
ahead of the canoe; and when you are tired, sit down on the bow of 
your companions' canoe. Then, after four days, you shall reach 
home; but if you travel in your canoe, you shall take a whole year 
to return." 

Now they started. ' The Sparrow flew ahead of the canoe, and the 
canoe went very rapidly; and whenever the Sparrow was weary, 
he aUghted on the bow of his companions' canoe to take a rest; and 
after being refreshed, they started again. Thus they went on and 
on, until after four days they arrived at home. Their relatives were 
glad to see them back safe. 

Tlie prince's father kept the tribe of the young man as slaves, and 
treated them badly. Sometimes he would kiU people of his son's 
tribe, and the young man was very much displeased to see tins. 

The prince's house was full of sldns of grizzly bears. One day he 
sent out his slaves to invite one of the old men of his father's tribe. 
Wlien the old man came in, he spread one of the grizzly-bear skins 
at the side of his house. Then they gave the guest good food to eat; 
and after the old man had eaten, the prince went to the place where 
he was sitting, and said to lum, "Just tell me what has been your 
employment since you were a young man." The old man smiled, and 
said, "Oh, why do you ask me? I am the man with whom every 
woman has been in love from my youth on." The prince replied, 
"That is not my desire. Go out, and take with you the grizzly-bear 
skin on which you are sitting." The old man went out, and took 
with him the grizzly-bear skin. 

The following day he sent and invited an old man of another tribe ; 
and when the old man came in, the jn-ince spread a grizzly-bear sldn 
on the side of the house, and the old man was made to sit on it. After 
he had eaten his evening meal, the prince went to the place where his 
guest was sitting, and said to him, " Wliat has been your emplojTiient 
ever since you were young?" Tlie old man answered, and said, 



312 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

' Wliy do you ask me ? I have done my best to meet a good-looking 
ndfe;" The prince said' "That is not my desire. Go out, and take 
the grizzly-bear skin on which you are sitting." The old man went, 
taking his grizzly-bear skin along. Then another one was invited ; 
and after this old man had eaten his meal, the prince went to him, 
and said, "Wliat has been your employment ever since you were 
young*" The old man repUed, and said, "Oh, why do you ask me? 
I have been married to many beautiful girls whom I have loved." 

The prince said, "Stop! That is not my desire. Go out, and take 
the grizzly-bear skin on which you are sitting." 

Long ago there were twelve tribes among the Tsimsliian, and only 
nine remain. In each of these tribes there was one old man. Finally 
one very old man of tlie tribe of G"it-la'n, named Wiludal, who was 
bUnd of old age, was invited by the prince. Wlien he came in, they 
led liim to the grizzly-bear skin that was spread on one side of the 
prince's house, and they gave him as good food as they had given the 
others. After the meal the prince went to where he was sitting, 
and questioned him. "What has been your employment ever since 
you were young?" Then the old man said, "Brmg me a bow and 
arrow. Gird my loins, and place the two large empty boxes yonder, 
that I may leap over them; then aim my arrow at a knot-hole." 
After he had said so, they led liim to the door. "Now shout!" 
said he. The people in the house shouted, and the old warrior 
leaped about. He did not turn his face after he had shot, but ran 
forward and leaped backward over the big boxes that had been 
placed there, to the same place from wliich he had started. He shot 
right through the knot-liole. Then he said, " Yalala! I shoot right 
through the eye." Now the prince was glad to receive good instruc- 
tions, and he rewarded the old man amply. Ho called lum in day 
after day until he knew how to hold his weapons. 

Now the young prince became rich. He invited all the chiefs of 
the tribes to his house, and gave away much property to his guests. 
Then he took his mother's eldest uncle's name, and his name was 
now Asagulyaan. AU the cluefs received his gifts gladly. Asagul- 
yaan was the name of the man who accompanied the young ]n-ince's 
father when they first built the weir between the towns, and who 
was killed by the prince's father. Therefore the chief who had killed 
the young man's relatives was ashamed, because his son loved his 
own relatives better than him. 

Therefore the chief tried in every way to entrap his own son, 
intending to kill liim; but his son knew his father's heart, because 
the supernatural being told him what liis father's thoughts were. 

Another time the young jirince sent messengers to all the tribes, 
invitmg all the cliief's princes, cliieftainesses, and princesses; and 
when all the head men of all the tribes were in his house, he said to 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 313 

his guests before lie distributed his gifts/ "I announce that I am 
taking all my grandfather's greatness. I shall be the greatest head 
cliief." None of the chiefs replied. He said, furthermore, "I shall 
make my sister great among the chieftainesses. I give her the name 
Ya°l, wluch means 'eyes blinded by the sun;' and my old mother 
shall keep her own name, Bidah" Then he gave his great gifts to 
his guests — costly coppere, slaves, canoes, elk skins, boxes of grease, 
boxes of dried berries, horn sjjoons, raccoon skins, and all kinds of 
goods. 

Then his father was still more angry with his son. Before he left 
his son's house, he said to his attendants that he would kill his own 
son after the feast was over. The reason why the father was angry 
was that he himself was the head chief among the Tsimsliian at that 
time. 

When the feast of the new cliief, Asagulyaan, was over, there was 
no trouble among the people in all the tribes of the Tsimsliian in the 
old towns at Mctlakahtla. It was midwinter. 

Then Asagulyaan took liis live arrow and went over to his father's 
village secretly at night. He crept up to Ids father's house at mid- 
night; and when he came to the smoke hole, he took up his Uve arrow, 
and said to it, "Go through the heart of the cluef who killed all my 
relatives, then come back to me tomorrow!" Then the arrow went 
right into the heart of the cliief, who died there, and the arrow 
remained there the whole night. 

iVll the people in the house of the chief were quiet. When the sun 
rose up high in the sky, one of the chief's beloved wives went to call 
him. She took the mat off from her husband's face, and, behold! 
he was dead. The end of an arrow appeared over his heart. Then 
she cried out, "Oh, dear chief! who killed you?" Then the whole 
chief's tribe came in, and they saw the end of the arrow in his heart. 
So they took the arrow from the chief's heart and passed it around to 
look at it. They saw that the head of the arrow was like that of a 
reptile, whose eyes twankled when any one looked at its face. They 
saw that the teeth of the arrow were like dogs' teeth. 

After the chief's people had examined the arrow, it flew from tlieir 
hands through the smoke hole, and said " Guldana!" and therefore 
the people call the living arrow "guldana." 

The chief's people went to every village and inquired who shot the 
chief in Ids house, and all the villages answered that they had nothing 
against the great chief. Therefore they came back home late in the 
evening. Then the whole tribe of the chief singed their hair with 
fire, as was the custom among the people when a great chief died ; and 
the whole tribe blackened their faces with charcoal, great and small, 

^ It is the custom to lift a costly copper above tile head of a great chief to conJirm his words. 



314 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

high and low. Before tliey buried tlic chief, they invited all the 
cliiefs of the tribes, and every tribe took their own chief in their canoe 
to the dead chief's village, and a nephew of the dead chief handed his 
goods to all the chiefs in their canoes on the water. This was the 
voung man who succeeded to his uncle's place. He would lift up an 
elk skin before each clxief, and when Ufting it up he woidd call out the 
chief's name. 

Wlien all the cluefs had received their presents, they remembered 
the young prince Asagulyaan. They called him by his nickname; 
and when they lifted up a small elk skin for him, the successor of the 
dead cliief said, "The son of Bidal." Then the small elk skin was 
passed from one canoe to another, until fuiaUy it reached the canoe 
of the young new chief. Then he stood up in his canoe, threw the 
small elk skin into the water, and said, "Is tliis common elk skin 
given to call out the name of Son Of Bidal?" and his companions 
paddled away from the place. 

Then the nephew of the dead chief said to his people that that slave 
had killed his own father. After this all the chiefs went to their 
own villages. 

On the following morning a great multitude of ])eo])le assembled 
in front of the house of ^Vsagulyaan, and the whole beach was covered 
with people. There was a large rock in the middle of the sandy 
beach, and a long ladder was standing in front of the carved house 
rcacliing to the roof of Asagulyaan's house. Another ladder reached 
the roof from the interior. Before the young cliief went forth to 
fight against his enemies, the people in his house were shouting, and 
eagle down flew upward through the smoke hole. Then the young 
cliief came out through the smoke hole, wearing on his head a chief's 
headdress set with abalone shells, and wearing his dancing-garments, 
his dancing-aprons, leggings, and rattle. He held his bow in one 
hand, liis rattle in the other. Then he ran down the long ladder 
in front of his house, and, leaping here and there, ran right down to the 
beach, where the people were waiting for liim. He jumi)ed over the 
large rock in the middle of the sandy beach, and then he let liis Uve 
arrow go. He ran backward, and jumped backward over the large 
rock, and ran up the long ladder in front of his house. Then the live 
arrow went through the hearts of the people; and when the arrow 
was weary, it returned to its master; and the young chief took it and 
wiped it, and put it into his box, and the beach in front of his house 
was fuU of dead people. The stomacii of the live arrow was filled 
with men's blood. 

On the following day another multitude of people came against him. 
Wlien he was ready, all the people in Ms house began to shout. They 
beat their wooden drum and clapped their hands, and the young cliief 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAIC MYTHS 315 

came up, bird's down rising before he appeared through the smoke hole. 
Then he came down from the roof of his house on the long ladder which 
stood in front. He leaped here and there, jumped over the rock, ran 
among the crowd, and let go his living arrow. Then the arrow said, 
"GuMana!" Then Asagulyaan ran back, jumped backward over the 
rock, and never turned his face from his foes. Then he ran up the 
long ladder and down through the smoke hole. His arrow killed 
many people. Then it returned to its master, who took it, and saw 
that its stomach was full of blood. He wdjied it and put it back into 
the box. Now the new chief, Nes-wa-ma'k, invited all the tribes to 
fight against Asagulyaan; but the tribes decided to fight him by 
themselves, each on one day. They all agreed to do so. 

On the following day one tribe set out to fight him, and they were 
almost all killed by the arrow of Asagulyaan. As far as the arrow 
went, everybody was killed, and few people escaped. Each tribe 
went to battle day by day, but they all failed. 

Now Wlludal told Ms nephews and his sons-in-law and also his 
grandsons and his brothers-in-law to assemble in his own house, 
and gave them advice. He said, "My dear men, not one of you 
must join these people who fight Asagulyaan, else you will be 
destroyed with them; for .Vsagulyaan is a supernatural being; he 
is not a man. Therefore I tell j'ou, don't go there! His arrow is 
alive, and will devour every one who comes up against him." 

The young men, however, would not believe what the old warrior 
had told them. On the following day they all went to battle as to 
an amusement, for some people had told them that Asagulyaan was 
like a bird running rapidly down on the beach. So they went with 
them; and while all the crowds of peoi)le were on the beach in fi-ont 
of liis house, the shouting in the house, the beating of drums, and 
clapping of hands, began. Down ascended from the smoke hole, 
and then the young chief came up there surrounded by a mist of 
feathers. He ran down the long ladder right down to the beach, 
jumped over the rock, went down a little fartlier, and then he let go 
his arrow. He ran backward, as before, and jumped over the rock 
backward, climbed up liis long ladder, and went down through the 
smoke hole. Then his arrow devoured as many people as it could. 

Now all Wiludctl's relatives were killed; only one little grandson 
remained with him. Therefore Wiludal's sorrow was great, and he 
mourned for many days. He was the one who had taught Asagulyaan 
how to hold liis weapons in battle. 

He said to his grandchild, "I will go and kill Mm because he has 
slain all my relatives." Then the strong man laughed at Mm, mock- 
ing him, and said, "Now this is the kind of man to kUl Asagulyaan. 
Don't, you old blind man! Stay at home! You will only hinder 
the people who will fight with him." Nevertheless he said, "I shall 
surelv shoot him." Yet thev scorned him. 



316 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

Now, when all the tribes were giving battle, Wiludal said to his 
grandson, who led him by the hand, "Put me behind the rock over 
which lie always leaps, and point my arrow at the center of the 
smoke hole. Then, when you see the mist of feathers coming out of 
the smoke hole, teU me, 'Now shoot!' Then I wiU shoot him." So 
his grandson watched the smoke hole. After a httle wliile they 
heard shouting and boating of drums. The mist of down rose, and 
then the grandson said, "Now shoot!" Then the old warrior used 
all his strength and shot. He turned to his fellows, and said, "Ah, 
all! I killed him. I hit his eye." 

Some of his fellows beUeved what he said, and others still mocked 
him. 

Wiludcll hit -\sagulyaan through the eye. The arrow came out 
at the back of Asagulyaan's head, and all his brains came out. He 
fell off from the top of the ladder which was placed from the inside 
up to the smoke hole — fell to the ground, and died right there. 
Therefore his sister took off her brother's dancing-garment and 
dancing-aprons, leggings, and rattle. The headdress was broken to 
pieces. Therefore they took a wolf helmet of the prince, and she 
wore it. Then another shout went up. The mist of down rose 
again, and she came out through the smoke hole, ran down as quicldy 
as her brother had done, with her brother's bow in her hand. The 
crowds did not know lier. She lea])ed over the rock; and when she 
passed a little farther down, she let go her arrow. Then she ran, 
turning her face toward the house where she had come from. She 
did not do as her brother had done, who ran backward when he 
turned, and kept his face on his enemies. 

On the way she became weary, and ran like a woman. Therefore 
the multitude knew tliat she was a woman; and they all shouted, 
and said, " Ha, a woman !" and all the people pressed on them and fell 
on them. A few children tried to run away, but the multitude 
destroN'ed them. 

The woman wore her brother's })araphernaha, and ran away from 
them around the island. She took off the prince's wolf's helmet and 
threw it away, and it became a rock, which may be seen up to this 
day; and her footsteps may still be seen on the rocks where she 
walked, up to tliis day. 

The people of this tribe are scattered among aU the other tribes. 
They have not had a village since that day. The Uve arrow, as soon 
as the woman let it go, went off howling, and flew to its home, saying 
while it was flying, "Guldana!" Everybody saw it filing swiftly 
through the air toward the sunset. It has never returned since tliat 
time. Wiludal was first of all the warriors of tlie Tsimslaian, better 
than Asagulyaan, for he was very old, and nevertheless he hit 
.Vsagulyaan's eye. Therefore all the i)eoj)le honor liim up to this 
day. Tins stoiy was kept by tlie Wolf Clan. 



boas] tsimshian myths 317 

53. The Pkince and Prince Wolf' 

In the time of oui* forefathers, animals would sometimes have a 
woman or a man for wife or husband. 

There was a great prince, the son of a great cliief, who had his 
home in the old town of Metlakalitla, and three young men were 
chosen to be his fi-iends. He had a beautiful wife, whom he loved 
very much. The prince was an expert himter. Almost every day 
throughout the year he went hunting with his tlu-ee friends. Some- 
times they would stay away a month and a half. Then he came 
home, and would stay two or three days in the village. Then he 
would go out again. He went all over the country and became rich. 
His father and his mother were very old, and his name spread all 
over the country, also all the animals knew the fame of his name. 
He would always go about hunting, and liis wife always wore new 
garments of marten skin and sea-otter sldn and skuis of other ani- 
mals. She had notliing to do or to eat ( ?) at home, but she wore nice 
clot! ling, and many princes were well pleased to see her, but she 
loved her husband most. All the princes tried in every way to seduce 
her; but they could not do so, for she was very proud and would not 
talk to any one. She always told her husband what the other princes 
said to her. She showed her husband a new garment that her 
mother-in-law had made for her. The prince loved her very much. 
Therefore she told him all she had in her heart. 

The young prince went out again, and he told Ids beloved wife 
how many days he would be away from home. Then he went. 
As soon as he had gone, liis wife took a walk with her girls around 
the lake behind the village to refresh herself; and while she was 
there with her maid, she said to her, "Go and pick cranberries for 
me! I wiU wait for you here." She had done so many times before. 

As soon as her maid had gone, a good-looking .young man came to 
her, and she smiled when she saw him. Then the 3'oung man smiled 
at "her also. He came to the place where she was sitting. Now the 
priacess was very much in love with him. Then the young man asked 
her, "May I sit by your side ?" — "Yes, do sit down near me!" She 
pointed to the place by her side, and the young man went up to her. 
Then she embraced him, and the j'oung man kissed her; and while 
they were there, the girl came back, her basket filled with cranberries. 
She saw her mistress embrace the good-looking j'oung man, and said 
to her, "Here are the cranberries!" Tlie princess rephed, "Just put 
them down there and go and get some more ! ' ' The maid went away ; 
and while she was gone, she lay with the young man. After a while 
the maid came back to her, and said, " I have fdled this basket t\\'ice. 
Let us go back before dark, lest some misfortune befall us!" 

' Notes, pp. 759, 858. 



318 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etit. ANN. 31 

Then they walked down with the young man. He wore a garment 
with cloven feet and an armoi- ^dth ears of wild animals. Before 
they arrived at the village, the young man embraced and kissed her 
twice, and she said, "Will you come to me tonight or some other 
time?" — "Yes," said the young man. "How long is your husband 
gomg to stay away?" — -"He wall stay away for a month." — "Then 
I will come every night." Xow they parted and went then- ways. 

The same night he came to her house, and he did so several nights. 
The princess ordered her maid not to toll any one, and her maid 
promised that she would not tell any one. 

Now the young prince was unlucky. He always missed when he 
shot, and he wanted to go back home. Therefore he went home; 
and before he reached the village he said to his tlu-ee friends, "Let 
us wait here until night comes, for we have no game!" So they 
camped at the end of the village, waiting until night came. About 
midnight they went secretly along the beach in front of his father's 
house. He said to his friends in the canoe, " I will go up to the 
house alone, and I will see what has happ"ened to my wife." So he 
went alone. He pushed the door-flap aside gently and went to the 
bed of his wife's maid. He woke her gently, and asked, " Did au}* one 
come to m}' wife while I was away ? Don't conceal it from me ! I will 
kill }'ou if you don't tell me the truth! Now tell me!" 

Then the maid said, "Yes, master! As soon as you left, my mis- 
tress called me to take a walk around the lake, as we used to do many 
times when j^ou were gone. I left my mistress and went to pick cran- 
berries. When I had filled my basket with berries, I went to the 
place where she was sitting, and I saw a young man, good-looking 
likt^ you, who emljraced her. She sent me to pick some more berries, 
and I went and filled another basket. Then when I came to her, I 
forced her to go home before dark. We went dowia, and before we 
went to our house the young man asked her to let him come the same 
night, and she agreed, and he has come ever}' night until now." 

Then the prince went back to his friends in his canoe. He told 
his thi-ee friends, and they Avent secretly mto the house to Ixis mas- 
ter's wife's bedroom, and killed the man who was l3'iug in his master's 
bed. They cut his head off, and in the morning they saw the garment 
of the one they had killed. It was covered Avith cleft feet of deer 
and cleft feet of mountain sheep, and his armor was covered with 
long ears of reindeer and long ears of red deer, and on his hat he had 
a wolf's tail. 

The prince kept the body of the young man, together with the 
head, in a box behind the house; and he took all the garments, the 
armor, and the hat for his crests. He was not angry with his wife, 
and still loved her, because he received these costly crests thi'ough 
her. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 319 

Then the old chief called all his wise men, and showed them these 
garments, the armor, and the hat. The wise men said, "The young 
man who has been killed is a prince of the Wolves;" and the wise 
men said, "Moreover, my dear prince, build a fort! Let all our 
young people build a strong fort, lest the cruel wolves come and 
devour our wives and children!" 

In the same night a cry was heard at one end of the village, "Oh, 
my child, my child, who ate the deer whole! Only give me your 
brother's adultery garment, that I need! Oh, my child, my child, 
who ate the deer whole! Onlv give me your brother's garment, that 
I need!" 

All the people in the village did not sleep that night, for they heard 
the mother of the man that had been killed cr3'ing through the vil- 
lage. Before daybreak she ceased her wail, and all the people of the 
village, 3'oung and old, went out to get logs, and before evening they 
came home bringing the logs. In the night the wail came again at 
the other end of the village. "Oh, my child, my child, who ate the 
deer whole! Only give me your brother's garment, that I need! 
Oh, my child, my child, who ate the deer whole! Only give me your 
brother's garment, that I need!" The mother of the slain one went 
around the vUlage throughout the night, wailing, "Oh, my child, my 
child, who ate the deer whole! Only give me j^our brother's adulteiy 
garment, that I need ! Oh, my child, my child, who ate the deer wliolc ! 
Only give me your brother's garment, that I need!" Before day- 
light she left. 

Then all the people of the village began to build a fort. They made 
a double waD around it. The women and children gathered stones 
in the fort, and they built a sidewalk over the top of the wall, and 
all the people moved into the fort. 

As soon as evening came, they heard wolves howhng in the woods 
behind the village, at one end of the village, and at the other end; 
and howhng of wolves was heard on the other side. Then they came 
from aU sides, nearer and nearer, and all the wolves stood around 
the double fort. Then the mother of Prince Wolf said, "Only give 
me your brother's garment of cleft feet, my dear, else we shall eat 
all of your people tonight!" 

The prince replied, " I wiU ]iot give you your son's garment, I 
wiU keep it myself!" and the mother said, "And where is my son's 
body? Give it to me!" The prince did not reply a word. She 
repeated, "Give me my son's body, or I will devour A'our people!" 

-\11 the wolves began to gnaw at the walls of the fort; and when 
the first wall almost fell, then the people went upon the wall and threw 
stones dow^^ at the wolves, and many were killed. 

On the foUowing morning all the wolves from every dhection 
assembled, and the outer wall fell, but the second wall remained. 



320 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. Ann. 31 

Again the Mother Wolf said, "(xiYe me my child's body!" The 
priace repUed, "No, I will not give it to you; I will keep it iu good 
order, because I made a mistake in killing him. Therefore I will 
keep his body, his cleft-foot garments, his long-oar armor, and his 
wolf- tail hat. I will keep them all and I will give a great feast; and 
I will take his name, because he is my l^rother." 

Then the Mother Wolf began to howl, and sang her own mourning- 
song. She sang the song of the cleft-foot garmcnvt, and the song of 
the long-ear armor, and the song of the wolf-tail hat. All the wolves 
were very quiet. 

After she had sung her song, she said, "You are mj' son. Today I 
will take you; and you shall take my brother's place, because he was 
a great prince among the animals, and all the animals of the wood 
honored him. They shall honor you also, and you shall have your 
brother's place; and when I die, my words shall be accomplished." 

Then all the wolves made a great noise, and they ran home howling. 

Now the great prince gave a feast. He mvited all the tribes that 
lived in the channel of Metlakahtla; and when all the guests were iu, 
the great prince had much property piled up. Then he came out 
from the inner room, wearing his brother's adultery garment of cleft, 
feet. He sang a song, and he went back into the inner room. Then 
he came out again wearmg the long-ear armor, and he put on his 
wolf-tail hat. Then they sang the armor song and the wolf-tail hat 
song; and after he had given away all his property to his guests, he 
took his new name, the name of the prince whom he had slain the 
other day. His name was Ate Tlie Wliole Deer. 

He was a very successful hunter in every way. The Wolf Mother 
always helped him when he was hunting. 

One time after he had given many feasts, his father and his old 
mother died, and the prince was lonely. In the evening the Wolf 
Mother came into his house, and said, "I have come to take you to 
my house for a while." Then the prince went with her; and when 
they arrived at her home, he saw many animals in the house. The 
Mother Wolf said to her attendant, "Go out and call all the wild 
animals! I will show them my adopted son." They went, and all 
the wild animals came in — panthers, grizzly bears, black bears, white 
bears, wolverenes, and many others; and when all the wild animals 
were in, she said to them, "I am glad that you have all come to my 
feast. I will show you my adopted son, who has taken my owi\ 
son's place. You shall honor hun, and you shall not hurt him, and 
I will give my brother my two daughters to be his wives." Then 
she fed her guests with all kmds of meat and all kinds of taUow, and 
she gave them all kinds of fresh salmon to eat, and so on. 

The prmce loved the two ghls who had become his wives, and the 
two girls loved him. He had not been there many days before the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 321 

Mother Wolf died; and he was verj- sorry, for he was aloiie among the 
animals. He always went himting with his two wives, and obtained 
all kmds of animals, and his two wives were very strong. If he 
missed a shot, his two wives would run after the animal that he had 
missed and catch it. Therefore he was a great hunter, greater than 
the beasts of prey. Often he would give a great feast to the wild 
animals. 

Many years had gone by, and he was thmking of his own home. 
Therefore one day he said to his two wives, "I must go do\\^l and 
visit my home." His two wives went with him. Before they 
reached the village he said to his wives, "Stay here for a while, until 
I coine back to take you down!" Then he went to the village alone; 
and when he arrived there, he went to his father's house. He 
entered, and the people did not know him, for he was very hairy. 
He sat do'wn at the end of the large fire, at the side toward the door. 

A great chief was sitting at the head of the large fii-e, with his 
wife. He said to his yotmg men, "Ask the man there where he 
comes from." Then the two j'oung men went to him and asked 
where he came from. He replied that he was the son of the great 
chief of that house. Therefore the new chief ordered him to come 
and sit with him at the head of the fire. He arose and sat down at 
the right-hand side of his cousm the new chief. Then the new chief 
sent his slaves throughout the village and called all the people. He 
embraced his cousin and wept with him; and when all the people 
were in, he said to them, old and young, "This is my cousin whom 
we lost many years ago and whom we thought to be dead, but he is 
still alive, so let us have a good time with hmi tonight!" 

He said to his old people, "I will dance for my cousin the great 
prince." Then all the people had a gi-eat celebration. 

The prince told the chief his cousin that his two wives were stayhig 
far behind the village. He said, "I will go up and bring them down." 
Then he went -with his other two younger cousins, and he took them 
down to the house. They were sitting dowai at their husband's 
sides, and they were given all kinds of food to eat. Then the new 
chit^f gave each of them a costly garment. He gave the prince a 
dancing-garment, a marten garment, and to the wife who was sitting 
on his right side a sea-otter garment, and to the one who was Sittmg 
on hij left side a marten garment. Then they were all happy. 

Every mornmg, while the people were still asleep, the two wives 
would be awakened by the smell of something. Then they wakened 
their husband and told him that they smelled some annuals near the 
village. They caught them and brought them home, and he invited 
the people almost every day to give them fresh meat. 

His cousin the new chief loved him very much, and all the people 
of the village loved hmi. One daj- he and his two wives went to 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 21 



322 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

bring all theii' goods dowii to the new chief's house. They were 
going to have their home there. The young wives of the great prince 
had each two chUdren at a time. He had many children. The 
elder wife gave birth to six pairs of twins, and the other wife gave 
birth to thj'ee pairs of twins, so that he had eighteen children in all. 
They were skillful hunters, the girls also. 

Now the time for his end came, and he called all his children, and 
said to them, "If you return to your own home, do not hurt my 
people when you see them on the mountains; and if you marry some 
of these people, do not go back home!" The children promised that 
they would not return to theb own home; and the prince's days 
came to an end and he died. 

His eldest son was married to one of the daughters of another 
chief, and the rest of his children all married. The girls also married 
some of the prhices. Only two of the children returned to their own 
home. Therefore the wolves are afraid of human beings up to this 
day. 

54. The Ghost Who Fought with the Great Shaman' 

In olden times many different tilings happened among the people. 
Some were good and others bad, and some were funny. And so it is 
with this story of the ghost and the great shaman. 

In a village on Nass River there was a chief who had an only son. 
When the boy had growai up to be a youth, ho had four friends who 
were of the same age as he. It was the custom of princes to choose 
some good and wise young men to be his friends; and so it was with 
this prince. Every day they went into the woods and built a small 
hut, to which they used to go every day. The prince pretended to 
be a shaman, and his four friends were his singers. Tiiey made a 
skm drum, and had a board on which to beat time; and so they went 
to their hut day by day. Then- parents did not know what they were 
domg. Soon after they had had their breakfast in the morning, they 
went to their little hut, and played there all day until evening. At 
dusk they came home. They did this day by day and month by 
month and year by year. 

Fmally, when the prince was full grown, one day they went in 
another direction to hunt squirrels. Before evening they came 
home; and before they reached there, they passed by the gravej'ard 
a little behind the village, on the bank of a brook b.ehind the town; 
and as they were passing by, they saw one of the coffins open. 

The young prince said, "Shall I go into that open coffin there?" 
His friends asked him to desist; but he did not pay any attention to 
what they said, and jumped into the open coffin. He lay do-«Ti in 
it; and as soon as he lay down there, he was dead. Then his four 
friends were very sorry. They stood around the coffin, weeping. 

1 Notes, p. 859. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 323 

Before dark one of the young men went home, and three staid 
there. Alter a while another of the young men went home, and two 
staid there. .Vfter a while stiU another one went home, and one, 
who loved the prince most, still remained. 

When it was very dark, this young man feared that the ghosts 
would come and take him. Therefore he ran down to his house; 
and aU the young men, as soon as they reached their home, forgot 
what had happened to them and to their prince in the gravej^ard. 

Late at night the chief, the father of the prince, and his ^vnfe, 
inquired for their only son. Then the prince's friends remembered 
what had happened as they were passing the gi'aveyard, and how the 
prince had insisted on lying do^vn in the open coffin. 

Therefore the chief ordered his great tribe to light their torches 
and to go to the graveyard on the same night. Therefore all the 
people lighted their torches of pitch wood and maple bark and torches 
made of olachen. Tliey set out for the graveyard, and found the 
body of the prince Ijnng in the open coffin. They took it away and 
earned it down to the chief's house. There were many people. They 
placed him on a wide board in front of the large fire in his father's 
house. 

The prince's heart was stiU beatuig. Therefore his father asked 
all the shamans from the other tribes to come. He told them what 
had happened to his son ; and he said that he wanted to have his only 
son come back to life, and that therefore he had called them all. 
Thus said the chief, and promised them a rich reward if they could 
restore his son to life. 

So the}" began to dance. Each of the shamans put his charms on 
the dead prmce; and finally, when the various charms had been put 
on him, he came back to life. The shamans had been working over 
him for four days and four nights. Then each received his reward, 
as the chief had promised before. 

Now the prince had become a great shaman, because he was filled 
with the charms of the different shamans, and because he had pre- 
tended to be a shaman ever since his boyhood; and his four friends 
were his attendants, and always went before him. 

After a short time one of his father's people died — the head man 
of his father's tribe. Then the prince said to his father, "I will go 
and restore him to life." The father said, "My son, can you do 
that?" 

The prince put all the carved bones around his neck. He put on his 
crown of grizzly-bear claws and put on his dancing-apron, took his 
rattle in his right hand and the white eagle tail in his left. He black- 
ened his face with charcoal, and strewed eagle down on his head. 
Then he went mth his four attendants, and went to the house where 
the dead one was. AU the people of the village came to the house. 



324 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

In the evening the prince began his shaman's songs, and his attend- 
ants' songs followed. After the first song, he stood at the end of 
the large fire, and said, "This man's soul is now in the village of the 
Ghosts, and my supernatural h(^lper says that I shall take liis soul 
back again to his body from the village of the Ghosts. Bring me a new 
cedar-bark mat, and let all the people in this house beat time on a 
plank, and thus help my attendants, and let them sing as loud as they 
can imtil I come back!" Then aU the people did as he had wanted 
them to. 

Tiien he put on the now cedar-bark mat and started in the dark of 
the night. Everybody in the house was singing. Thej^ beat the 
skin drum and beat the boards mth sticks. Now the shaman prince 
went to the graveyard; and when he had arrived there, he saw a 
quiet river, and the viUage of the Ghosts on the other side. There 
was a narrow bridge across tlio rivei'. He went across, and ran as 
fast as he could, his supernatural power leading him toward the 
chief of the Ghosts. 

The shaman entered the chief Ghost's house, and there he saw the 
soul of the dead man sitting in the rear of the house. The chief of 
the Ghosts was sittuig by his side, and all the Ghosts were assembled 
in the house to see the newcomer. The shaman went right ui, and 
saw the soul of the one who had just died sitting there. Then the 
shaman prince took him bj' the shoulders, and said, "I wall take you 
back to your body;" and he went out of the house of the chief of the 
Ghosts. 

The prince came back to the house in which the dead body was 
while all the people were singing. He entered, and said that he had 
taken the soul of the dead man and brought it back again. He kept his 
left hand closed, and rattled with the rattle which he held in liis right 
hand. He went around the fire four times, following the course of 
the sun. Then he went toward the body of the dead man, and jiut 
the soul of the dead body into it. As soon as the soul went into the 
body, the one who had been dead sat up. He had come back to life. 

Then all the people were astonished to see what the shaman prince 
had done. Tlio news of the prince's success soon spread over the 
whole country. After some time another relative of his father died 
while the shaman prince was absent. When the prmce came home, 
he saw that his father grieved. He asked him, ""What makes 3'ou 
so sorrowful, father?" and they informed him that one of his father's 
nieces had died three days before. 

So the prince ordered his people to assemble; and when all the 
people were in, the shaman prince went, as he had done before, and 
brought back the soul of his cousm from the town of the Ghosts. 
Then all the A'iUagers round about spread the fame of the shaman 
prince, and of his ability to bring back the souls of dead people from 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 325 

the town of the Ghosts. "When any one died in some other ^-illage, 
they sent for him, and offered him great reward if he should bring 
back the souls of tlie dead. 

He did this for a long tune, and no one was dying in all the villages, 
because the great shaman was among the people. Therefore all the 
Ghost-town people hated the shaman prince, because no souls of the 
dead came to the Ghost town. Therefore their hatred of the prince 
increased greatly. 

Therefore they assembled and held a council, and determined to 
try to kUl the prince. They all agreed to cut off the ends of the 
bridge when the shaman prince should come again to get the soul of a 
dead one. As soon as the council of the Ghosts ended, they went and 
took the soul of a man. Two days later the man died. The shaman 
prince, however, knew that the Ghosts had held a council against 
him. His chief supernatural power had told him so; and his super- 
natural power had said to him, ''Go and bring back the souls of your 
people. If you are afraid of the Ghosts' council, you shall surely 
die; but if you do as I order you, I will protect and guard you; but 
remember, if you disobey mv orders, a dreadful punishment awaits 
you." 

Then the shaman pi-ince assembled all his people, and ordered them 
to wait until he should come back, and to sing all his songs while he 
was away. Then all liis people kept on smging. 

Xow the shaman prince wont on his waj- until he arrived by the bank 
of the river that runs in front of the Ghosts' town. He went to the 
bridge, and his supernatural power carried him across. He went 
to the house of the chief of the Ghosts, who takes the souls of the dead 
first. All the souls of the dead go first to the house of this great chief. 
Therefore the shaman prince went right to it. He went in and 
snatched the soul of the dead one from the cold hands of the cruel 
Ghosts. Then he ran out quickly, and the Ghosts pursued him over 
the bridge. 

He had almost arrived at this end of the bridge that had been cut 
by tile Ghosts, when both his feet went dovm into the water of the 
river, but his body fell on the dry land. He arose again, and ran 
dowm as fast as he could; but before he reached his father's house, 
he feU down and began to groan. 

Now, the people in the house heard him groaning. They took 
then- torches, and, behold! tlie shaman prince was lying there. They 
took him in and placed him on a wide plank m front of the fire. 

Then his supernatural power came to him. The people in the 
house saw that part of his foot was badly scorched, and the hearts of 
all the people who were in the house failed them. As far as the water 
had reached on both of liis feet \vhen he fell at the end of the bridge 
uf the Ghosts, his flesh was burned and scorched. The river was the 



326 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Boiling-Oil River. No one gets out of it who drops into it. T\\e 
shaman had falloii into it. 

Ilis supernatural power said to him, "Ai-ise, and run around the 
fire, following the course of the sun, four times. Then you will soon 
get better." His feet were ver\' sore, but he tried to do what his 
supernatural power had told him. He ran around the fire once, and 
twice, and tliree times, and four times, and his feet were healed. 
Now, when hLs feet were healed from iheu- burns, he had more power 
than before. 

He went often into the Ghost town and brought back the souls of 
the dead; and although men or women had been dead two, three, or 
four days, still the shaman pruice went to the Ghost town and ])rought 
their souls back. 

Then the Ghosts hated him very much. They held another 
council, and wished to kill the shaman prince; yet they had no power, 
because the prince's supernatural helper told him what the Ghosts 
had planned m then- council. The Ghost town became smaller 
and smaller, because not one soul of a dead person was commg into 
the town, for the shaman prince was always commg to the town, 
and often din-mg the day some Ghost fell and dropped into the 
burning river; and he died there, which is the second death, ami he 
became a fisher; and everj^ old Ghost dropped from the bridge and 
became a salmon. 

The chief of the Ghosts hated the shaman prince very much. Now 
they held another council to entrap him, and they decided to let 
their chief pretend to be sick and to call the shaman prince. They 
all agreed to this. 

The following night two tall men came to the house of the chief, 
stood in the door, and called the shaman prince to discover what 
aUed the chief of the Ghosts. The prmce told the two messengers 
that he would go to examme him the following night. The two 
messengers went; and the shaman mvited all the people of his father's 
tribe into his house, and told them that the Ghosts were ready to 
fight with them. He said, "I shall go to see their chief, who pre- 
tends to be sick because they want to kiU me. Therefore be you 
also ready for the battle against them tomorrow night. Let the 
people m eveiy house gather urine mixed with poison, and nasty 
things mixed in, everythmg that is bad; and as soon as the evenmg 
comes, stand firm and tlu^ow the fluid behind your house, so that 
the Ghosts can not come down to take you away. Some of them 
will be killed by your mixture." Thus said the shaman prince to his 
people. 

Then all the people did what he had said; and when they had pre- 
pared the mixture on the following evenmg, the shaman was ready. 
He went to the Ghosts' town, into the house of the chief. Then he 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 327 

saw the great chief lying down in front of his large fire. He was 
groaning when he saw the shaman prmce coming to his house. 
Now the prince sat down at the foot of his bed, looking into the eyes 
of the chief who pretended to be sick. The chief ordered his attend- 
ants to bring forward his box, and so his attendants brought up the 
box containing his rattles. 

Now we will go back to the people of the village. As soon as the 
priuce left them, following the invitation of the Ghosts, all the 
Ghosts went down to the prince's people and shot them with their 
arrows, and all the men of the village threw the fluid behind theu' 
houses. Then the Ghosts could not come right down to shoot them, 
because Gljosts are afraid of uruie mixed with poison. The arrows 
of the Ghosts were dried nettles. 

The prince, who was m the house of the chief of the Ghosts, opened 
the box of rattles which they had given to him. lie took out the first 
rattle, which was a skuU, and the handle was a backbone. Next he 
took out the dancing-apron, which was set with bones of a skeleton, 
which hung all round the bottom like fringe. Tliii'd, he took out 
the crown, which was made of dead men's ribs. 

Now the prince took the dancing-apron; but before he put it on, 
he blew water from his mouth into the hollow of his right hand and 
rubbed it on his loins, then he put it on;- and before he put on the 
crown of dead men's ribs, he blew water into the hollow of his right 
hand and rubbed it around his forehead. Then he put on the crown 
of ribs. Agam, Vjefore he took the skull rattle he blew water from 
his mouth into the hoUow of his right hand and rubbed it over his 
arms. Now he was ready for work. 

He heai'd a noise outside the house. The people were saying, 
"All our arrows have failed ! They have all come back to us ! " Now 
the prince started; and his supernatural power said to him, "Run 
four times around the chief who pretends to be sick!" The shaman 
prince did what the supernatural power said to him. After he had 
run about fom* times, his supernatural power said to him, "Now 
kick the gi'ound at the head of the chief who pretends to be sick!" 
He did what his supernatural power had told hun; and as soon as he 
kicked the ground, he jmnped another way. At once the earth 
opened and swallowed up the chief of the Ghosts. Tlie earth swal- 
lowed him up, and this was his second death. The supernatm-al 
powers of the prmce took him and dropped him into the burning 
river which runs in front of the Ghost town. Then the shaman 
prince walked down safely to his own village. 

Now he had still more power than he had l)cfore. He had double 
what he had before. 

(It was kno\vn among the people in those da^s that dead men were 
very dangerous to shamans.) 



328 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Now his fame spread all over the country, and all his companions 
staid wth him wherever he went. He became very rich, for all 
the sick people whom he healed paid him. Every year he went 
ai'ound from place to place. 

Once he came into a village, and saw a crowd of people standing 
on the beach weeping, and ever3'ljody looking very sad. He inquired 
of some one who stood near by, and the young man told him that 
one of the princesses was drowned in a river. Then the shaman 
prince said, "If you will bring the body to me, I will cure her." 

This happened in the fall, when the river was flooded. This was 
the time when the young princess was drowned. They searched for 
her body, but in vain, and tlie father and mother whose only daughter 
she had been were very sad. They searched all the year round until 
the next spring, when they found the girl's skeleton caught by a 
branch at the l)ank of the river. The people took the bones up to the 
house of her father. 

Now the chief who had lost his only daughter sent for tlie shaman 
prince to cure her who had been drowned the precedmg fall. There- 
fore the shaman prince went there. He wore all the things that he 
had taken from the house of the Ghost chief. As soon as he came 
in, he saw a skeleton laid out on a mat. All his companions sat dowai, 
ready to sing. Then the shaman prince started a song; and while they 
were singuig, the shaman prince's supernatural power said to him, 
"Sprinkle ashes over the skeleton four times, and it shall be trans- 
formed into flesh. After that take your eagle tail and fan her, then 
she shall come back to life." 

The shaman prince did what his supernatural power told him. 
While the song was proceeding, the shaman went to the fire and 
sprinkled the hot ashes over the skeleton of the princess. Then all 
the dust stuck to the bones and gathered on the skeleton. He did 
so four times, as his supernatural power had told him. Then the 
bare bones were covered with flesh and skin, but there was no life 
in her. Therefore he took his eagle tail and fanned the body. Then 
she came back to life, and all the people were surprised to see her; 
and the chief, the father of the girl, paid him much property — slaves, 
costly coppers, canoes, and all kinds of goods. 

When all his fellow-shamans perceived that lie was greater than 
all the others, they held a secret council, intending to entrap him; 
for he was a great power, and able to cure any kind of disease and to 
revive the dead. Therefore his fellow-shamans agreed to invite him. 

On the following day they assembled in one of the shaman's houses 
and called the shaman prince. They were trying to kill him there. 
One of his supernatural powers was helping him, and warned him. 
He went across the river and entered the house of liis enemies and 
sat down. When the food was ready, his supernatural power spoke 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 329 

to him, and said, "This is dried human flesh, nevertheless eat it." 
At midnight he felt sick. Then ho called all his relatives, and said 
to them, "My relatives, I am going to die. After I have been dead 
for a year, I shall come back to life, provided one of you will come 
and stand imder ray cofRii to catch me. If you should fail to do so, 
and if you should be afraid of me, none of you shall be left. Now, 
who will volunteer?" 

Then all his relatives were speechless. Finally one of his nephews 
replied, "I will catch you." Thus said his nephew at the end of the 
shaman prince's speech. 

He asked for his dancing-apron, and his crown, and his rattle, 
wliich he had taken from the house of the Ghost chief. He ran around 
the fire four times, following the course of the sun. At the end of 
the fourth time he asked for a coffin. They brought to him the square 
box. Then he went into it and died, wearing his apron, his crown, 
and rattle, which he had taken from the house of the Ghost chief. 

Now they placed the box on the branch of a largo tree just behind 
the house. His companions watched the coffin night after night. 
At the end of one year those who w^ere watching the coffin heard a 
great noise there. Then all the relatives of the shaman prince 
remembered the prince's last words before he died. Therefore they 
assembled under the coffin. It was open, and they saw the shaman 
prince in the form of a queer-looking ugly owl. They all fell to the 
groimd hke dead, for they were much afraid. One of liis com- 
panions, who had always been with him from the time when he first 
became a shaman, tried to catch liim, but the owl refused to let him 
do so. 

When all his relatives had recovered, his nephew tried to catch him, 
as he had promised to do before his imcle's death. He went toward 
the large tree; but when he looked up, he fell back, being afraid. 

When the queer-looking ugly owl saw his nephew fall to the ground, 
and when he perceived that all his relatives were afraid of him, he 
spoke to them: "Not one of you wall be left, nor one of the shamans 
that killod me. I shall take you all to the village of the Ghosts, and 
also all the shamans that killed me. I will make them my slaves in 
my house in the Ghost town, for the Ghosts took me to be their chief 
in their town. Only my companions who have always been with me 
wherever I went while I was among them, and who desired to catch 
mewliilel was sitting here, they shall succeed to all my supernatural 
powers. I will help them and look after them right along." 

After he had spoken these words, the queer-looking ugly owl 
suddenly fell back into the box, and the cover of the box replaced 
itself. 



330 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ETH. an-n. 31 

On. the following morning the people of the village went back to 
the burial-place, and a strong young mail climbed the tree. When 
he came to the coffin, he opened the box, and there was nothing in it; 
only the box was full of eagle down. After a while the enemies of 
the shaman prince died one at a time, and his own relatives also died 
one bj' one in the same way. Then the shaman prince had come to 
be a chief in the Ghost town. He was the head chief there; and while 
he was there, all the souls of the shamans who had tried to kill him 
came to tlie Ghost town. He punished them in the burning I'iver 
that flows in front of the Ghost town. He cast their souls into it, 
and they died a second death. The second death of Ghosts is their 
transfer into cohoes salmon. 

Then the chief of the Ghosts guarded all his people, and all the 
souls of his relatives; but his four companions who had alwaj's been 
with him while ho was alive among men became shamans in his place. 
They always went to the town of the Ghost chief, and they often 
talked to him, and the Ghost chief helped them whenever they 
wanted the souls of some one who had died or some beloved one; 
and the Ghost chief ordained that if a person had been dead for 
four days, then the shamans should have no power to put the soul 
Imck into the body. So these four shamans did what the Ghost chief 
told them to do, and the four shamans told the people what they had 
been told. 

Then the people imderstood it, and the four men worked among 
the people as the Ghost chief wanted them to do. They worked 
many years. 

Once upon a time these four shamans went to the house of a great 
chief whose yoimg, beautiful son had died, and the whole tribe were 
mourning over the dead prmce. After four days they invited these 
four shamans in to brmg the soul of his dead son back. When the 
four shamans came into the house where the dead boy lay, they saw 
his beautiful body. They also saw how sad the parents were, and 
they told them that they would soon bring back the soul of the 
dead boy. 

However, the four days had passed. They went to the graveyard, 
as they were accustomed to do, and came to the Ghost town. The 
Ghosts met them on the way and smeUed of them. They said, "You 
have a very bad smell." They went to the chief's house. The 
chief was very angry with them because they had broken his orders. 
Therefore he said, "You shall not return to your people; you shall 
stay with me, for you have broken my order." Therefore the four 
sorcei'ers never came back again. They also stay in the Ghost town. 
Then- bodies were found m tlie graveyard, and the people took them 
down and buried them. That is the end. 



bois] tsimshian myths 331 

55. Great Shaman ^ 

In olden times there were in this country a great many shamans 
who were Uke supernatural beings among the people, and who, 
tlirough their magic, worked wonders among them. Everybody was 
afraid of their supernatural powers. They could heal the sick and 
punish those who did not believe in them. They would help those 
who paid them much, and kill those who were agaiast tliem. 

Now, there were three men in one tribe. They lived at K-lax-g*ils 
River, on the south side of the Skeena River. Tliey talked day by 
day of the power of the shamans and how they obtained their power 

One of these men said to his friends, "I heard of a deep pit down 
on this side of Skeena River, where some people went down and 
obtained then- power from the supernatural bemg in the hole." 
Therefore they all decided one day to go down and see the pit. 

One day they took a canoe, and the tliree went aboard. They 
started from K-lax-g"iIs by canoe, and before dark they reached the 
deep pit. There they waited until the following day, and in the night 
they offered food to the supernatural being in the pit. Early the 
followuig day they all went up to where the great pit was. When 
they arrived there, they found a deep pit at the foot of a steep rock 
in a cave. They called the cave Cave Of Fear. Nobody except 
great shamans can enter it. 

Now, these men did not know what to do. Therefore one of them 
said, "Let us take a cedar-bark rope, and we will climb down!" 
So they took a long cedar-bark Ime. They tied one man to the end 
of it, knd two let him down gently. As they were letting him down, 
and when he was halfway down, the man who was tied to the end 
of the line shouted, "Haul me up again, haul me up again, lest I die!" 

The two men who were standing at the mouth of the pit pulled as 
hard as they could ; and when the man came up agam, his body was 
red from the stings of uisects, and he told them that when he was 
halfway down the pit a great swarm of insects came and stung liim. 

Then the second man tied a rope around his body, and they let 
him down the pit. Wlien he was halfway down, the swarm of 
buzzmg insects attacked him. They stung his body so that he cried 
out louder and louder, and those who were standuig at the mouth 
of the pit hauled hun up again; and when he reached the surface, 
behold! his body was bleedmg. 

Then the thu-d man, the steersman of the canoe, tied the end of 
the cedar-bark Ime around his body. They let hmi down gently, 
and he went right down to the bottom of the dark pit. He did not 
feel the stings of the insects. There was thick darkness down below, 
and he groped along the bottom. The lino was still tied to his 

1 Notes, p. 859. 



332 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. Ann. 31 

body. While he was groping about there, he heard a noise Uke the 
rolling of thunder in the bottom of the great pit. It i-esounded 
again and again. Then a great door opened on the east side of the 
bottom of the pit, and, behold! a hairy young man stood there, who 
inquired of him why he had come to the pit. The man rei)Iied that 
he had come because they were in need of a great shaman. So the 
hairy man invited him in. The door which had opened looked like 
the sun shining tiu-ough a window. The steersman went in there. 
Inside there were not many people, only a great chief sitting in front 
of a large fire. He wore his crown of grizzly-bear claws fdled with 
eagle down. Two live rattles were on the ground on each side, and 
he wore his dancing-apron. 

When the man came into the house, the chief did not look at liim. 
The man went in and sat down by the side of the great Ihe. No one 
spoke to him. After a while another door opened on the east side 
of the house, and a young shaman came in with his crown of grizzly- 
bear claws on his head, his a{)ron tied around his waist, and a rattle 
in his right hand, an eagle tail in his left. Then the boards for 
beating time ran in tlu'ougli the door like serpents, and each laid 
itself on one side of the large fire. Then weasel batons ran along 
behind the boards. 

The young shaman began to sing his owm song; and as he shook 
his rattle, the weasel batons began to beat of themselves, and a skin 
drum ran ahead and beat of itself. Then a great many diamans came 
out, and each took his own supernatural power out of his mouth, 
and put it into the mouth of the visitor. When they had all done 
so, the great chief who had been sitting by the fire stood up and 
stepped up to the man, \nxt his hands on him, and rubl)ed his eyes 
four times. Then he went back to his place and sat down, and all 
the shamans were gone. The man did not see where they had gone 
to, but they all vanished from his sight. 

Suddenly he was again in complete darkness, and he felt that the 
line was still tied around his body. He shook it, and shouted, and 
they pulled him up. Then the men went back to their own town; and 
when they had gone halfway, the man in the bow of the canoe fell 
back ui a famt, but the two others poled up the river. Before they 
arrived at home, the man in the middle of the canoe fell back in a 
faint, and the man in the stern poled the canoe up to their home. 

The two men who had fainted vomited blood as a sign that they 
had obtained supernatural power, and they became shamans. 
Only one of them had not obtained supernatural power, and no dream 
had come to Mm. He was still waiting. After a long while these 
two men went about and healed the sick. 

Now, at the end of the summer the supernatural powers took the 
man away from home. Nobody knew where he had gone. At the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 333 

end of four days he was found lying on tho floor of his house, and 
around him terrible wliistling was heard. No one went near him. 
He was alone in his house singing and ready to work. 

Therefore lie called all the people into liis house, and he told them 
how he had entered the house of the supernatural power in the pit; 
and he said, "They have given me great powers to do what nobody 
else can do. I will bring back to hfe the dead." The supernatural 
power had given him the name Only One. 

He did wonderful work among the ])eo])le, liealing them, reviving 
the dead; and his fame spread through all the villages round about, 
and many sick people were anxious to see him. 

Otlier shamans tried to kill him with their jjowers, but he destroyed 
them all; and not many people died in his time, because the diseases 
were afraid of him. Every day he was caUed into another village by 
rich and poor, and he came to be very wealthy. Some shamans, 
however, were jealous of him because his supernatural power was 
stronger than theirs, so they sought how they might kill him. He 
did aU his duty among the sick people, and those who were sick loved 
him. 

One day a canoe came in front of his house. It was sent by a 
chief in another village to call him, for the chief's son was very sick. 
Only One's supernatural power told him that the prince was not sick, 
but that they wanted to kill him and his supernatural power. Then 
the great shaman called all his attendants. They took a large 
canoe and went down the river; and when they arrived, all the people 
of the village went into the chief's house. Only One had on his crown 
of grizzly-bear claws and his apron; he had his Uve rattle in his right 
hand and the white eagle tail in his left. He put around liis neck 
the ring set with bones representing various kinds of animals. He 
went up to the house with his attendants; and as soon as he came 
in, he stood over the sick one, and asked him, " How long have you 
been sick?" He rephed, "Not many days." — "You pretended to 
be sick. Therefore from this time on you shall never be well again 
your whole life long. " The chief ordered his attendants to give them 
to eat. Therefore they spread the mats on one side of the large fire, 
and they served them mth food. Then the chief ordered his attend- 
ants to bring water. They were to bring water from an old rotten 
canoe. The young men went; and before they came in, Only One's 
supernatural power told him that they were bringing water mixed 
with urine. Wlien the young men came in, the chief asked them 
to give water to the shaman first. They did as they were ordered; 
and when the shaman took up the bucket, he stood up and said to 
the young man who brought it to him, " Drink this water yourself or 
you will die right here. Go and drink your own urine!" Then this 



334 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGV [eth. anx. HI 

young man was very much ashamed, and he died right there. Then 
the shaman went back to liis home by canoe. 

They were not very far from the village they had left when Only 
One said, " I will take that spring of water with me to my own house. " 
So they went ashore to where the spring of water was — the spring 
of the rotten old canoe. He carried it in his grizzly-boar garment. 
He went down to his canoe, and the spring was dried up. He took it 
along up river. Before they arrived at their own town, they camped. 
He went up and opened his grizzly-bear garment and put the new 
spring there. It is still there. 

Not many days passed before a large canoe came from another 
village, from G'it-qxa'la. They were sent by another shaman wlio was 
very sick. Only One went there with his attendants ; and when they 
arrived, the Git-qxa'la men tried to kill liim; but they could not do 
it, for Only One's supernatural power foretold liim what they were 
going to do to him. When they had gone up to the house of the sha- 
man who said that he was iU, he entered, and saw a man who was 
very sick. The sick person was very tliin. He was almost only bones. 
Then Only One knew what made him sick, for one of his supernatural 
powers had been placed in the bone of a coq^se. Only One took it 
out from there, and the sick man's supernatural power recovered, 
and the sick shaman also revived. Therefore the sick shaman paid 
him well. 

Before Only One left the village, the cannibal dancer invited Irim 
and all liis attendants, and they cooked seal for them. They cut up 
the seal skin and blubber in a long line from the foot to the head 
of the seal, and they cooked it ; and tlu-ee cannibals took care of one 
box in wliich the seal was being cooked, but the box of which the 
three men took care contained the meat of dead people. They 
thought that when the great shaman should eat flesh of the dead 
people, he would also die, and all Ms supernatural j^ower would flee 
from him. Before they brought the boiled seal to them. Only One's 
supernatural power came to him and told him that they were ready 
to give liim the flesh of dead people. He said, " You shall eat it, and 
I will help you and take it out of your left side; and after you have 
eaten it, give each of them a ])iece." 

Now they were ready. The three great men took a long j)ointed 
staff, and each had a piece of meat at the end of the staff. They 
placed this before Only One, and the great shaman opened liis 
mouth and swallowed a piece at a time; and after he had eaten the 
three pieces, he stood uj> quickly, opened his left side, and rubbed it, 
and the end of the ])iece of meat of a corpse which he had eaten came 
out. He took the end and ])ullcd it out. Then he went to the three 
men who had each given him a piece. He stood before the first one. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 335 

and said, " Now, great shaman, open your mouth and eat this !" The 
man opened his mouth and ate slowly. Only One pulled out the 
other piece and gave to the second man, saying, "Now, great shaman, 
eat tliis !" Then he pulled out the last piece and gave to the last one, 
and he said, "Now, great shaman, open your mouth and eat this meat 
of a corpse!" and after he had done so, the tliroo men died right there. 
Then all the jieople were afraid of him. 

Only One's fame was spread over all the villages. Many years 
passed, and he was always wandering about doing liis work. One 
winter while he was seated in his house, one of his supernatural 
powers came to him and foretold that three messengers would come 
in the evening from another chief, Bagus,' whose son had been sick 
for a long time. "There is not a shaman who can cure lum. You 
shall go with them, and I shall be ^vith you and help you, but do not 
leave your chamber-vessel. Take it along when you go ; and as often 
as you feel that you are almost unconscious, take some of the urine 
in your mouth and blow it into the air above your head, until you 
arrive in the house of the cliief Bagus." 

Late in the evening the great shaman called all his nephews, and asked 
them, "'Who will go with me tonight when the messengers come to 
take me away from here?" One of the young men said, "I will go 
with you, uncle." When all the people of the village were asleep, 
about midnight, the messengers came in. Only One awoke when they 
came. They called him, and he went down with them. Only One saw 
a new canoe on the beach. The}' all went aboard, and Only One was 
ready. He wore his crown of gi-izzly-bear claws, and he held his live 
rattle in his right hand, and his root-basket chamber-vessel in his 
left. He also wore his apron. Then the thi-ee messengers said, "Lie 
down in the canoe ! " but he did not do so, because his supernatural power 
told him to keep awake, lest he die, because these messengers were 
dangerous anunals. Before daylight they reached the front of Chief 
Bagus's town. While they were on then- way, and before they reached 
the town. Only One felt that he was losing consciousness. Then he 
took the urine out of the basket and blew it into the air, as his super- 
natural power had ordered liim, and his heart became strong agam; 
but the three men put then- hands to then- noses because they could 
not endure the smell. Twice these three men tried to make Only One 
unconscious, but on account of the smell they were in great fear of him. 
They were afraid they would die before the}' reached home. As soon 
as the canoe touched the shore, the shaman jumped ashore and walked 
up to the house of Chief Bagus, led by the three messengers. He 
entered there, and the sick prince of Bagus lay there; and an old shaman 
was seated by the foot of the prmce, holdmg his rattle in his hand. 

* Kwakiutl, BekIus ("man of the woods"), a being supposed to take away hunters (see p. 476). 



336 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

Only One stood by the sick prince's head, and he saw an arrow 
right between his ribs. Cliief Bagus, sitting in the rear of his house, 
said to hun, "My dear Only One, I ask you to cure my sick son." 
Only One went toward the sick person, took the end of the broken 
arrow, and pulled it out, and he rubbed the wounded side of the 
prince Bagus, and the prince was cured and arose. 

The great chief was glad to see that his son was cured. Only One 
wanted to go back home in the evening, and the chief promised to 
send liun home in the night. Only One went to the old shaman and 
asked him how long he had been in there. He told liim that Chief 
Bagus had invited him when he was young, but that now he was very 
old, and that also part of his body had become stone, and that 
therefore he could not go back home. He told him that many 
shamans had tried to heal the prince, and that they had all failed, 
and that the chief had tin-own them into a lake of blood, and that 
they were still there. 

In the evening Only One went out with the Prince of Bagus; and 
the prince caught one child that was playing outside, and gave it to 
Only One to be his supernatural power. So he took it, and placed 
it in his long hah-. He went down to the beach and boarded the same 
new canoe, and the same thi'ee men paddled away toward his home. 
As soon as the canoe touched the shore, the sun rose, and the canoe 
and the three men who took him home were transformed into a log of 
drKtwood. Only One lived many years after tliis; and it is said that 
he never died, but that he was taken by the supernatural powers into 
then- home in the deep pit. 

56. Story of the Ghost' 

Long ago there were many people in the various villages among the 
Indians. A large village of tlu-ee rows was situated on G'its lEmga'lon 
River, and a great many people were in that viUage, who shouted 
when the geese were flying over the village. When they shouted, 
the geese would fall down to the gi-ound and die. They were very 
healthy, and had a gi'eat chief and cliieftainess, who had an only 
son, whom they loved much, and all the people of the village loved 
him much. The prmce was called Brown Eagle. The only kind of 
food he ate was sahnon-dip ( ?), and everybody m the village knew that 
he only ate salmon-dip; therefore in summer everybody cut out the 
sahnon-dips and sent them to the chief's son. They did this for 
many years, and everybody loved him tenderly. 

It came to pass, when this prince had grown up to be a young man, 
that he became sick. He was very ill, and it was not many days 
before he died. Then all the people mourned for liim. His father 

' Notes, p. S60. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 337 

and mother mourned rery much for liis sake. After four days had 
passed, they put his body m a cofFm and placed it on the burial-place, 
and every mornuig his parents burned salmon-dips on his gi-ave.' 

After two or three months thej^ buried him. The gi-eat chief called 
his gi-eat slave, and ordered him to run out and tell his tribe to move 
away from the old village site; therefore the gi-eat slave ran out and 
shouted, and said, "Move away from the village site, people!" 
Therefore the people moved from their old home, for they were ordered 
to do so by the great cliief, and they built theu- new village. 

They had been there for two years, and still the parents of the 
prince were in deep sorrow. One day some young women assembled, 
and one middle-aged woman was with them. Thej' were going to 
dig fern roots, and went up to the old village and camped near the 
burial-place; and while they dug for fern roots, they saw a large com- 
pany of young men, who had followed them, and who helped the 
women digging fern roots. Late in the evening the young women told 
the young men to dig holes and to throw in red-hot stones, on M'hich 
they were going to cook the fern roots. Therefore the young men 
dug a large hole in the gi'ound and burned many stones in it ; and when 
the stones were red-hot, they took the ashes from among the hot 
stones, placed wet moss over them, and placed the fern roots on top 
in good order. Then they covered them over with more wet moss. 
They covered the hole with earth and ashes, which they piled up high. 
Then they built a large fu'e on top, and the young women prepared 
supper. Fii'st they served dried salmon with salmon-dips. 

Then the young men felt very happy; and one very fooUsh youth 
said, when he found a salmon-dip, "Here! I found a salmon-dip, 
which was Brown Eagle's best food." Then they all shouted and 
laughed. "Here, here!" they said; and one of them said, "Let us 
see if he will not come from his gi-ave when we call him, and we will 
hft the sabnon-dips and feed him." Then all the young men agreed. 
One of them took up several sahnon-dips, and said, "Brown Eagle, 
come down and eat these sahnon-dips, which were your best food whde 
you lived in years gone by!" 

Tlien the middle-aged woman stopped them, and said, "Don't 
speak like that to the dead prince!" but all the 3'oung men repeated 
it. The young women were all afraid, but the J'oung men lifted theu* 
voices and shouted, "Come down. Brown Eagle, and eat your best 
food!" Again the middle-aged woman said, "Don't, don't! It is 
improper to mock the dead." 

1 In olden times it was the custom that when a prince or rich man, or a chiertaine.ss or princess, or some- 
body who was dear to them, died, they cut the corpse and took out the bowels, stomach, heart, liver, and 
lungs; and when the body was empty, they put shredded red-cedar bark into it, and they kept the body 
for a long while. They burned the boweLs, stomach, heart, liver, and lungs immediately after taking them 
out. Therefore they did this with the prince— Henkt W. Tate. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 22 



338 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. A:iN. 31 

While they were Lmghing and joking and making merry around 
the large fire, the middle-aged woman took her two grandchildren 
and said to them, "Let us hide under the fallen tree yonder, lest 
misfortune come upon us if we stay with these foolish young people 
here!" so they crept away and hid under the fallen tree. 

Before they reached there, they heard a terrible noise proceeding 
from the old burial-ground, and a dreadful mourning voice, which 
said, "Let me have it!" Then the old woman took her two grand- 
children, put them undia- the log, and spread her mats over them. 
She herself went back to where the young people were. Then all the 
young men stopped their joyous singing and shouting, and terror 
came into their hearts. The old woman said, "Now, young men, 
call him again!" but they were all silent. 

Behold! the Ghost was coming — the skeleton of Brown Eagle — 
with arms stretched out in front, and saying, "Let me have it!" His 
head was just the skull, with dark, empty eye-sockets. The young 
women were veiy much frightened, and the young men as well. Now 
some of them ran into the large fire, and were burned there ; and when 
the doleful sounds of the Ghost were coming nearer, the rest of the 
young people ran to and fro, feeling full of fear. They all tried to 
escape, but the Ghost took their breatlis, and at last they all lay dead 
aromid their large fire. Only the old woman and her two grand- 
chikh'en were saved out of the many young people. 

Early the next morning the old woman arose and went to where 
she had hidden her two grandcliildren. She called them, and went 
iii'st to the large fii'e. There they saw many dead bodies lying 
around the fire. Many of them were scorched in the ashes. Tlaen 
they went down to the new village and told thestoiy to the people. 
Therefore the parents of all the young people went, and arrived at 
the place; and they saw the bodies of all the young people lying 
around the ashes, some of them scorched by the fire. So they all 
wept over them and carried them down to their new village. 

The wise men said to the parents of those who were dead, "Call 
all the shamans, and let us hear what they have to say!" So they 
called them all into the house where the dead bodies laj', and they 
put all the bodies in good order. Then all the people of the village 
came in. When the shamans were working with their supernatural 
powers, a new shaman said, "Let us have a great war with the Ghost, 
because the souls of these young people are living in the house of the 
chief of the Ghosts! Tonight all the Ghosts will assemble in their 
chief's house. Therefore let us go there before that time. If we do 
not get them tonight, then all our young people will be dead for good." 

Therefore all the shamans consented, and before dusk they put on 
their armor and took their weapons; and they went forth from the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 339 

house where the dead were, to go and fight with the Ghosts. They 
marched up to the burial-ground very quietly, while the attendants 
kept on singing in the house, beating the skin drums with theii- 
drumsticks. 

^Mien the shamans arrived at the burial-place, the new shaman 
said, "Now, my dear friends, two of you shall enter at each rear 
corner, and two at each front corner, of the house of the Ghost chief, 
and I will shout outside of the house. Then all the rest of our friends 
shall shake their rattles, and the bones with supernatural power 
which liang around your necks." Then the four shamans in the 
house of the Ghosts shall shake theh" rattles and the bones on their 
neck-rings, and then all of us will enter; and when all the Ghosts run 
out, each of us will take the soul of one of the young people." 

After the new shaman had finished his speech, he walked around 
the grave four times, following the com'se of the sun. He was 
shouting louder and louder; and when the four shamans in the house 
of the Ghost heard the shouting outside, they began to shake their 
rattles and the bones on then- neck-rings, and all the shamans who 
stood near the grave shook theirs also; and when the Ghosts heard the 
noise of the bones around the shamans' necks and their rattles, they 
ran out of the house, but the souls of the young people remamed inside 
the house of the chief of the Ghosts. Then all the shamans rushed 
in, and each took the soul of one of these young men who had died 
the night before, and whose bodies were scorched in the fire. Tlieir 
souls were about to run out with the Ghosts, for they were really dead. 

Then the shamans went down to the house where the bodies of 
the young people were, while the attendants were singing and beatmg 
the skin di'ums. Then all the shamans came in and did their work. 
Then the new shaman said, "Now, friends, let us return the souls 
that we have to the bodies to which they belong!" and each shaman 
put the soul of a young person into his body, and the young people 
awoke, like persons who have been asleep. They went to theu' 
homes, but they were not yet like living beings. Tlierefore their 
parents paid the shamans agam to take off the ghostly quality from 
these young people. The shamans worked over them for four days, 
and then life came back to them. 

The people said, therefore, that no young people. should go about 
alone, mthout their parents. That is the end. 

57. The Man Who Bound Up His Wrinkles' 

There was a shaman who lived on a little island outside of Inver- 
ness, at the mouth of Skcena River. He had a little house on the 
little island; and he used to make arrows, which he sold among the 



1 Notes, p. S60. 



340 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

tribes. His arrows were very valuable because they were handsome 
and had pretty feathers. He was a very old man, and there were 
wi'inkles all over his ugly face. He used to go into the chief's house, 
and sell his nicely feathered arrows. The old man was known to 
aU the cluefs and all the people, who bought his arrows. 

Some time in whiter one of the head chief's daughters was missing, 
and they could not find her. Every year they missed one or two 
princesses in everj^ village among the Tsimshian; and they did not 
know where they had gone, although they would go and search for 
them among the tribes. 

Now, when all the princesses were gone, the last princess went with 
her two maidens into the woods behind her father's house. Before 
the}^ had gone very far, a good-looking young man came out of the 
woods and met the princess. His blond hair was tied at the back 
of his head. He smiled at her, and the princess looked at him and 
also smiled. He said to her kindly, "What are you going to do, and 
where are you going?" She replied with her gentle voice, and said, 
"I am just taking a walk." — "Shall I go with you?" said he. She 
smiled, and said, "If you like, come." Then the young man walked 
by her side. He asked the princess to leave her two maidens behind, 
and to go with him farther on. Therefore the princess said to her 
two maidens, "Stay here a while until we go a little farther on!" 
Therefore the two maidens staid there, whdo they went on. 

They sat down, and the good-looking young man said, "Shall I 
take you to my father's house?" The princess said, "Yes, if you 
desire to -do so." They went on their way, and came to the place 
where his canoe lay. It was a nice Uttle canoe, and there were many 
good, warm garments in it. 

"Now, my dear," said the young man, "lie down in the canoe, 
and I will jmddle along until we reach my home. Then I will wake 
you up." She did as ho told her, and ho paddled along until evening. 
There was a thick fog. Then the man called the princess, and she 
arose and saw the thick fog. She went ashore, and the young man 
guided her up to the house; and when she went in, she saw a nice 
little room full of all kinds of expensive garments, abalone ear- 
rings and everything that is costly. 

A little later the young man came in and said, "Lie dowai here, 
my dear! I will bi-ing you to my father's house tomorrow! I must 
go back to my canoe and tie up the anchor-line." Then the princess 
made the bed ready and lay down. After a little while the young 
man came in. The prmcess put her hands around his head and 
pressed it toward herself. She loved him very much.' 

On the following raornmg they slept until very late. The princess 
had her right hand under his head around his neck. When she 
awoke from her deep sleep, she opened her eyes, and saw an ugly- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 341 

looking old man on hor right side. She rubbed her eyes. Then she 
recognized hun as the WTinkled old man who always came into her 
father's house and sold him nice arrows. Then she began to cry. 

Finally the old man woke up. He saw her weepmg, and asked 
her, '"Why are you so sad?" — "Oh," said the princess, "I was 
thuiking of my poor father, who would be missing me!" — "Don't 
cry so!" said the old man, looking at her ^^^th his ugly face. "You 
can go back there easily. It is not very far. But lie here a little 
longer!" She was still crying, but he compelled her to lie do\\ai with 
him. She obeyed because she was afraid of him, but her heart was 
full of sorrow on account of her doings. 

Xot many days had passed when he said to her, "Go with me to 
that rock yonder! We will gather some nice feathers which I need 
for my arrows, and then I will take you back to your father's house." 

On the following day he took down his little canoe. The princess 
went aboard first with her hand basket, which he had taken along. 
The old man paddled along toward the grass}^ rock; and when he 
reached there, he said to her, "Go ashore on that grassy rock!" 
The princess arose and jumped out of the canoe. Then the old 
man pushed his canoe off from the grassy rock, and said, "Now, I 
leave you on that bare rock, and you shall die there, you bad, common 
woman!" The princess screamed and asked him to take pity on her. 
She said, "My dear, don't leave me alone on this bare rock!" But 
the old man said, " Xo, I know that you hate me." The princess 
rephed, "Xo, I love you very much, my dear husband! Come, take 
me off from this bare rock! Take pity on me! You shall have 
my body. I will let you have my father's slaves or his costly coppers. 
I know you are a good shaman." 

The bad^ shaman, however, did not listen to the princess, but 
laughed at her and mocked her. He asked her to do various shame- 
ful things; and she did so, because she was afraid that he might leave 
her. In vain she did evorytliiug her husband wanted her to do. 
She cried very loud; and before the bad shaman \oit the grass}' rock, 
he shouted to heaven. 

Then the princess ceased her crying in order to hear what the old 
man said. He shouted four times. Then he paddled away quickly 
from the bare rock 

The princess looked up, and she saw numerous birds coming down 
from above. She ran to and fro on the bare rock, crying. She went 
down to the beach, trying to find shelter. She found a small cave 
near the water and hid in there. Then all the birds of beautiful 
feather remained sitting on the rock a short time and flew up again 
to heaven; and when the princess came out again from her hiding- 
place in the cave, she saw the beautiful feathers of the heavenly 



342 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN, 31 

birds lying on the rock. She gathered them all, and she also saw 
bare bones on the rock and hand baskets. 

Now, the princess knew that tliis bad old man had killed all the 
princesses who had been lost year after year. She wept again, 
sitting there all alone. 

Four daj's passed, and early in the morning she saw a canoe coming 
down from the little island where the bad shaman lived. Therefore 
she hid in the rock on the l)each, and she put some seaweed on her 
head. She heard the. old man sing a canoe-song. He seemed very 
happy. He reached the place where the princess was in hidmg on 
the beach, and tied his line firmly around the solid rock. Then he 
went to the top of the rock. 

The princess crept out of her hiding-place, went into the canoe, 
cut the line with her little woman's knife, and pushed the canoe off 
from the rock with all her might. When the canoe was a little way 
off, the old ugly man looked back, and he saw his canoe on the water 
with the young princess in it. 

Then he said, "Is that .you, my dear wife? I came to take you 
back to your father's house. Come ashore, and take me with you! 
Ever since I left you I have not been able to sleep. I have always 
been thmking of you, my dear wife! Do come asliore and take me!" 
The princess replied, "No, I will not take you, for you are fooling 
me, and you intended to kill me. Besides, I saw all the bare bones 
of the princesses on the bare rock. There you have killed them, 3'ou 
bad shaman ! I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and your 
h&ro bones shall lie on that rock!" Then the old man cried bitterly, 
and said, "Take pity on me, take pity on me, my good child! Come 
and take me with you! I won't deceive you." 

The princess in the canoe, however, said, "I will shout and call 
down all the birds of heaven and give them your flesh, as you did to 
my fellow-princesses on this bare rock!" and then she shouted as 
the old man had done. She shouted four times and paddled away 
from the rock. 

When she had gone some distance and looked back, she saw that 
the heaven-s were darkened by numerous birds. They went dowii 
to the rock where the old man was and devoured Irini there. 

She paddled away, and in the evening she arrived at her father's 
town. She went in and sat do^vn by her mother's side. Her mother 
looked at her, and said, "Is that you, my daughter?" — "Yes, mother, 
I am still aUve," said the princess. "Where is my father?" — ^"He 
was invited by some of his .own people who wanted to comfort him, 
for ho was in deep sorrow while you were goiie." 

Then some one ran and told the great chief that his daughter had 
come home, and all rushed out and assembled in the chief's house, 



BOiS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 343 

and the princess began to tell her story — what had happened to her, 
how she had been deceived by the old shaman. After she had told 
her story, she wept. 

Then she said to her father, "Invite all the cliiefs of all the tribes 
who lost their daughters." Then the father of the princess sent a 
messenger to all the tribes, and they all came in at the right time; 
and after the cliiof had given them to eat, he said, ''The prmcess 
my daughter was lost a few days ago, and she came back last night. 
She shall tell you what has become of your lost cliildren." — "They 
were all killed by the bad shaman who had his house on tlie little 
island outside of Sliding Mountain. He took me away from my two 
maidens and transformed hiuLself into a handsome young man to 
deceive me. When I first met liim m the woods, he told me that he 
would take me to his father's house. I myself, as well as my two 
maidens, saw that his hair was blond and tied at the back of his head. 
He was more beautiful than all the young men, and so I consented 
to let him take me with him. When we came to his canoe, I saw that 
it was full of costly garments, and he told me to lie do\vn in it. I did 
so, and at midnight we arrived at his home. It was foggy when we 
went to his house. On the follo\ving morning, when I awoke from 
my sleep, I looked at his face, and saw that it was wrinkled. Then 
I recognized him, and knew that he had come from time to time to my 
father's house to sell his beautiful arrows. He told me his name was 
The Man Wlio Bound Up His Wrmkles At The Back Of His Head. 
After two or three days had passed, he said to me, 'I will take you to 
the grassy rock to comfort you, and you will see nice feathers there, 
and weshallfind beautiful abalone shells.' So he took me to the grassy 
rock; and when I left the canoe, he took Ms pole and pushed liis 
canoe from the rock, and told me that he would leave me alone on 
that bare rock. I screamed and cried from fear, and asked liim to 
take me to my father, and I did everytliuig ho wanted me to do on 
that rock. I pleaded with him in vain. He called me a common bad 
woman, and last of all he sh(iuted to heaven after he had said that he 
would give my body to the bu'ds of the air. Then he shouted four 
times, and, behold ! all the birds descended to the rock to devour me ; 
but I hid under a rock on the beach, and he paddled away with all 
liis might. Then the whole rock was full of birds. Soon they went 
up agam, and I walked about the rock. There I saw all the bare bones 
of human beings, and hand baskets by their sides; and I wept much, 
for I knew that the bad man had killed all our lost prhicesses. After 
I had staid four days on the bare rock, I walked about on that rock, 
and saw a canoe coming dovai from the little island, and I saw that 
he was commg to gather the beautiful bird feathers. I hid on the 
beach and put seaweed over my head. He arrived right in front of 
me, and was singing his merry canoe-song. He came ashore with the 



344 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

canoe-line in his hands, and tied it firmly to the rock. When he has- 
tened to the top of the rock, I cut the line and pushed off the canoe 
from the rock. lie looked at me, and said that he intended to come 
and take me home, but I paid no attention to what ho said; and I 
shouted, as he had done. lie was anxious to stop me, but I shouted 
four times, and I saw the birds of heaven descend to the rock when I 
paddled away from it." 

Thus said the prmcess, and all the chiefs wept. On the f(jllowing 
morning all the tribes went with the pruicess to go to the grassy rock. 
Before they reached there, the princess asked them to let her fath?r 
go first. He went ashore first ; and after he had gathered beautiful 
feathers, all the other chiefs came ashore. They picked up their 
daughters' hand baskets, gathered their bare bones, and took them 
home. On that day there was great mourning on the island by the 
jjarents of those princesses who had been lost. They saw the bare 
bones of the bad shanuin there, and every one who passed them threw 
stones at them. 

The father of the jirinccss went to the little island and took from 
the house of The Man Who Bound Up His Wrmkles At The Back Of 
His Head all kinds of costly garments and all kmds of arrows and feath- 
ers, and abalonc shells of all kuids ; and when they came home, the 
chief returned to his fellow-chiefs their children's garments, and he 
gave them ten beautiful feathers with each garment, and the princess 
was honored by all the tribes on that day. 

58. TuE Brothers Who Visfted the Sky' 

Three brothers went up the mountains to hunt. They lay downi 
to sleep, and when they awoke they saw the stars above so near that 
they could touch them. They found that they were on a flat rock 
which had arisen liigh above the ground. They had nothing to eat 
and no water to drink. The eldest one spoke. "What shall we do ? 
Let us cut ropes from the skins of large mountain goats and climb down 
to the ground ! " But the youngest one replied, "No, let us wait! Per- 
haps he who took us up while we were asleep will take us l)ack in our 
sleep." They followed his advice and lay dowTi to sleep. Suddenly 
the youngest one heard a voice, saying, ' ' Take a round pebble and hold 
it in your mouth ! " It was the daughter of the Sun who was speaking 
thus. He followed her order; and when he awoke on the following 
morning, he saw his brothers lying there dead. In his dream he had 
seen that they left him and tried to climl) down to the ground. Since 
they had not praj-ed, they had perished in the attempt. Then the 
young man prayed to the Sun, the Moon, and the Stai-s. He put his 
arrow into the crack of the rock, tied a roj^e to it, and climbed down- 
He got back safe. 

1 Translated from Boas 1, p. 290— Notes, p. 861. 



boas] tsimshian myths 345 

59. Six Hunters ' 

Six men went out hunting. Tliey kept their provisions in a small 
hut made of fir twigs. In the evening*, when they came back, they 
found that a squuTol had stolen them. They became angry, caught the 
squirrel, and threw it into the fire, so that its tail was burned. Then 
they lay down to sleep. On the following morning they found them- 
selves, together with their six dogs, in a deep pit, and luialde to climb 
out of it. Since they were very hungry, they killed one of their dogs 
and threw it into the fire to roast it. Suddenly they saw the dog alive 
on top of the pit. Wlien the men saw this, five jumped into the fire. 
Only one, the son of a chief, waited patiently for his death. 

Suddenly he saw the others standing on the rim of the pit, and he 
asked them to go homo and to request liis friends to help him out. 

In the evening ho laj- down to sleep. Suddenly he heard a voice, 
and saw a Mouse, who asked liim to follow her. He arose, and the 
Mouse led him into a house, in which he found an old woman, the 
SquiiTcI. She said, "It is fortunate that you did not jump into the 
fue, else you would be dead. All your companions are dead now. 
Wlien you wake up in the morning, take the narrow trail that you will 
see. Do not take the wide one." 

The following morning, when ho awoke, he found himself in the 
forest, and saw the l>ones of Ms companions lying on the ground. He 
took the narrow path, and arrived at home. When he told his adven- 
tures, the people became angry, and resolved to kill the squirrels. 
They caught all of them except one female, and killed them. Then 
the only surviving Squirrel wept, and cried, '"After four days your 
whole town shall be burned ! " and so it happened. Only the house of 
the young chief was spared. 

60. The Land Otter ^ 

Wlien a person capsizes, the Land Otter people catch him, and he 
himself is transformed into a land otter. 

Once upon a time there was a man who claimed that even if he 
should capsize, he would never yield to the Land Otters. One day 
when he was traveling with his sister his canoe capsized. He swam 
ashoro, and saw a fire, which seemed to move away from him all the 
time. Ho did not follow it, but started a fire where he had gone 
ashore. While he was sitting there warming his back, he heard a 
canoe. He just turned around, and immediately looked back toward 
the woods. The canoe came ashore, but he did not move. The people 
came up to his fire. Immediately he got up, went down to the canoe, 
and thi'ew all the paddles into the fire. Immediatelj' these were trans- 

' Translated from Boas 1, p. 304.— Notes, p. 861. 
• Translated from Boas 1, p. 290.— Notes, p. S62. 



346 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. Ann. 31 

formed into minks, which cried pitifully. The jieople disappeared, 
and their canoe took its true shape. It was an old log of driftwood. 

After a while the Land Ottoi-s matle another attempt to get hold of 
the man, but in vain. 

One evening, while he was seated Ijv the fire, he heard the voice of a 
woman, saying, "My dear, don't be afraid! I am your friend. Hero 
I have food for you. Trust me!" Immediately a woman stepped 
up to him and gave laim fish and seaweed. Although he was verj- 
hungry, he did not eat. The voice called him by name, and promised 
to bring him food regularly, saying, "Don't look at me, just look at 
the dishes! " but he looked straight in her face, and siiouted, "Eat it 
youi-self, you Land Otter!" The woman continued to ask liim to 
accept the food, but he did not yield. Every evening he heard her 
voice.. One day it seemed to him that the voice was like that of his 
sister who was drowned when his canoe was capsized. Ho questioned 
her, and she replied, "Yes, I am your sister's ghost." Then he thought, 
"I ought not to 1)0 afraid of my own sister." and accepted what she 
offered to him. The food did not d" him any harm. Then he began 
to hinit seals, which he killed with his club. Nevertheless he contin- 
ued to be on his guard, for ho was afraid of the Land Otters; and he 
made up liis mind that if a canoe should arrive, he would fust burn the 
paddles and knock a hole in the body of the canoe, in order to make 
sure that the visitors were not Land Otters. Finally, after he had 
been away for a whole month, a real canoe came and took him home. 
Thus he was saved. 

6L The Deluge' 

At the end of our ancestors' time the people lived on Skeena River, 
as I have told in another story, in a place named Prairie Town; 
and most of the people were clever, good hunters, and brave war- 
riors. One day some himters left their home and went toward 
the east. They came to a great lake named Lake Of The Beginning. 
This was the lake of Skeena River. When the hunters reached there, 
the waters of the great lake began to rise, and the lake overflowed. 
The waters ran down the Skeena River, and almost all the villages 
on the river were swept by the currents. The hunters looked on, 
and, behold! a great whale' rose to the surface of the lake. The 
water of the Lake Of The Beginning rose because the great whale 
came up. It had gills like a fish, and four fuis in a row along the 
back, like the fin of a killer whale which is near its spouting-hole. 
When the great whale went down, the waters subsided. 

The next year two brothers of the same village started and went 
to the Lake Of The Beginning to get supernatural power. The elder 



1 Notes, p. 862. - Hakluia'q. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 347 

one went out into the water; and when the water reached above his 
knees, he went down to the bottom of the great lake. Then the water 
rose agam as before, and the great whale came out. The younger 
brother remained on the shore. He saw the waters rishig higher and 
higher; and the Skeena River was flooded again, for the water of the 
great lake rose liigher than ever. 

As soon as the man had gone down, he saw a large house at the 
bottom of the lake. He entered; and no one was in there, but a 
large fire was burnuig in the middle of the house, and he liimself 
sat do^v^l on a mat which was spread by the side of the fire. After 
he had been sittmg there for a while, the door opened suddenly, and, 
behold! a flash of lightning came in. This happened four times. 
Thunder was rollhig four times. It was a terrible thunderclap. 
After it had thundered four times, it began to hail, and it was terrible 
hail. Soon after tliis a large Grizzly Bear came out from the carved 
screen in the middle of the rear of the house. The Grizzly Bear 
came toward the man who was seated on*the mat by the large fire. 

The Grizzly Bear stood in front of hun, and said, "Open my back!" 
Thus spoke the Grizzly Bear to the man. The man did so, and the 
Bear had become a carved box. Then the Thunderbird came from 
behuid the carved screen. The Thunderbiid came up to the man, and 
said to him, "Take me and put me into the box!" The man took it 
and put it into the gi'izzly-bear box, and the Tiiunderbird became a 
drum, and the lightning was his red ocher. Then Living Eyes came 
forth from beliind the carved screen; and after a wliile, behold! 
a verj- large animal came in at the door, which they call at this 
time Mouth At Each End. It came toward the man, stood in front 
of him, and said, "Take me and put me into the box!" A Cuttlefish 
also came, went toward the man, and said, "Take me and put me 
into the box!" The man took both of them and put them into the 
grizzly-bear box. At last the Living Eyes came in. It was the hail. 
It was a baton. It also went toward the man, and said, "Take me 
and put me into the box!" The man took it and put it into the 
carved box. Still no living person was to be seen in the house. 

Then he started for home; and the live Grizzly Bear said to him, 
"Your name shall be Mouth At Each End." 

The man came ashore with the Grizzly Bear walking by his side. 
The man had been in the depths of the Lake Of The Beginning 
quite a long while. 

His brother had been waiting for hmi since the water began to 
subside, after it had risen and overflowed the banks of Lake Of The 
Begmnmg. He had been waituig there for twenty days. He was 
himgi-y, and sat down at the foot of a large spruce tree and died of 
starvation. Then the martens came and ate him. They ate all the 



348 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. ann. 31 

flesh of his body, and devoured it; and only his bare bones were left 
where he had been sitting. As soon as his brother, Mouth At Each 
End, came ashore from the lake, he looked, and, behold! his brother's 
skeleton was lying there at the foot of a large spruce tree. Then the 
bi'other who had just come from out of the water cried because he 
saw his brother's bare bones lymg there. He went toward them and 
tried to restore him to life. He took up some earth and rubbed it 
with his hands over the bare bones of his brother, in order to restore 
tlie flesh. Soon the bare bones became covered with ilesh agam, but 
they had no skin. Therefore he took a small root to make sinews, and 
Mouth At Each End danced around the body with his supernatural 
powers. Then he took up moss and rubbed it over the flesh, and it 
became skin. Thus he made him alive again ; and he made his brother 
a shaman, and gave him the name Devoured By The Martens. 

Mouth At Eacli End caught the martens which had eaten liis 
brother's flesh, and put the live martens into his brother, and he gave 
him a vessel of biood t8 be his supernatural power. They went 
home with the live Grizzly Bear, who walked down with them. As 
soon as they came to their house, Mouth At Each End was able to 
cure all kinds of diseases, and he was able to heal per.sons who had 
died suddenly. 

Then all the supernatural beings ui the mountams heard that 
Mouth At Each End had a really great supernatural helper, and tried 
to kill him. Mouth At Each End, however, knew about it, and was 
ready to fight with them. As soon as one of the supernatural powers 
or a shaman came secretly to kill liim, the shaman Mouth At Each 
End sent his supernatural helpers Mouth At Each End and Cuttlefish, 
who killed those who tried to murder their master; or, if a shaman 
came through the water. Mouth At Each End and Cuttlefish would 
go uito the water and destroy him; or, if a shaman with liis super- 
natural helpers came overland, the Grizzly Bear would fight him and 
destroy him ; or, if a supernatural power came up flying through the 
ah, Thunderbhd and Lightning with Hail would destroy him. 
Therefore the supernatural beings from all parts of the world could 
not kiU this shaman, Moutli At Each End. 

At last two gi-eat shamans came along in their canoe. We caU 
these hermaphrodites. Two of them were m one canoe. Then 
Mouth At Each End sent down his supernatural helpers. Mouth At 
Each End and Cuttlefish, and the two shamans sent up theh super- 
natural helper, which was Blood. Thus the supernatural helpers of 
Mouth At Each End were kiUed by the Blood; and both of them died. 
Mouth At Each End and Cuttlefish, and the shaman Mouth At Each 
End also died. 

Only his brother, Devoured By Martens, remained. He sent forth 
his own supernatural helpers, Blood and Martens, who killed the two 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 349 

shamans in the canoe; and he took his brother's grizzly-bear box and 
the Thimderbii-d drum, Lightning, and Hail. 

His brother, Mouth At Each End, went home to the bottom of the 
lake, and Devoured By Martens was left alone. He conquered all 
the supernatural powers all around. 

Many j^ears had passed, and there was a great famine m the winter. 
Then the people of Devoured By Martens came up to him, and said, 
"You have really supernatural power. Try to get some provisions 
for us!" So this shaman lay down on one side of the fire, and asked 
his friends to cover him up with a cedar-bark mat, and he began his 
supernatural song: 

Wil q!ala-llal ha°u, wil q!ala-llal ha°n 

La ma°kla naxno'xsut ndatlaJ q!ala-llam ha°nt.' 

Every li\'ing fish, every living fish, 

My supernatural power told me where every lixang fish is now. 

On the following day all his relatives started. The}- went 
aboard their canoes and went dowTi the river. They had long 
boards in then- canoes, and tied four canoes together, putting 
the long boards across. The shaman lay down on these planks, 
which were painted red, and covered himself wdth a mat. These 
four canoes on which the shaman was lying went down fh-st, 
and many canoes followed. All along the way he repeated the 
same words, "Every hving fish, every living fish," and they went 
down the river. The shaman said just this one phrase, "Everj" living 
fish, every living fish." He was teUing his people where every living 
fish was, pointing with his finger down river, until they came down to 
the mouth of Skeena River. Then the shaman said, "Way out at sea." 
The}- paddled along, and soon they came near Stephens Island, where 
there is a good place for camping on a sandy shore. The shaman 
said, "This is the place that my supernatural helper has pointed out to 
me." They all camped on the sandy shore: and the shaman said to 
his people, "Go and bruig down crooked branches of red and yellow 
cedar." His people went and fetched crooked branches. Moreover, 
the shaman said, "Make hooks out of them," and they did so. They 
obeyed the shaman. "Let the women make fishing-lines out of red- 
cedar bark," and the women made fisliing-lmes. They measured off 
sixty fathoms for each fishing-hne. Moreover, he said to them, 
"Go, ye women, and brmg do^\Ti thin spruce roots and spHt them!" 
They did as the shaman had said. Then the shaman also said to 
the men, "Go down when the tide is very low. Then you will find 
a kind of fish under the rocks, with eight legs and a round head, with 

^ It is not quite certain from Mr. Tate's MS. whether these are the words sung, or a speech made by the 
shaman. It seems probaljle, however that the words are those of the song. — F. B. 



350 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

eyes on the neck. Bring it up and tie it to your wooden hooks for 
bait." The men did as the shaman had tokl them. After thej' had 
done so, the shaman told them to hiunch their canoes to go out 
fishmg, so they went. The shaman was standing on the beach, and 
dii-cctcd them. The shaman wore all the clothes of his supernatural 
helper. Devoured By Martens put on a bear skin for a garment, 
lie had on his dancing-apron and his crown of bear claws. lie 
painted his face red mixed with charcoal. lie had a rattle in each 
hand, and eagle down scattered all over his body. Then the shaman 
said again, "Every living fish, every living fish;" and his people 
had to repeat what he said, "Every living fish, every hvmg fish!" 
The shaman repeated this three or four times. Then they (the 
peopltO went, and th(^ shaman remained standing there on the beach, 
pointilig in the dnection toward which they were to go. Ho said, 
"Go a little farther to the open sea, and you will find them." They 
went on, and the shaman was still standing on the beach. Then he 
said, "Pull up your fishhig-hnes!" Thej' hauled up tlieu- fines, and 
all the hooks were fidl of halibut. The people were afraid of them 
because they were new to them. Fhially a shaman told the people 
to take the hahbut into theh" canoes. They took them ashore and 
cooked them, and Devoured By Martens was the first to eat of them. 
His supernatural helper told him that, halibut is good food. So the 
starving people obtained the hahbut. Now, they were all satisfied, 
for they had every living fish, as the supernatural power had told 
Devoured By Martens. This is the first time tliat the people of 
Skeena River reached the sea, and the fu-st tune that tliey learned 
how to catch hahbut at the bottom of the sea. They built a new 
villager there, and did not return up Skeena River. 
This is Devoured By Martens' dancing-song: 

1. Wola lia, a wila ha, o o, wila ha haa. 
Hiyu wila lia, o o, wala ha 

Dedi tsal ua-nExno'xsie uJ sil-hahalai'de. 

2. Wi-tsamtH hi! lax-ha', ye, lat ts!ElEm-ga'°t 
Wi-spA-uExno'x tslEm-si'-tla", ya. 

1. My supernatural being will devour other shamans (?). 

2. There was great lightning in the air, when the great supernatural 

being took me into the Lake Of The Beginning. 

62. The Cannibal ^ 

(This is a great story of which the people were much afraid. They 
had four dances, which were very curious and important, — the Can- 
nibal, who ate dead persons; the Dog Eater, who ate live dogs; the 
Destroyers, who broke up houses, canoes, and boxes; and those who 

' Notes, p. 863. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 351 

threw hot ashes over the heads of the people. They say that the 
gi-oat supernatural beings from the mountains took some one and 
taught him how to act.) 

There was a young prnice in a village of the G'it-q !a'°da whose name 
was Gather On The Water. One winter, when the tune had come for 
liis dance, his father called the companies of Cannibals to let his son 
join them. Therefore one day these people took the young man, 
took hun around the village, knocked at every house, and, after 
they had been to every house, all the men shouted, and said that 
this young man had gone up into the au' or that the supernatural 
power had taken hhn away to his home hi the mountains. They 
deceived many common people. These dancers were chiefs and 
princesses, and all the head men, old and young. 

They took this young man anel placed hun in the trunk of a large 
tree secretly. They put a long ladder against the tree and sent the 
young man up. He went up the tree and entered a small hut. 
Then they took the ladder away from the tree, uitendmg to come 
back at the end of ten days. 

The young man staid on the tree; and the first night when he 
was there, some one came up to his hut, and asked liim, "What are 
you dohig in there, young man?" He replied, "I am a dancer." 
Then the visitor laughed at hun, and said, "That is not the way of 
yom- dance for the dancer to stay on a tree. W^ait until I come 
again! I will show you the ways of a true dancer." So he went 
away. After he had been away a short time, he came back with a 
dead child; and he said to the young man who hved in the hut on 
the tree, "Now open your mouth and eat this dead chUd!" The 
young man was afraid. The person who held the dead child in his 
arms said again, "If you don't do it, I will eat you right here!" 
Therefore the young man opened his mouth and swallowed the dead 
child's body whole. The supernatural behig asked him, "Do you 
feel satisfied now?" The young man replied, "No, I do not feel 
that I ate anything." — "Now come with me," said the supernatural 
being. They flew down to the village, and the supernatural being 
said to hun, "Now shout and catch one of the people!" Then he 
shouted, "Hop, hop!" caught one of the young men, and ate him 
as a cat eats a mouse. Thus he did to the young men; and he acted 
hke the supernatural being, wliicli was glad to see that he had eaten 
a whole man. Then they went back to the tree; and the super- 
natural being said to him, "Whenever you feel hungry, take a person 
and eat liim in front of the village." Then the being went away. 

The people in the village always heard a terrible whistle on the 
tree behind the village, and everybody noticed that before he came 
down he shouted twice, and then he would fly down and kill some 
one in front of the village, and everybody was afraid of him. His 



352 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii, ann. 31 

fame spread all over the clilFerent villages, and all the Cannibals gath- 
ered and tried to kill him. 

All these companies of dancers gathered in one house; and they 
prepared a mixture of poisonous herbs, urine, and other bad things, 
and they began to sing. While they were singing, they heard a cry 
from the tree. Then they heard a noise on the roof of the house in 
which they were. He was coming right down into the house where 
they were assembled, and caught a person in the house. Then they 
threw the mixture over him and caught him. They were pouring the 
mixture into his mouth, and they made a heavy ring of red-cedar 
bark mixed with white for him, and they gave him a large grizzly- 
bear skin to be his garment, and they put a red band of red-cedar 
bark on each leg, and rings of red-cedar bark on each hand; and 
everybody was glad because they had tied him hand and foot. 

Wliile he was sleeping, a terrible whistling was heard in his hair, 
although there was nobody with him. They watched over him for 
four nights. Then they did not give him any more medicine, and 
they all went to sleep. Now the great Cannibal threw off all his 
cedar-bark ties around his neck, and the large grizzly-bear skin, and 
the cedar-bark bands that were on his feet and on his hands. Then 
he shouted and caught one of the men who was holding his foot- 
bands of red-cedar bark, and he ate him right there. Then he flew 
up to his house on the tree, and the noise of the whistles struck terror 
to those in the houses. 

He came down twice every day to catch people, and he ate them, 
and he went everywhere to devour people. 

Then the chief said, "Let all the people of the village move tomor- 
row!" On the following morning they moved, leaving the young 
man behind; and he flew to every place, caught people, and devoured 
them. Once he flew away, and alighted on a very high mountain 
on Nass River. Then he ran down, and saw a fish lying on a sandbar 
at low water. He started a little fire at the foot of a large tree, 
gathered some fuel, and roasted the fish by the fire. Then a super- 
natural being came to him, and asked him, "Wliat ai-e you doing 
here?" He replied, "I am roasting fish." The supernatural being 
said, "This fish is not fit for you to eat. Are you not ashamed of 
youi"self? Is that the way of dancers? Fly away to yonder place 
on the large tree!" Then he flew back to his own place. 

He continued to eat live people as well as the bodies of the dead, 
and all the villages were in great distress on account of him. 

They held a council in order to determine how to catch him. They 
made a large trap of wood; and in the night, after they had finished 
the trap, the companies of dancers assembled. They sang and beat 
time on their wooden drums, and beat with sticks on planks. He came 



UOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 353 

down from the roof riglit iiito the house, and the trap shut and he 
was caught there. Then they all went to hmi, caught hkn, and threw 
the medicine over him, and they invited all the companies of their 
village and all the various companies assembled at the appointed 
time. They brought slaves to feed the dancers; and as they all came 
there, the dancer came forth and they gave slaves to him. He ate 
them all. Now his stomach was full of the flesh of many slaves, and 
he was satisfied. Then they put a large grizzly-bear skin on him, 
and a large ring of red-cedar bark on his neck and one on his head, 
and red-cedar bark rings on his hands and on his feet; and at the 
end of four days, in the morning, they beat a wooden drum and beat 
their sticks on the planks with thundermg noise to drive away his 
supernatural power; and he went out alone, walking down to the 
beach; and at low water he sat down on a large round rock, his face 
toward the village, and everybody came out to see him. Then the 
tide rose, and the rock on which he was seated was floating on the 
water; and when the tide went out, the rock grounded at the same 
place where it had been before. When the sun set, he walked up 
to the house where all the people were assembled. As soon as he 
came in, they all ran up to him. They took a heavy pole, threw him 
on the ground, and put his neck under the pole, trying to kill him; 
but the supernatural power came and helped him and delivered him 
from theu- hands. He escaped, and he would always come down to 
the village; but he did not take so many people as he had done 
before. He just killed some one, but did not eat him. Many years 
passed, and he still lived on the tree. After two generations had 
passed, his voice ceased. That is the end. 

G.3. Origin of the Cannibals ' 

Once upon a time there was a mountam-goat hunter. 'WTiile he 
was huntmg he met a wliite bear, which he pursued. Finally he 
came near enough to shoot, and he hit it. The bear, however, ran on, 
and fuially disappeared in a steep rock. After a short time a man 
came out of the mountain, approached the hunter, and called him in. 
He followed, and found that there was a large house in the moimtain. 
Tlie person who had called him asked him to sit dowai on the right- 
hand side of the house. Then the hunter saw four companies of 
people m the house, and saw what they were domg. In one corner 
were the Me'°la; in the second corner, the No'Ieih, who ate dogs; in 
a third corner, the Wl-halai'd, the Cannibals; and m the fourth one, 
the SEm-lialai'd. The first group and the last group were very much 
afraid of the other two. The hunter staid in the house for three davs, 
as he thought, but m reality he had been away for three years. Then 

I Translated from Boas 1, p. 304.— Notes, p. S63. 
50(i33°— 31 ETH— IG 23 



354 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. akx. 31 

the supernatural being sent him back, and ordered him to imitate all 
that he had seen in the mountain. 

The White Bear took tlie hunter back to his home, and put him 
down on the top of a tree. There the people saw him. He shd down 
the tree on his back, attacked a man, and devoured him. Then he 
attacked another one, tore him to pieces, and ate him; and thus he 
killed many people. Finally the tribe succeeded in overpowermg 
him, and they cured him by means of medicine. Wlien ho had quite 
recovered his senses, he taught them the dances of the four companies 
that he had seen in the mountain, and since that time the people have 
had the Cannibal dance and the Dog Eaters' dance. 

64. Story of the Wolf Clan' 

The Wolf Clan originated in ^Vlaska. Tlie Tahltan of the upper 
Stikine River had a great war. Two chiefs, Gus-xg"ain and Lagunus, 
were killed. Then their nephews and six brothers belonging to the 
Wolf Clan fled from their enemies. Two of tliem went across the 
mountains to Nass River, while four went down Stikine River by 
canoe. 

The four brothers who went down the river arrived at a place 
where a large glacier obstructed the valley, and where the river ran 
tlirough under the ice. Then they sang a mourning-song and entered 
the ice cave expecting to be drowned. They passed through safety 
and went right down the river. Before evening they arrived at 
the mouth of the river, and saw the smoke of a village. They were 
afraid that the people might kill them: therefore they camped there, 
waiting for the night to come. The villagers, however, had watch- 
men stationed on the river, who had seen the canoe coming down: 
therefore they sent their Avarriors in two canoes to fight the four 
brothers. Those, however, spoke kindly to them, and tliey were 
invited into the chief's house. There they told the chief that they 
were fleeing from tlieir enemies; and when they said that they be- 
longed to the Wolf Clan and gave the names of their uncles, the 
chief of the Stikine said that he wanted to take that name: there- 
fore he gave a great feast and took the name Gus-xg'ain. 

Later on a war broke out among the Stikine people, and some of 
the Tahltan brothers fled to Tongass, where they settled. 
. After some time liad elapsed, another war broke out, and one of 
them fled to the Tsimsliian: therefore there are not many people of 
the Wolf Clan among the Tsimshian. 

The two brothers who had crossed the mountains to Nass River 
found the people encamped above Portland Canal. The chief of the 

^This story of the origin of the Wolf Clan was obtained after all the preceding matter was in type. 
It belongs to the group of stories 51-53 (pp. 297 et «<}.). It is the last story written by Mr. Tate before 
his deal h.— Notes, p. 863. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 355 

Nass tribe took them into his house and asked them where they came 
from and where they were going. The two brothers told him that 
thoy had fled because their two uncles had been slain. They told 
liim, furthermore, that thev" belonged to the Wolf Clan. Then the 
Nass chief claimed them as his relatives. He made a great feast 
and took the name Gus-xg'ain. He took the two young men to be 
his nephews. 

Supplement: Three ^YAR Tales 

(1) FIGHTS between THE GI-SPA-X-LA'°TS AND THE GIT-I)zi'''S 

In the great tales of the olden times some very sad things occurred, 
and some that were funny. 

There were two tribes — the Gi-spa-x-la'°ts and the Git-dzl'^s — and 
these tribes were very expert warriors. In olden times it was custom- 
ary for a great chief to take a princess fnim each tribe to be his wife. 
Some had as many as sixteen or eighteen wives. 

So it was with Chief Dzeba'sa. He had many wives. His first 
wife's name was Gan-dE-ma'xl, a princess of the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts; and 
liis second vnie was called Xdze°dz-yu-wa-xsa'ntk. She was a G"it- 
dzi'°s princess. He had manj^ other wives besides these, but the 
names of these two great women were perpetuated through all gener- 
ations. Gan-dE-ma'xl was seated at the right-hand side of Dzeba'sa; 
and the other one, Ndze°dz-yu-wa-xsa'ntk, was seated at his left-hand 
side; and many women were at the side of Gan-dE-ma'xl; and so it 
was with the other princess, Xdze^dz-yu-wa-xsa'ntk. 

The first wife of Chief Dzeba'sa had three children. Her eldest 
son's name was Hats !Eks-n!e'°x; the second son's name was Xbl-ye'lk; 
and her daughters' names were Xes-pdl'°ks, Wl-n!e'°x, Lu-xsmaks. 

The eldest son of Dzeba'sa's second ■wife was Gaina; her second 
son was Gagayam n!e'°x; her third son, Gauga'"!; and her youngest 
son, Wi-g\\"ina'°t; and they had one daughter, whose names were 
BElham n!e'°x (Abalone Fin), Wa-naga, and Dzl'ek. 

When these children were grown up to be men and women, the 
old chief Xes-balas of the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts ched; and the elder son of 
Dzeba'sa's first wife, Gan-dE-ma'xl, succeeded Ms great old grand- 
father, whose name was Nes-balas. Before he became the new chief 
of the G'i-sjm-x-]a'°ts, las father made him great among liis fellow- 
chiefs as well as among aU his brothers and sisters of his house. 
Therefore aU the tribes of the Tsimshian honored him, and his name 
was famous all along the coast. Then when his own tribe took him, 
they held all kinds of dances and gave man}- feasts every year. He 
was greatly honored by the Tsimshian. He had many costly coppers, 
many slaves, and many large canoes from different tribes, expensive 
garments, dance-garments, garments made of sea otter, black fox, 



356 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

marten, and wolverene; and his wife had many kinds of provisions. 
His owTi brother, Xbi-ye'lk, still loved him. 

The eldest son of Dzeba'sa's second vcUe succeeded to his uncle's 
name, Txa-dzi'°kik; and before he went to his own tribe his father 
the great chief made dances in his honor, but two less than for his 
eldest son, because the great chief said that he was his second son. 
Therefore the young man was angry with his father; so he left his 
father and went to his own tribe, who gladly received him. He 
invited his own brave men to his house, and he said to them, "I want 
to let you know what is in my mind. I will slay Nes-balas becaase 
he is highly honored bj- sill the Tsimshian tribes; and my father the 
gi'eat chief also honors and loves him most. He called me his 
second son." 

Then aU the people were silent; and one of the mse men said, 
"No, if you slay him, then all the tribes ■will be against us, and our 
tribe vn]l be destroyed in war," and all the brave men said the same. 
Nevertheless tliis young man was not friendly to his brother. There- 
fore he made a great feast, to which ho in%ated all the Tsimshian 
tribes; and he said to all his guests that he would be the first to be 
called at every chief's great feast; and he gave away many costly 
coppers, slaves, canoes, elk sldns, and all kinds of property. 

After he had given this great feast in midwinter, his great father 
made a greater feast, and invited all the tribes, also the ne^hbors of 
the Tsimshian; and he gave away nmch property, expensive coppers, 
large canoes, slaves, elk skins, a great number of oU-boxes, pairs of 
abalone ear-ornaments, and a great many horn spoons; and the great 
chief announced that his name should be the first to be called in the 
chief's feasts; and he took one of his expensive coppers, and some 
one lifted Nes-balas, and they took the copper from him and placed 
it l)efore him. 

Then his younger brother, Chief Txa-dzl'°kik, ran out during the 
feast, where all the chiefs of the TsimsMan and of the other tribes 
were assembled. These were the Git!ama't, G'it-la'°p, and the 
Bellabella tribes and others. When they had all received their 
presents from the great chief Dze])a'sa, every chief of the tribe was 
glad to have his valuable presents. 

Only one chief, Txa-dzi'°kik, had run out full of wrath. His people 
took Ms canoe, and they went back to his own house. Now they 
were ready to fight with his elder brother. Therefore, when all the 
tribes were returning to their own homes, Txa-dzl'°kik sent his two 
caiioes full of warriors, and lay in wait at a little bay on the way; 
and while the other canoes were passing by, these two large canoes 
lay hiding in the little bay. After all the other canoes had passed, 
and they had waited for a long time, at last two large canoes loaded 
with all kinds of property came along slowly. The people were 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 357 

singiiig as they were coming along. At that time a chief -vroulcl 
ahvays be ready to put on his armor. The chief was seated on a bux 
in the center of his large canoe, and he was looking all around; and 
as soon as he saw the two canoes coming toward them, Nes-balas 
took up his bow and arrow. When he saw his brother standing in 
one of the large canoes, he asked him, ""What do 3'ou mean that jou 
are coming against me?" Txa-dzi'°kik answered, "I come against 
you in order to Mil you right here." — "For what reason ?" — "Because 
my father has honored you more than me, therefore I wih slay you." 
As he was saying this, Nes-balas shot his arrow, and the arrow 
entered Txa-dzl'°kik's left eye, so that he fell back in his canoe; and 
Jill Xes-balas's warriors cUd their best shooting the waniors of Txa- 
dzi'"kik. The people in one of the latter's large canoes were all 
killed, and many of his men were wounded. One of Nes-balas's first 
•ft-iyes was killed. Txa-dzi'°kLk's men fled. 

This was the beginning of the war between these two brothers, the 
sons of one man. One year after the fight, on their way home, 
Txa-dzi'°kik died, and his 3-ounger brother, Gaini,, succeeded him 
and took his name. 

He inyited all the chiefs of all the tribes, and he made a great feast 
in order to make himself great; but the Tsimshian chiefs would not 
come to his great feast because he had not invited Nes-balas first. 
Therefore all the Tsimshian chiefs were not present at this great feast. 
This made him eyen nKjre sad; for the chiefs of all the Tsi m shian 
tribes loved Nes-balas more than him, because Nes-balas used to give 
great feasts and was very kind to aU Ms fellow-cMefs and to every- 
body. Therefore they lovetl Mm. They said that he was a real 
prince because he loved the poor and honored his fellow-cMefs. 
Every day some of the hunters of the TsimsMan tribes would bring 
him fresh meat, and in return the cMef gave them valuable garments. 
He was also often invited by the cMefs of the various tribes. There- 
fore he was much favored in the eyes of all the people. 

One day a canoe arrived in front of Nes-balas's village with a 
message from Txa-dzi'°Mkj who invited Nes-balas. The latter sent 
out one of Ms warriors to say that he would not go to their master's 
feast unless he would send to every TsimsMan tribe and strew 
feathers on every cMcf's head. Therefore Txa-dzi'°kik's men went 
and told their master what CMef Nes-balas had said. They went 
back and told Mm what Ms elder brother had said. Then Txa- 
dzi'°kik said that he would kill Mm. So they set out secretly at 
night to ambush Mm. At rmdmght they arrived at the village. 

The same night hunters who had been out in two canoes were in 
Nes-balas's house; and late at night, while those who were waiting to 
kiU the cMef were at the foot of the ladder leading ud to the cMef's 



358 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

house, the hunters caught them. They took hold of the young man, 
Chief Txa-dzr°kik. They asked the new chief what he was doing 
there, and he told them that he intended to slay the great Nes-balas. 
Therefore they took him into the house of their chief, and they told 
Nes-balas what he had said. Then the great chief told them to take 
the men outside and to bring in their heads. The huntei"s obeyed. 
They slew them outside and brought in their heads. Then they put 
each body on a pole, and hung their heads in the smoke hole. They 
took their canoe and put it up stern dowTiward. 

Then all the tribes learned that the men who sought the life of the 
great chief Nes-balas had been killed, and war broke out between 
them. The G"i-spa-x-la'°ts killed the three brothers, Gagayam n !e'°x, 
Gaina', and Gauga'"!. Only one boy remained alive. His name was 
'Wi-gwina'°t. 

At this time the great chief Dzeba'sa had died in his old age, and 
Gan-dE-ma'xl also died, and Dzeba'sa's nephew succeeded to his 
place. Nes-balas's sister took her mother's name, Gan-dE-ma'xl, 
and the youngest brother of the thi'ee jirinces that were slain suc- 
ceeded Txa-dzl'°kik. 

Then Chief Nes-balas made a great feast for the chiefs of all the 
Tsin^shian tribes, and announced that his sister would take her 
mother's name. 

She was a great dancer, and had a new song. These are the words 
of her song: 

Good weather is following a hard frost, heavy rains and storms. 

This meant that they would not have any more fighting between 
the brothers; and they invited all the noble women; and the mother 
of the three brothers who had been killed was present at the feast. 
She heard the words of the song, and took a little comfort because she 
knew now that her last son would not be slain. 

After some time the young chief went with four companions in his 
canoe to hunt ducks around the Island of Metlakahtla. This young 
man was Txa-dzi'°ldk. He intended to Idll Nes-balas; but he could 
not do it, because Nes-balas had n^any friends who watched over 
him and protected him. The boy's heart was not right toward him. 

After a while Nes-balas became sick, and it was not many days 
before he died. Then all the Tsinxshian tribes lamented, but the 
tribe of Txa-dzl'°kik was happy. Their young chief invited the 
young men to have a game in his house every night, and they had a 
good time, shouting and laughing because the great chief Nes-balas 
had died. Many days had passed after the mourning of the tribes. 
The younger brother of Nes-balas, Xbi-ye'lk, succeeded to his place. 
He also took the name Nes-balas, gave a great feast, and invited 
all the chiefs of every tribe. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 359 

Before all the chiefs had come to his feast, some one told the 
new chief Nes-balas that Txa-dzr°kik's tribe were making merry 
in his house, and that they were full of joy every night, and that 
they mocked the great chief Nes-balas; and all the wise men of 
Nes-balas assembled, and decided to kill the young chief while they 
were feasting. Others, however, said that they would kill him after 
the feast, in order to avoid an uproar if this should be done while 
all the people were assembled at the feast. Therefore they waited 
until the feast was over. 

The new chief Nes-balas was kind, like his elder brother, and 
soon all the chiefs were very friendly toward him. The day after 
the feast, when all the chiefs had gone home, a large canoe was seen 
passing through the Straits of Metlakahtla. The people in the canoe 
were singing, and stopped in front of Nes-balas's village in order to 
invite him to Txa-dzl'°kik's house. Then the whole tribe of the 
G'i-spa-x-la'°ts went. Txa-dzi'°kik mocked the new chief when he 
was coming to the feast. 

After this feast to Nes-balas and his people, the chief Gul-qa'q of 
the G'itlanda' invited Txa-dzfkik and also Nes-balas to his house. 
Nes-balas came as soon as he could, and they waited a long while. 
Then Nes-balas said to his nephew, "I will go home," and they 
went out just when Txa-dzl'°kik's canoe was coming. Nes-balas's 
people were going back, and they met near Ghost Island (Lax-ha-l!i- 
t!a' bsba'lx); and Txa-dzi'°kik's men said to Nes-balas, "Did you 
come against us, you coward chief?" and not a word was said by 
Nes-balas's men. They went away laughing. Then Nes-balas's 
warriors took six canoes and went back the same night to lie in 
wait for Txa-dzi'°kik near Ghost Island. When it was nearly mid- 
night and the moon was shining, a canoe-song was heard proceeding 
from the village of Gul-qa'q, and some words in their song were 
"coward chief; " and as they passed the place where the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts 
were waiting, Chief Txa-dzi'°kik lacing seated on a large box in his 
canoe, one of Nes-balas's warriors shot him through the temple, and he 
fell back into the water. Then the six canoes pursued them on the 
way back to their home. Nes-balas's men cut off the head of Txa- 
dzi'°kik, and they hung his body on a tree. 

On the following morning a great number of canoes of Txa-dzi'°kik's 
tribe came to make war, because their master's head was in Nes-balas's 
house; and there was a great battle on that day between the tribes 
of these two brothers, and Txa-dzi'°kik's people were driven to flight 
that day. There was a great slaughter of Txa-dzi'°kik's men. 

Txa-dzl'°kik's old mother was weeping, walking along the street; 
and she said, "My son, my only son left to me, made a mistake, 
for they said in their song that good weather would follow the dark 



360 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

storm-clouds;" and as she was weeping bitterly, she died of a broken 
heart, because her three sons had been slain, and her last son's head 
was in the house of Nes-balas. 

Many years passed, and the two chiefs still hated each other. 
Many chiefs who had these two names did the same; but I do not 
want to talk too long. I will make it short. Now, this will be the last 
dreadful war. 

The new Dzeba'sa had five sons and three daughters. The 
eldest son was Hats teks-n !e'°x ; the second, Wowo'lk; the third, 
BElha'; the fourth, Xbi-ye'lk; the fifth, Hais. The girls' names were 
as follows: the eldest was Maxs; the second, Wi-n!e'°x; the tliird, 
Pda'lEm ha'yetsk. These princes and princesses were honored by all 
the tribes of the Tsimshian. 

There were other princes and a princess, the children of Chief 
Sa°ks ' and of his wife Ndze°dz-ha'utk, the sister of Ndze°dz-yu-wa- 
xsa'ntk. She had three soils and one daughter. The name of her 
eldest son was Ilaimas; the seccmd, Wi-ha'°; the third, Wi-gwina'°t; 
and the name of her daughter was Dzagam-txa-n!e'°x. They were 
of the same rank as Dzeba'sa's children, and IIats!Eks-n!e"'x suc- 
ceeded to Nes-balas; and Haimas succeeded Txa-dzl'°kik, but ho did 
not take his name, because his head was in the house of another clan. 
Therefore his father gave him the name Haimas. 

He assembled all the members of the Raven Clan from all the 
Tsimshian tribes while his father the great chief Sa'^ks was still alive, 
and they settled on the island Lax-gaya'un, and they gave the name 
"WutslEua'luk to the new village which was given to him by Ms 
father. 

There are many wonderful stories about this chief Haimas, but I 
will make it short. All the people of Wuts !En-a'luk were very 
brave — men, women, and children — for their chiefs were very brave 
men; so they taught their people to be brave, as they themselves 
were. So it was with Nes-balas and all his brothers. His people 
were also brave, and they continued to hate one another. Haimas 
tried to beat Nes-balas in every way and to be above him; but he 
could not succeed, because Nes-balas was very kind to all the Tsim- 
shian tribes, and they loved hina much. Nes-balas had manyslaves, — 
men, women, and children, — costly coppers, and elk sMns, and aU 
kinds of expensive garments. He had many wives. He had also 
many brave warriors. 

Haimas was married to a young woman, the elder daughter of 
Nes-y!aga-ne't, the niece of Nes-balas; and the elder daughter of 
Maxs, the sister of Nes-balas. Haimas loved this princess, his wife, 
very much, but he continued to hate his wife's uncle. Haimas had 
many slaves, — men, women, and cliildren, — expensive coppei-s, large 

^ A G^ispawadwE'da. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 8()1 

canoes, and many expensive garments, and also expensive things. 
He had many hirge boxes full of war-knives with handles inlaid ^\'ith 
abalone shell and handles carved with crests ; and he always went to the 
Tlingit country to make war, and he took many captives and destroyed 
a great amount of property of cUfferent tribes all around the Tsim- 
sliians. His fame was spread all over the country round about; and 
his heart was proud, because he always vanquished all liis enemies. 

Yet he clung to his purpose to take revenge on the enemy of his 
dead relatives. 

One time, when the people were ready to move to Nass River, 
Nes-balas moved first, according to their old custom. He had two 
large canoes loaded ^\ith all kinds of provisioas, and many men 
slaves. The great chief took a good-sized canoe. Four wamors 
accompanied him, and six slaves paddled. They camped at a cer- 
tain camping-ground, and buUt a special house for the chief's camp. 
They put up his large beam which they carried in the large canoe, put 
boards against it, and covered them with red-cedar bark. xVfter the 
house was finished, he invited the chiefs, and they came to his camp. 

Haimas and all the people camped a little behind Nes-balas's camp; 
and the latter sent a message to him to invite him and all his people. 
They came as soon as possible; and when they were all in, Haimas 
looked around, and noticed how large the beam of Nes-balas's camp 
was, and he was envious when he saw it. 

After this they went up to Nass River. Haimas's canoe was faster 
than Nes-balas's canoe, and he camped first at K-numa's. His 
men put up his camping-hut; and when Nes-balas arrived, Haimas 
sent his men to invite him as well as all the other tribes. Nes-balas 
looked around in Haimas's house, and he saw that the beam was 
tliicker than his own beam. After Haimas had danced his welcome 
dance, the food was served; and Nes-balas's slaves built their mas- 
ter's camping-hut, and Nes-balas's beam was longer than Haimas's. 

On the following morning Haimas moved, for he was ashamed 
because his beam was shorter than Nes-balas's beam. Nes-balas 
moved on the same day. His men took down the long beam and put 
it on top of the load in the canoe. Haimas took down liis beam and 
put it on tojj of the load in his large canoe; and as soon as they 
started out to sea, the heavy timber rolled down on one side of the 
canoe, and the canoe capsized, and Chief Haimas's wives were almost 
ilrowned. Then Haimas was much ashamed because Nes-balas had 
seen how his canoe was capsized by his own beam. 

Nes-balas next camped at K-wams. There he had his men cut 
down a thick tall yoimg spruce tree to build his camping-house. 
They ]nit on the boards and the bark roof, and on the following 
morning he n^oved. He left his new green spruce beam. Soon 
Chief Haimas arrived at the same place. They took his boards up 



362 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

first and tried to put them across the place, but they were entirely 
too short. 

Then he thought that he would kill Nes-balas during the fishing- 
season; and when all the people had arrived at Nass River, and 
while during the fishing-season they were using their fish rakes 
to catch fi.sh, Haimas's sister, Dzagam-txa-n!e'°x, was very ill. 
She was a beautiful woman, and one of the TlLngit chiefs hiul married 
her. She had left liirn because he had many wives, and they had 
bewitched her. Therefore her digestion was disturbed. Therefore 
Haimas put her alone in one place. In the night four men who had 
been out in a canoe came secretly and looked thi'ough a knot-hole; 
and they saw that Dzagam-txa-n!e'°x's bowels were cUsturbed, and 
the young men were laughing. They went away secretly in their 
canoe, went among those who were raking in fish; and whUe they 
were there one of them said, "Oh, Dzagam-txa-n!e"'x's bowels are 
disturbed!" So aU those who were raking fish shouted, "Oh^ 
Dza£ram-txa-n!e'°x's bowels are disturbed!" 

Then the j)roud chief was very much ashamed. He wanted to 
find out who had started to mock his sister, Dzagam-txa-n!e'°x. 
They said that Nes-balas's people had done so. Therefore he invited 
his whole tribe — men, women, and children. He made a very large 
fire; and he said to his attendants, "Dress my sister nicely. Take 
my best danchig-blanket and my costly headdress set with abalone 
sheUs!" and all his attendants did what he had said. Then he said, 
"Now take one of my good wide boards and let her sit on it!" and 
his attendants did as he had asked them to do. They took the plank 
on which the princess was sitting, and burned her ahve in the large 
fire. Then he said, "Nobody shall weep for her." And when the 
princess was consumed, he s])at into the fire, and said, "As I destroyed 
my poor sister, thus I will destroy Nes-balas and all his warriors and 
all his brothers." Then all his people agreed. 

On the following day they dug a long wide deep ditch inside the 
door of his house, right across it; and when they had fuiished the 
ditch, they sent a messenger to Nes-balas and to his warriors and all 
the princes. Before it was dark, in the evening, Nes-balas came with 
all his people and his brothers and the prmces of his tribe. They 
arrived in front of Haimas's large square house; and before they came 
ashore, the people of WutsiEn-a'luk went forth and had a dance on 
the seashore. Each of the warriors of the Wuts!En-a'luk had a war- 
knife in his right hand. After they had danced a while, they called 
them ashore; and the brother-hi-law of Nes-wa-ma'k, the second chief 
of the G-i-spa-x-ia.'°ts, came down and called this man to his own 
house, in order to jirotect him agamst harm. 

The people in the house were singing, beatmg drums, blowmg 
whistles, and there was an uproar in the chief's house. Two grizzly- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 363 

bear skins were hung up at the door — one outside, and the other one 
inside. Two of Haimas's warriors stood outside of the door, and 
two others inside. The two men outside would lift the grizzly-bear 
skm, and those who stood inside had each a war-club in his hand ; and 
when the great chief Nes-balas came in first, these two men who hfted 
the grizzly-bear skin outside shouted, "Now the great chief goes in!" 
Then, as he went in, they dropped the grizzly-bear skin behind him, 
and those who stood inside lifted the other skhi which was hung up 
inside; and as the great chief's head passed through the door, they 
clubbed him, killed him, and threw his body into the deep ditch 
which they had jjrejiared. Tliis was done to all the princes and 
warriors; and when the ditch was full of dead bodies of Nes-balas 
and his princes and his warriors, the last man, whose name was Gik, 
heard groans through the uproar that was in the house. He ran 
away, and arrived among Gul-qa'q's remaining people. They took 
their canoe and went to Nes-balas's peo])le to bring the news. He 
said that he had come from Haimas's feast, that he had shut the door 
of his f easting-house, and that he had destroyed all the chief's prmces 
and warriors. He said, "I am the only one who has escaped." 

Therefore aU the tribes assembled — the G'i-spa-x-h\'°ts, G'itlanda', 
G"id-wail-ksE-ba'°, and the G"i-lu-dza'r. And they went against the 
Wuts !En-a'luk, and there was a great battle on that day; but the 
people from up the river fled before the tribe of Wuts!En-a'luk, 
because no warrior was left among them, and they had no chief to 
command them in battle. Few of the Wuts ten-a'luk were killed, 
but many of the peojjle from up river were slain, and many were 
wounded. The battle raged for many days. 

Then all the people of the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts were in mourning because 
they had no chief, only Nes-wa-ma'k. Nobody would go to liim, 
because he had not rescued any of Nes-balas's family. Therefore 
the G'i-spa-x-l^'°ts would not go to him. 

Three days after the battle Chief Ilaimas came with four large 
canoes loaded with his warriors. They stopped in front of Nes-balas's 
fishing-camp, singing in their canoes, and hapjiy because they had 
gained a great \nctory over their enemies. Therefore they mocked 
them; and as they arrived in front of Nes-balas's camp, they stopped 
there; and one of Haimas's men said, "Who will come to my great 
clrief, Cliief Ilaimas, for he has won a great victory over his ances- 
tors' enemy ? Who will stand up against him ? All the tribes that 
made war against him are his slaves and in his power." 

Then one of Nes-balas's nephews, the eldest son of Wi-n!e'°x, the 
chief wife of the new Dzeba'sa, the boy named Hats!Eks-n!e'"x, who 
was about ten years of age, was lifted up by one of Nes-balas's war- 
riors, and said, "I shall stand up against Haimas. Don't speak 
proudly before me!" Then Haimas laughed at the little boy, and his 



364 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

men took ten of the late Nes-balas's people who were captured in the 
battle a few days before, and cut off their heads right before the ene- 
mies' eyes. Then they tlu"ew them into the water. Therefore Ilaimas's 
people were shouting; and Hairaas took one of his costly coppers and 
threw it on the water, shouting, "Now, child, come, and let us throw 
away valuable coppers!" 

Then all the Tsimshian tribes assembled at tliis place to see who 
would win. Therefore the remaining G'i-spa-x-lS,'°ts shouted, and one 
strong man represented the young prince. He took down a very 
large expensive copper and threw it down on the beach, and said, 
"It costs four small Tlingit coppers." Then the people in the canoe 
shouted, and Ilaimas took a copper much larger than that of Prince 
Hats !Eks-n!e'°x. He threw it on the water, and said, "This copper is 
larger than yours ; " and while the G"i-spa-x-l§,"'ts were waiting a while, 
all the Tsimshians were shouting and laughing and clapping their 
hands, and they said, "Haimas's valuable copper is swimming on 
the water! Behold, that wooden copper is floating on the water!" 

Then the young prince threw away another valuable copper, and 
said, "It is worth many mountains fuU of wooden coppers." He 
said this in order to mock the great chief Ilaima-s. Then all the Tsim- 
shian were glad to see that Prince Hats !Eks-n !e'°x had beaten Haimas. 
The value of two great coppers were not paid back by the Wuts Ieu- 
a'luk to the G"i-spa-x-lS,'°ts until this day. Therefore the chiefs of 
all the Tsimshian tribes encouraged the G"i-spa-x-ia'°ts. 

Now, Haimas was wandering about in the country to hide some- 
where, because he was afraid of his enemies, and because he was 
ashamed that his wooden copper that was like a copper was floating 
on the water in front of the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts's camp on Nass River. 
The whole tribe of Wuts !En-a'luk went with their proud master. 

In the foUomng ^vinter the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts gathered together all the 
princes and princesses of the family of Nes-balas — three boys and two 
girls, the children of the great chief Dzeba'sa; and two boys, the chil- 
dren of Nes-lo'°s, the great cliief of the G'idzExla'°I tribe; and also two 
girls. Other princes were the children of the great chief Gadunaha'" 
of Tongass, three boys, and three girls, very beautiful princesses; and 
six boys and tlu-ee girls, the children of the great chief Nes-y !aga-ne't, 
the uncle of Chief Ilaimas. This was the father of Nes-balas's niece, 
the wife of Chief Haimas ; and many others were the children of several 
chiefs from all the tribes. 

In that winter, while the G'i-spa-x-lfi.'°ts gave a great feast to all 
the tribes, they took all their princes and princesses and gave them 
all the princes' and princesses' names. The eldest son of Dzeba'sa, 
Hats!Eks-n!e'°x, succeeded Nes-balas, and the fathers of these 
princes and princesses helped in the great feast given in honor of 
their children. This feast ended after fourteen days. Many cop- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 365 

])crs were given away, many slaves, and many large canoes, and all 
kinds of valuable things. 

iVfter this feast the great chief Dzeba'sa gave a great feaat for Ms 
son Nes-balas, and so did the fathers of all the other princes and 
princesses. Then all the Tsimshian tribes were glad because the 
G"i-spa-x-la'°ts had new chiefs. 

Many years had passed by. Ilaimas had not come back once. 
Rince he had slain all the chiefs of the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts in his house, he 
had never shown himself among the Tsimshian chiefs, and no chief 
remembered Mm in any feast. 

Now, after many years had passed, beff)re the people were moving 
to Xass Kiver, Ilaimas made a village at the mouth of Nass River, at 
G'in-go'li, to prevent the TsimsMan from going up Nass River to 
fish; and the TsimsMan, therefore, did not move to Na-ss River. 

The new chief Nes-balas invited all the tribes to make war against 
the Wuts !En-a'luk on Nass River. All the cMefs agreed to do so. 
The G"it-dzl'°s moved, and the G'it-cixa'la, and they camped at 
K-quma'wut; and the G"it-dzi'°s went right on and camped at 
K-lgu-sgan-ma'lks. This was above Haimas's new village. 

On the follo^\-ing day one of Haimas's brothers-in-law, a G'it-cjxa'la 
prince named Watk, went across to G'tn-go'li to visit Ms sister, one of 
the great cMef Haimas's wives. Six young men accompamed Mm; 
and when he arrived at G'tn-g5'li, at Haimas's village, they were 
invited in. So they went in. 

These men were very much afraid. They were asked to sit down 
on a vddc tMck board. Watk had Ms small dagger hanging around 
Ms neck; and Haimas pointed at the small dagger that was hanging 
around his brother-in-law's neck, and he said to one of the men, 
"Let me have a look at my brother-in-law's dagger!" Then Ms 
brother-in-law took off the small dagger from Ms neck and handed it 
to the young man, who gave it to Haimas. The great cMef took it, 
and said, "Oh, my brother-in-law is a warrior! — jSso you going to kill 
any one with this dagger?" The chief was laughing when he saw 
the dagger, and he said to one of Ms warriors, calling Mm by name, 
"Take tMs dagger and throw it intf> the fire!" S<i Ms attendant 
tM'ew the small dagger into the fii'e. He said, "I \\t11 give daggers to 
my brother-in-law and Ms men;" and he called one of his first war- 
riors by name, and said, "Come and show me your dagger!" and he 
who was called came to Mm. He gave Mm his war-kmfe, saying, 
"TMs is it, sir!" The cMef replied, "No; that is not the one. Let 
the warrioi-s show me their knives." So these men lifted up their 
daggei-s, and the cMef looked at them. He said also, "Go and see if 
you can find any in that box!" They opened the box, and showed 
that it was full of daggers; and he said, "Open another box!" They 
opened it, and showed Mm every dagger. The great cMef Haimas 



366 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

had ten boxes full of daggers. They took out ten from the last box 
they had opened, and placed them in front of Haimas. The chief took 
one of them by the handle and threw it at his brother-in-law, who was 
sitting in front of the large fire. He threw them one by one, and 
the dagger-points entered the edge of the board on which his brother- 
in-law was sittii^. The great chief said, "Bring me six more dag- 
gers!" They did so; and he took one and threw it at the first man, 
and hit the board close to his toes. Then he did the same to the 
other men. After this they served the food. Thus he showed his 
brother-in-law how many daggers he had, and how niany bundles of 
spears, which stood in the corners of his large square house. On 
the other side of his house were piles of boxes of arrows and spears, 
and many boxes of war-clubs, stone and bone clubs, and some boxes 
of stone tomahawks, and boxes with sling-stones, and all kinds of 
armor and helmets. After he had shown these to his brother-in-law, 
he sent him away. 

On the following day they told liim that his uncle, Nes-y!aga-ne't, 
was camped above his village, with all his people. The great chief 
Haimas said, "Bring them down here, for I long to see him." So 
the Wuts !En-a'luk took a large canoe, and a number of youngmen went 
up to bring down the old chief, Nes-y!aga-ne't, and all his property, 
and liis people, to Haimas's village. After tliis the Wuts ten-a'luk 
built a house for Nes-y!aga-ne't; and Haimas invited him to come 
to his house, together with some of his warriors. When they came, 
Haimas danced the welcome dance for his uncle, who was his father- 
in-law. They served food for the guests. 

While they were eating, Haimas asked his uncle to tell him what 
all the Tsimshian had been doing during his long absence. He asked, 
"Has there been any chief among the G i-spa-.x-la°ts since I killed 
their chief years ago?" His uncle replied, "Ha, ha! what kind of a 
question is that ? You should see the new chiefs of the G i-spa-x-la'°ts. 
They are as numerous as gambling-sticks. Those whom you slew 
years ago are not as good as the new chiefs." 

Then Haimas hung his head; and after a while he inquired, "Who 
is the chief who is first called in the feasts?" His uncle replied, 
"They honor me." — "And do any of the chiefs remember me?" — 
"No, nobody remembers you at all." — "And how- about Chief 
Dzeba'sa, does he remember me when he gives feasts?" — "No," 
replied his uncle. "What song does he sing?" — "His song is, 'I will 
make thee the highest one,' " replied his uncle. "Oh!" said Chief 
Haimas, "that means that I am your slave." — "No," said Ne.s- 
ylaga-ne't, "he says, 'I make thee the highest one.' " Then Haimas 
asked, "And what is his next song?" — "His next song is, 'Ah, great 
Firewood!' " 



BOis] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 367 

Then Haimas said, ''Now, stop at once! They use my name in 
their song." Nes-y!aga-ne't replied, "No, that is not so." Now 
Haimas was very angry, and he did not say a word. 

After they had eaten, Nes-y!aga-ne't went out supported on each 
side on the shoulders of a slave; and as they were leading the old 
chief down the beach, Haimas sent down one of his attendants, and 
ordered him to kill Nes-y!aga-ne't. Then one of his attendants went 
down and lolled him. He struck Mm on his woven hat, sajdng, 
"Now, sir, lie down!" and the old chief fell down on the beach. 
Haimas was looking out of the house, and it seemed to him as though 
his uncle was not dead yet. Therefore he shouted to his officer, and 
said, "He is not dead! Strike him once more!" His attendant 
said, "I will do so, he is not my uncle;" and he struck him twice, 
until he lay there dead. 

As he was Inng there, Haimas ran do^\Ti, took a valuable copper, 
and shouted, "Alas, my uncle!" He lifted up the head of the dead 
man, and put the copper under it. Then Haimas and all liLs warriors 
went to take liis uncle's Raven headdress; but before they entered, 
one of Nes-y!aga-ne't's warriors' wives, whose name was QtsPl, had 
taken the headdress and put it into an old fish basket, wliich she had 
put down at the door. Then all the men of the Wuts !En-a'luk 
opened Nes-y!aga-ne't's boxes, searching for his headdress, but they 
could not find it. 

The G"it-dzi'°s moved up Nass River, taking along the body of 
their cliief; and Cliief Haimas also moved up Nass River with his 
own people. 

Four days after he had arrived at his camping-gi-ound where he 
had killed Nes-balas and his warriors, all the Tsimshian went up 
to their camping-ground. The G"i-spa-x-la'°ts also went to their 
camping-ground on the other side of the river. As soon as all the 
tribes were there, Haimas sent his messengers. They launched two 
large canoes, and they were singing in the canoes. The words of their 
song were as follows : 

I am cutting the heads of my enemies in front of the mocking child-chief! 

When the two canoes arrived in front of the camp of the new cliiefs, 
they stopped for a while, and one of the new chief's warriors said, 
" What does this mean ? Are you coming again to destroy us?" One 
of Haimas's warriors replied, "Yes; I will put the body of your new 
chief among the decayed fish, as we did your former proud chief and 
all his men." Then one of the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts replied, "Tomorrow I 
shall come to destroy you, your brothers, and your people." One of 
Haimas's men replied, "Do come! We are ready vnth. another ditch 
to throw in the body of your new chief, as we did with your former 
chief." 



368 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Now, Haimas's wife, the daughter of Nes-y!aga-ne't, went up to 
her father's house, to the place were the G'it-dzl'°s were encamped. 
Nes-y!aga-ne't's warriors advised her to take some excrement 
and put it on her husband's pillow, and then to come back again. 
They said, "If they come to kill you, we shall slay them to avenge 
your father." Therefore the woman went down again. She took 
some excrement and put it on the pillow of her husband, the chief 
Haimas. Then she went back to her father's house. 

Then the chief went into his house and saw the excrement on his pil- 
low, and ho asked all his wives whether they had done it. His wives 
did not know who had done it. Finally they said that his chief wife, 
Dl°ks, had done it. Then he called his two brothers, Wi-ha'° and 
Gwina'°t, and asked them to go to the camp of the G-it-dzi'°s, and to 
bring Di°ks back. He said, "I will give her this excrement to eat." 

The two princes went up to the camp of the G"it-dzi"'s, and came 
to a place where a man was making a new canoe. They stood 
beliind him, and said, "Your new canoe shall be ours." The man 
replied, "Yes; this new canoe that I am making shall be yours, but I 
will sell it." 

While these princes were talking to the man who was making the 
canoe, some of Nes-y!aga-ne't's warriors were ready to slay both of 
them. One man was sitting on the roof of the chief's large house, 
holding a long spear; and two others were in hiding on each side of the 
door, each holding a war-club. 

Before the two princes went in, they asked Am-dzl'°sk, the man 
who was making the canoe, "Is DPks, the wife of Haimas, in the 
house?" — "Oh, yes!" they re*plied, "she is in there. What do you 
want of her?" — "She put some excrement on her husband's piUow, 
and we come to take her back by order of our brother the chief." They 
went in; and as Wi-ha'° entered and stood in the doorway, he asked, 
' ' Where is Dl°ks ? " The princess was seated in front of her late father's 
coffin. She said, "Here I am! What do you want?" At that mo- 
ment the man who was on the roof of the house thrust his spear into 
Wl-ha'°'s back just between the shoulders, piercing his backbone; 
and when Wi-gwina'°t saw his elder brother fall, he ran out. The 
two men at the door tried to kill lum with their clubs, but they 
missed him, and he ran as fast as he could right dowia the beach and 
on the ice towards his own village. 

Haimas was looking towards the camp of the O'lt-dzl'^s, and he 
saw a person being pursued on the ice, and said to one of his men, 
"Look here! Wl-ha'" is driving the G'it-dzr°s before him on the 
ice." At that time the man who was making the canoe took his 
tomahawk and threw it at Wi-gwina'°t's feet and struck him in the 
bend of the knee, so that he fell down on the ice; and all Kes-y!aga- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 369 

ne't's warriors came clown and thrust their speats into his body. 
Then they sang as their war-song the mourning-song of their master 
who had been killed a few days before. These were the words of th(^ 
song: 

. As he was walking along to see the body, he brought hia own blood on his own head. 

Then a youth, the son of Chief Ilaimas, ran home and told his 
father that Haimas's two brothers had been killod by the G"it-dzi'''s. 
He said, "The G'it-dzl'°s killed your brothers to avenge my grand- 
father, whom you killed a few days ago." Then he questioned his 
father, and asked, "Is this the great battle today?" His father 
replied, "No, not now, my child; but you will see a greater battle 
than this." Thus spoke the great-hearted man. 

Very early the following morning all the people from up the river 
went to attack them. There was a great number of war-canoes, 
and they arrived in front of Haimas's camp. The battle began on 
the beach, and there was a great battle on that day. The WutslEn- 
a'luk fought valiantly, but they were weakening. 

Now the battle became fiercer, and many of the warriors of the 
WutslEu-a'luk were killed. Again the young chUd asked, "Father, 
is this the great battle today?" — "Yes," said he. 

Then the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts rushed against the Wuts!En-a'luk, and 
there was a great battle that day. All the ])eople from up the river 
went, and they took the village of the Wuts!En-a'luk house by house. 
Before they took Haimas's house, he escaped with a few of his men, 
three women, and a few children. The G'i-sjja-x-la'^ts burned their 
houses and destroyed their property; and before midnight the shout- 
ing of the warriors was heard on the mountains near Eed Bluff Gulf 
(Gwagaba'lga dza')- It was a long shout, ending like the hootmg of 
an owl. The war-cry of the G"i-si)a-x-la'°ts was like the hooting of 
an owl. 

Then the people up the river were glad to have gained the victory 
over the WutslEn-aTuk. 

Haimas made his escape to the Nass River people, and they saved 
him. Haimas's few people went back to the Tsimshian and scattered 
among all the Tsunshian tribes. The Tsimshian would not allow 
the Wuts!En-a'luk to have a town of their own agaui. Therefore 
Haimas's people are scattered among all the tribes. Haimas made 
his home among the Nass River jjeople, together with the three 
women who escaped with him. They married Nass chiefs. 

After many years, when Haimas was very old, a new Nes-balas 
and his people heard that he was making his home on Nass River: 
therefore they took many canoes and went up to the Nass people. 
Fuially they arrived at the place where Haimas was living. The 
canoes stopped ui front of the village, and they wanted Haimas to 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 24 



370 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

atone for those whom he had slain in his house years a<i;o. Then he 
made atonement for each of the princes and warriors whom he had 
killed in his house. 

Then a G'id-wul-ksE-ba'° man said to Haimas, "You shall atone 
also for my brother whom you have slain;" and the great old chief 
Haimas said, "Is thy brother's name Wi-ha'° or Wl-gwuia'^t? I am 
not full of fear because I have done this. Come and look into my 
heart!" Thus said the big-hearted man, stretching out his hands; 
and as he stretched out his hands, he fell back and died. That was 
the end of his life. 

There are many things in his life about which I have not written. 
I have only told about his enmity against Nes-balas and his people. 

(■_') WAR BETWEEN THE TSIMSHIAX AND THE TLINGIT 

A long time ago, after the Deluge had covered the whole earth, the 
people increased in immbers. 

Three or four generations before the white man arrived on this 
coast there were many wars. The Tlingit gained many victories; 
and last of all they subdued all the Tsimshian, who fled before them. 
The Tlingit pursued them everywhere, wherever they went to hide 
on the mountains. Therefore all the Tsimshian went up Skeena 
River, so that the Tlingit could not follow them. Nevertheless they 
kept watch over them. Then the Tsimshian were safe on Skeena 
River. They remembered that this river had belonged to their 
ancestors before the Deluge. Therefore they went there, but they 
did not go uj) to the place where their ancestoi-s had lived. One 
tribe lived at G'itsIala'sEr; another one, at G'itslEmga'lon; another 
one, at K-lax-g'ils River; one at KsEda's; one at KsEm-dzibcs; one 
at K-xadzuks; one at Kiyaks. One lived on the other side of 
Skeena River at Ginad&'°xs and K-t!ad and Ksdal. These rivers on 
both sides of Skeena River belong to all the Tsimshian tribes. 

Not one tribe remamed at the old town of Metlakahtla or anywhere 
on the seashore. This whole country was taken away by the Thngit 
as far as the mouth of Skeena River. 

At one time war broke out again. There was a great chief of the 
Eagle Clan, who was married to a princess of the G'ispawadwE'da. 
They built a strong fort, and named it Beaver Fort. The Eagle Clan 
assembled there to defend it against their enemies. The fort was 
built near the mouth of Skeena River, just above K-xadzuks River. 
When the fort was finished, aU the men ])racticed once a day. These 
people were the G'id-wul-g'a'dz. 

One time a young man came to them, a relative of the chief's wife, 
who loved his sister,' the only daughter of the chief, very much. It 

1 Meaning his mother's sister's daughter. It would seem here as though the young man had married 
a girl of his own dan.— F. B. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 371 

was not many years before the Tlingit attacked these people, and 
those who lived in the fortress were ready for them. Then the cliief 
said to the youncj man, "My son, take my only daughter and flee 
with her." Therefore the yomig man took her to a place above the 
creek K-t!ad. 

As soon as these two young peojjle had left the fort, it was attacked, 
and there was a great battle. Agam the Tlingit were victorious; and 
not one man escaped, only these two young ])eo])le who had left before 
the battle. The Tlingit were stronger than all the other tribes, and 
they took the Tsimshian villages, fishing-grounds, and hunting- 
grounds as far as Nass River and Skeena River, although these two 
rivers belonged to the Tsimshian. 

The TUngit made villages on Dundas Island; and whenever they 
saw smoke ascending on the niahdand, they went with many canoes 
and attacked the people, and all the Tsimshian were in great distress. 

Many years passed that way. None of the Tsimshian could go 
up to Nass River, because they were too nuich afraid of the Tlingit. 

Now, let us turn to the two young people who had fled from Beaver 
Fort many years ago. As soon as they arrived at the lake of K-t!ad, 
the young man married the girl, and they had a good home on the 
lake. They lived there many years, and had ten children, all boys. 
Their father taught them how to use their weapons, how to be suc- 
cessful, aTid how to keep themselves clean, and how to do things in 
the right way. Thus the ten young men became healthy and strong. 
They were very good-lookmg. 

When the young men were full-grown, their father moved down to 
the mouth of K-t!ad Creek, and thej^ camped there. The father was 
named Aksk; and as they were in camp there, he said to his sons, 
"Now, children, I want to take revenge on those who burned your 
grandfathers' Beaver Fort. Therefore go up and cut down fresh fir 
trees, and bring all the pitch that you can find, and bring fine dry 
sand." 

Then the young men went and brought what their father had 
asked for. He made a great heavy gate of the fresh fir wood. He 
cut the trees the right length, joined and nailed them together. After 
he had done so, he covered them with pitch and threw the dry sand 
over it. Then they cut some more fir trees and nailed them over the 
other ones, and covered the whole with pitch and sand. He gave it 
four coats. This gate was so heavy that not one of the young men 
was able to lift it by the corner. Only the four eldest of the young 
men were able to lift it. 

One day they lamiched two canoes and moved down to K-xIen, 
one of their deserted villages. There they built a large square house; 
and they put around it a stockade of fresh firs, making a double wall. 
Then they made a iioor high up ui the house. A httle stream of 



372 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [btii. ann. 31 

water ran through one corner of the square house. They hung the 
heavy gate at the dooi-way. Then they carved human forms of 
decayed wood and spread garments over them, and put them down, 
so that they looked like men lying in bed. In some beds there were 
two people. Then they took fresh large kelp and put it down from 
the second floor, and they made noise through it, as though the 
people that were lying on the ground were snoring. When every- 
thing was ready, they took down pitch wood and s])lit it up, and 
scattered it all over the house. 

Very early the following morning they made a large smudge, so 
that the Tlingit should see them. As soon as the smoke ascended 
and the Tlingit saw it, all their tribes assembled to come out and fight 
them. That very day many canoes went up from the mainland and 
came across to Dundas Island. Late in the evening they arrived at 
the south end of Metlakahtla Strait, and all the Tlingit canoes came 
secretly. When they saw the large square house, they all came ashore 
in front of it, but the brave young men in the house did not care 
about these people who came to fight with them. They had their 
door covered with old mats, and they had made a large fire. They 
took their wooden drum, and the father of the young men sang to 
show their enemies that they were not afraiil of them. 

Late in the night one of the young men from the square house took 
his pail and went to fetch water. When he was douig so, he saw aU 
the people round about. He went back to his brothers and told 
them that their enemies were about. In the evenmg, after they 
finished singing, they all went secretly up to the upper floor, ready 
to fight their enemies; and when the fire in the house had died down, 
all these brave young men blew into the kelps, and it sounded as 
though the wooden figures were snoring. 

Then the enemies came one by one secretly toward the sleepers; 
and when all were in, the leader of the warriors gave his order, and 
said with a loud voice, "Go ahead!" and all the Tlingit stabbed the 
wooden images with their knives. They could not get them out 
again, and could not remove their hands, because the knife-handles 
were tied to their wrists. Now, all the enemies were in the house; 
and when the peoj)le pressed in at the door, the heavy gate of fir 
wood shd down and pressed the people down, and none of them could 
escape. 

Then the ten brave men took their spears and killed everybody, 
stabbing them from the upper floor. After they had killed them, 
they went out. 

A few canoes fuU of people had made their escape. The Tsimshian 
men took one canoe and" pursued them. The canoes of the Tlingit 
went towards Dundas Island. They shot them with arrows, and 
those in one canoe were all killed by these ten brave men. They con- 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX MYTHS 373 

tinued to pursue them; and when the}' were near Dundas Island, only 
one canoe succeeded in making its escape. 

Then the young men came back, cut off the heads of those they 
had slam in the canoes, and their father cut off the heads of those 
slain in the house; and when the ten yomig men came back from their 
pursuit, they had four poles put up in their canoe, and many heads 
were hangmg from those poles. They sang a song of victory, which 
they had learned the night when their enemies came into their house. 
Their father also sang a song of victory; and the yomig men took 
the bodies of those they had slain and threw them on the beach, 
which was fuU of bodies. They took their scalps; and after they 
had done so, they took all the skulls and threw them into the creek 
that ran by the side of the fort. They took all the canoes, crest 
helmets, decorated daggers, decorated armor, coppers, and elk skins 
of their enemies. 

Now, the father of the ten brave young men wanted to invite the 
chiefs of the Tsimshian. Therefore five of them went as his messen- 
gers. They went up the Skeena River as far as G"its!ala'sEr. Then 
aU the Tsimshian chiefs came down the river. They all came on 
the same day; and when they arrived in front of the house and aU 
the canoes of the chiefs were there on the water, the ten young men 
sang their song of victory, wearing their garments and scalps. After 
they had danced on the beach, they called each chief's canoe one by 
one, and the chief saw the bodies of the slain enemies on the beach, 
and tliey also saw the skuUs in the creek. 

When they had entered, they were surprised to see the strong fort 
that they had built. The eldest son gave a great feast. He gave 
canoes to each chief, which they had taken from those who had been 
slain, and he gave everythuig that they had taken; and he took the 
name Wl-h6'°m (Great Bountiful One). After he had given his pres- 
ents to each chief, he said, "Chiefs, I want you to tell your warriors 
to come with nae to Dimdas Island to find the people who oppressed 
us for so many years." 

Then all the chiefs consented, and ten canoes went to make war 
upon the Tlhigit. They searched their hiding-places on the island, 
but only a few men remained. There were only women and children. 
They took these as captives and came back after a few days. 

In winter all the tribes of the Tsimshian moved down to Metla- 
kahtla, each tribe going to its own old village. Then they took back 
the country from the Nass to the Skeena River, and the Tsimshian 
did not allow any Tlingit on this side. 

Wi-ho'°m gave many feasts and came to be a great chief. In the 
last feast that he gave they carved his picture on a rock at Lax- 
kspaxl. Now aU the Tsimshian were able again to move from 



374 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. asn. 31 

Metlakahtla to Nass River for fishing olachen, and from Nass River 
to Skcena River for salmon fishing and for berrying. 

Some of the Tlingit remained in their hiding-places. They made a 
village at the mouth of some creeks at K-d5n and Lax-maxt and 
K-ts!Em-adl'°n and at other places in the channel. Some of the 
people found hunting-grounds at various places along the coast, 
between Nass and Skeena Rivers. One tribe, the G"it-dzl'°s, took a 
creek north of Skeena River called Kiyaks, and they made a village 
there for the summer. 

They had homes in three places. Metlakahtla was their winter 
home; Nass River was their spring home, for olachen fishing; and 
Skeena River was their summer home, for salmon fishing; and their 
hunting-grounds for the fall were on the creeks. 

A tribe of the G'it-dzl'°s lived at the village Lax-lgu-sbo'il. In 
olden times the people were expert gamblers, and so it was with one 
man of the G'it-dzi'°s. He was a head man in that tribe. His posi- 
tion was near that of the great chief named Galksak. This man was 
called Lax-ani's (On The Branch). He belonged to the Wolf Clan. 

In the winter this man's wife died. They had a son about twelve 
years old. The man kept him, and they were living at Lax-lgu- 
sbo'il. One day early in the fall he gambled with another man, and 
he lost all he had. There was nothing left to him who was living with 
his son. Some of his relatives gave him and his son a little food. 
Therefore Lax-ani's took his little canoe and went down the river 
with his son. They camped at the mouth of Kiyaks, and took the 
little canoe up into the woods. They went inland to look for some 
beavers in the lake on the other side of Kiyaks Valley. They went to 
the first lake, and did not find any beavers, but they found some fresh 
footprints of people. They went to the second lake, and thoy did not 
fin d any. Here the man said to his son, "Maybe some strange people 
killed off all the beavers in these two lakes." He continued, "Let us 
go on ! " So they went down the stream that runs out of the last lake, 
and soon came to a small trail that led down along the river. When 
they were going down, Lax-ani's heard the noise of some one chopping 
wood. Therefore they climbed a hill on the side of the valley, because 
they were afraid. When they reached the top of the hill, he said to 
his son, "My dear, stay here alone! Do not be afraid, and do not 
cry, lest some misfortune befall us! Wait for me until I come back! 
I want to go down and see who is chopping wood there. Do not make 
any noise while I am away." 

Then the man went down secretly toward the noise, and he saw a 
tall man who was making a canoe. He was using a copper hammer 
and copper wedges to take chips out of the canoe that he was making. 
He had tied his hair in a knot on top of his head. Before sunset the 



DOAs] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 375 

tall man put his hammer and his wedges under the log and went 
down. 

Lax-ani's went back to where his son was, and said to him, "Let 
us stay here over night!" They remained there; and early the next 
morning, when he woke up, he saw a small village below, and many 
small canoes at the mouth of another creek on the nortJi side of the 
little village. When all the little canoes had gone, he said to his son, 
"Stay here! I will go down and see who lives in that village." 
There was nobody outside the houses. He ran down and entered the 
first house. There he saw women and children, who were covered 
with mats of red cedar. He went to another house, and there it was 
the same. 

Then Lax-anl's went back secretly to where he had left his son. 
Then he went down to the place where the man was making a canoe, 
and took the three copper wedges and the copper hammer. 

Then they went down quickly, and soon he reached his own canoe, 
went back, and on the same day they arrived at their village. 
Another man was making a canoe there. His name was Wa-di-dax. 
He was working at a narrow strait, Lu-tgi-na-baulkwa. He also 
belonged to the tribe of the G"it-dzl'°s. This man invited all the 
people of his tribe into his house. After the food had been served, he 
told them that he wished the young people to help him takedown 
liis new canoe from the woods. Then Lax-anl's said in the same 
house, "I want to speak to the wise men." 

After the young men had gone out, he said, "I discovered a little 
village on the other side of Kiyaks Valley, on the seashore, not very 
far from the lake. A trail leads from the lake to the seashore. I have 
discovered that camp, and it is very easy to overcome the enemies." 
Thus said Lax-anl's, and all the wise men of the G'it-dzi'°s agreed to 
go and fight them on the following day. 

They started, and Lax-anl's guided them through the valley of 
Kiyaks. They camped on top of the hill where Lax-anl's and his son 
had been in camp before; and very early the following morning, 
before the sun rose, they saw many little canoes. One by one they 
went to the north side of the village. Lax-anl's counted the canoes, 
as he had done before; and when they were all gone, the brave men 
came down to the village and took all the women and children cap- 
tive. Some of the G'it-dzi'°s took them over the trail, and many 
remained in the village waiting for the Tlingit to come home. When 
it was nearly sunset, the canoes came back filled with seals. When 
the canoe men came back to the house, the G'it-dzl'°s lolled them; 
and when another canoe came in, they killed these also, when they 
came to the house. They cut off their heads. Then all the other 
canoes came in one by one. Last of all one canoe came in ^yith. four 
men. Before thev went ashore one of them shouted in his own 



376 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. Ann. 31 

language, in Tlingit; and, since no one answered, they fled in their 
hunting-canoe. Thus the G"it-dzi'°s gained a victory over the 
Tlingit. They took two large canoes and pursued the four men, but 
the small canoe was faster than the large ones. 

Therefore the two large canoes went into the next bay, and as 
they went farther in they saw smoke rising in front of them. In the 
evening they went ashore on the beach, and they found there a camp 
consisting of six houses. 

The chief sent two scouts. These went there secretly, and they 
found nobody in. Fires were lighted, and everything was left in the 
houses; and all the houses were full of garments and vessels and 
coppers, wliich the Tlingit had thrown away in their haste, for they 
had fled from their camp. The four men in the little canoe had come 
to the camp and told them to flee before their enemies. Therefore 
these peojile had gone and crossed the mountains. When they arrived 
on the other side of the mountain, they found some Tlingit camping 
at K-ts !Em-adi'°n Creek, fishing salmon and hunting. They also 
took to their canoes, which they loaded with dried salmon, mountain- 
goat meat, tallow, and dried seal, and they moved away to Alaska. 

Therefore the Tsimshian now owned the whole country, because 
they had gained a victory over the Tlingit . Many times the Tlingit 
tried to regain this side, but they could not do it. 

The last war with the Tlingit was when the Tsimsliian were coming 
back from Nass River. Tliis was in the generation of my grand- 
mother and my grandfather, the second year after the white men 
arrived on this coast. They knew then how to use guns. The 
Tlingit were the first to meet white men at Old Tongass. Therefore 
they knew how to use guns at that time. 

When the Tsimshian were going down from Nass River, and they 
were halfway down, a hunting-canoe came to meet them, and shouted 
that Tlingit warriors were coming along to fight the Tsimshian. 
Then the Tsimshian warriors' took twenty good-sizc^d canoes and 
went ahead of all the other canoes that were coming do^mi from Nass 
River. They joined in battle on the shore at K-hp-g"anlin, half- 
way between Nass and Skeena Rivers. Then one of the Tlingit 
warriors came forward from a Tlingit camp, and said to the Tsim- 
shian, "Who will come and fight with me? Let him come forward 
to fight with me before the battle is to begin!" The name of this 
man was Lax-duxat. Then one man of LEg"e'°x's tribe said, "I 
wiU meet you. If you kill me, then you will have won the victory 
over the Tsimshian. If I kill you, then we shall have won the 
victory over your people." Therefore the Tlingit ran forward 
against the man who had spoken to him, and said wliile he was run- 
ning, "I will take off your head today." He had tied his dagger to 
his left wrist, and held his gun in his right hand. He wore a red shirt, 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 377 

and a helmet of white weasels on his head. He ran over a fallen log; 
and when he came to the middle of it, his enemy came to meet him. 
His name was IladagEm l!i'; and Lax-duxat fired his gun, but 
HadagEm l!l' shot him right in the forehead, and he fell dowTi dead. 
Then the noise of the discharge of guns was heard. The Tlingit were 
vanquished on that day, and they fled before the Tsimshian, and the 
Tsimshian jnirsued them. Very few canoes returned to their home 
in the north. Many were killed that day, and their heads were cut 
off by the Tsimshian. This was the last great battle between the 
Tsimshian and the Tlingit. 

Our grandfathers and gi-andmothers have never forgotten this war, 
when the warriors of the Tlingit were coming up to fight against the 
Tsimshian, on their way from Nass River. My gi'andmother's uncle 
was killed in this war. 

Two years later the Tlingit sent a message to Chief LEg'e'°x, asking 
to make peace between them. LEg"e'°x rej^lied to them that there 
should be peace : therefore the Tlingit came south when the Tsimshian 
were in camp on Nass River. One day a great number of canoes 
covered the water on Nass River. They stopped in front of the camp 
of the great chief LEg"e'°x. Then LEg*e'°x's tribe assembled in the 
chief's house. The people shouted, and the Tlingit also were shouting 
in their canoes. This was to show that peace was made between 
them. Then LEg'e'°x's people came out and went down the beach 
with elk skins, which were held at each corner by one man. They 
went toward the canoes, and one of the great princes put on all liis 
crests. He wore his uncle's dancing-blanket over his crests, and a 
headdress. Then the people from the chief's house lifted him up. 
They placed him on the elk skin, and shouted ' ' Wo!" while they were 
lifting him. Thus they carried him back to the chief's house. Two 
men from the canoes followed the high prince into the house. They 
seated him by the side of Chief LEg'e'°x in the rear of the house. 
Thus all the Tlingit came up to the chief's house. Then the Tsim- 
shian came in from all sides of Nass River, where all the tribes were 
scattered. Two great princes were seated one on each side of the 
great chief LEg'e'°x. His own nephew was on his right-hand side, 
and the great Tlingit prince on his left-hand side; and the Tlingit 
stood there shouting, and they all went to the rear of the house, 
toward the seat of the great prince, LEg'e'°x's nephew; and they 
lifted him up on an elk skin and carried him to their side, and seated 
him at tho right-hand side of their own chief. They were shouting 
while they canied LEg'e'°x's nephew on the elk skin. 

These two great princes represented the two tribes which were 
making peace. 

Now the Tlingit danced first. Theirs was a sorrowful dance. 
They lifted their faces toward heaven, and they lifted both hands 



378 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

while they were singing a mourning-song. During the song they 
were crying, thinking of the relatives that had been killed during the 
past war. The Tlingit danced twice. Then the Tsimshian began to 
shout. They took up the great prince of the Tlingit, lifted him up, 
and placed him on the right side of the great chief LEg'e'''x. Then 
they danced like the dance of the Tlingit. 

At the end of the dances the food was served; but before this was 
done, two young girls brought new wooden dishes, poured water into 
the dishes, and one of the girls washed the right hand of the great 
Tlingit prince, and the other one washed his left hand. One of them 
wiped his hands ^vith soft shredded cedar bark. Then two other 
girls came forward and washed the face of the great prince, and 
another one wiped his face with shredded cedar bark. 

Next a princess stepped forward wearing her costly abalone ear- 
ornaments, which cost each one slave, a nose-ornament of abalone 
shell, and brass bracelets on both arms. She wore also a dancing- 
blanket. She took the food and gave it to the great Tlingit prince. 
They, on their part, did the same to LEg^e'^x's nephew. 

After eating, the Tlingit began to dance again. They were fol- 
lowed by the Tsimshian. Four days they staid in the cliief's house. 
They danced three times a day, and all these customs of making 
peace have been followed ever since. 

The morning after this the Tlingit were ready to go home. After 
breakfast they shouted, and lifted the elk skin on which LEg"e'°x's 
nephew was seated. They took him down to their canoe, and 
placed him on a carved bt^x. He was wearing his crests and his 
uncle's dancing-blanket and a headdress. Two of his friends followed 
him, because he was to be away from home for nearly a year. 

Then the Tlingit went home, while LEg"e'°x kept the prince of the 
Tlingit in his house, and also the two men who followed liim when he 
was first taken to the house. The great prince continued to dance 
three times a day, and the princess continued to give him food, while 
the other girls washed him. These two great princes represented the 
two great tribes that had made peace from that time on, forever. 

A month later the great prince of the Tlingit asked Chief LEg'e'°x, 
"What Gowagani' ^vill you give me to be my name?" Then 
LEg"e'°x assembled aU his wise men among the Tsimshian and ques- 
tioned them : ' ' What Gowagani do you want to call this great prince ?" 
Then each wise man named some kind of strong animal, but he 
refused them all. Finally Chief LEg'e'°x named him Nass Gowagani; 
and he accepted this, because Nass River is a great thing among all 

1 This is obviously the Tlingit term qou'ahd'n, meaning "deer.** Swanton (4, p. 451; 5, p. 128) says that 
one man is elected and called the "deer'* or the "sun deer" or "fort deer,'* who performs the ceremony 
here described. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 379 

the tribes speaking all the different languages on all parts of the 
coast; so they called him Nass Gowagani. 

In the same way it was with Chief LEg'e'°x's nephew. He asked the 
Tlingit chief G&.dunaha'°, "What name wiU you call my Gowagani?" 
Then the great chief Gadunaha'° called all the wise men of the Tlingit, 
and asked them, "'What name shall we call this gi'eat Tsimshian 
piince ?" So the wise men called him Fine Weather, or Sun, or Moon, 
or Stars Of Heaven, and everything that is good and kind; but he 
declined all these names. Finally the great chief Gadunaha'° named 
Mm .Summer Gowagani. Then the prince accepted this, and he was 
very glad when they called him this name. Gowagani is the name of 
the peace dance. 

The princes continued to live with these great chiefs. In the fall 
of the year the Tlingit came back to the village of Metlakahtla, and 
all the Tsimshian tribes were invited by LEg"e'°x. Chief LEg'e'°x's 
nephew was head dancer of the Tlingit. At tliis time they performed 
dances of happiness. The dancers had their heads covered wath 
down, and they had pufiin-beak rattles in the right hand and eagle 
do^vn in the left hand. The old women held carved canes in their 
right hands and down in their left hands ; and when the last song was 
sung, each dancer looked up; and when the words of the song were 
pronounced, they put the left hand over the mouth and blew up the 
down from the palms of their left hands, so that the down flew about 
in the house, and the heads of the Tsimshian were covered with it. 

Then the great cliief Gadunaha'° called the name of LEg'e'°x's 
nephew: "Great Prince Summer Gowagani, come with your cane!" 
and Summer Gowagani came forward with a copper in each hand. 
The gi-eat prince Summer Gowagani spoke the Tlingit language, and 
he placed those two coppers before his uncle, who was seated in the 
rear of the house; and the two young men who had followed the 
great prince from Nass River to the Tlingit country were like his 
slaves. The young princess who gave the great prince to eat came 
forward, and was given to the cliicf to be liis wife; and many valuable 
things were given to the chief to atone for those slain in war during 
past years. 

(Now, the name Summer Gowagani means that no one shall be in 
sorrow in summer, when the birds are singing on the trees, and berries 
are ripe, and everything is good, when the weather is fine and the 
people are happy.) 

Then the people of the other side had dances, and Nass Gowagani 
was the head dancer of the Tsimshian. The Tsimshian had white 
eagle tails in their right hands, and bags with red ocher were held in 
their left hands; and all the young women held down in then- right 
hands, and tallow of mountain sheep in the left. 



380 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY |eth. ann. 31 

(In these days they used fat and tallow a great deal. It was boiled, 
and the scum was taken off the melted tallow. Then cold water was 
put into a wooden vessel, and the melted fat was poured into the 
water. Then the cold water would draw all impurities down, and the 
pure fat would harden on top. This was used for anointing the faces 
of girls and young men.) 

This the yovmg women of the Tsimshian held in their left hands; 
and after the last song of the dance, the young women came forward 
and scattered the down over the heads of the Tlingit. The princess 
who had given to eat to Nass Gowagani went to the great chief 
Gtidunaha'° and rubbed fat over his face and put red ochcr on it. All 
the young women rubbed the faces of the Tlingit with fat and red 
ocher. 

Soon after the dance the great chief LEg^e'^x called, "Nass Gowa- 
gani, come forward!" and he came, carrying two coppers on liis back 
and a cane in each hand, with representations of two canoes on the 
cane. There were ten people in each canoe. That meant ten slaves 
in each canoe; and Nass Gowagani spoke the Tsimshian language. 
He went toward liis uncle, Gadunaha'", and put the coppers before 
him, and also the two canoes with twenty slaves in them, and many 
valuable things besides. The two companit>ns who had followed him 
in the beginning called also each one man with a cane and a canoe, 
and they put them down before the chief. 

(The meaning of Nass Gowagani is that when the people from all 
the places are hungry — men, birds, water animals — all come up to 
Nass River, because plenty of food is there iri the springtime, which 
makes people happy, so that no one remembers the hardships of 
winter, and they all enjoy taking the olachen which arrives, and 
all are satisfied. Therefore the great prince of the Tlingit wanted 
this to be his name.) 

This is the end of the Tlingit and Tsimshian wars, which lasted for 
many years. Since that time they have never been at war again, 
until now they are very friendly and brothers in Clirist. 

(3) WAK BETWEEN THE HATOA AND THE G'I-SPA-X-l1'°TS 

In former times there were many wars. After a great war between 
the Tsimshian and the Tlingit, when the Tsimshian moved down from 
Nass Eiver, the G'i-spa-x-h'i°ts were the last tribe to move from Nass 
River; and when they had reached a place called Lax-a'us (Sandy 
Shore), they camped there. This is between Rose Point and 
Motlakahtla. Early on the following morning, when the tide was very 
low, a voice was heard from below, warning the sleepers that their 
enemies were coming: therefore all the chief's warriors awoke from 
their sleep and were ready. Then a crowd of war-canoes arrived in 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 381 

front of the camp, and a great battle was fought that day. There were 
more Ilaida than Tsimshian: therefore the G"i~spa-x-Ux'°ts were van- 
quished by them. Many of them were killed, and many taken away 
as captives. Chief LEg^e'^x's sister (Wl-nle'^x) and her eldest son 
(Hats!Eks-n!e'°x) were taken captive with the other men and women 
and childi-en. Half of LEg'e'°x's tribe were Idlled off by the Haida, 
who took them to Queen Charlotte Islands. The other half of the 
tribe moved up Skeena River in order to dry salmon and other winter 
provisions. They camped below the canyon at Gat-aus (Sandy 
Camp). They staid there the whole summer, drying salmon and 
other provisions; and early in the fall they moved their village a 
little farther down, to Ts'.uwa'nxlEm gal-tsla'jj (Cape Town), where 
they used to live in the fall. 

All the people of the village were sorry on account of those members 
of their families who had been taken captive. Chief LEg'e'''x never 
spoke a word; but he was still crying for his sister and her son, who 
had been taken away into captivity with the rest of the people. 

One day a great warrior came to the house of Chief LEg"e'°x, 
and said to the chief, "My dear chief, why don't you say anything 
about your beloved sister and your nephew, who have been taken 
captive? Call all the tribes, and say that they shall go to Queen 
Charlotte Islands to make war on the Ilaida." 

Therefore the great chief arose from his bed, and said, "Run to all 
the houses in the village and call all the warriors!" Then the young 
men ran from house to house to call all the people to the house of the 
great chief; and when all had come in, LEg'e'°x said to his people, 
"I want to go to Queen Charlotte Islands on account of my sister and 
my nephew and my people's wives and children, and on account of 
some of my people." He ordered liis young men to take one box of 
oil to the front of the fire. They did so; and the chief said, 
"Who \viU be the first to bring back my sister and my nephew, who 
have been carried into captivity ? Let him come forward and dip his 
fourth finger into the oil, lick it off, and take a vow!" 

Then a warrior came into the chief's house. He stepped forward, 
dipped his fourth finger into the oil, and put it into his mouth, 
to show the others that he would be the fii'st to die at the great chief's 
command in battle, and that he would not break his vow. His name 
was Qanas. 

Then the chief said again, ' ' Wht) ^^ill be the next bravo man to come 
forward ? " Then two men came forward, and they also took the vow 
before all the people that they would be second in battle; and so 
did all the other j^eople of the great chief. They dipped their 
fingers into the oil, licked it off, until the large box was empty. 
The last two men broke the empty box and threw it into the fire. 



382 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

They said, "I will take the vow that I will burn the empty villaj:;e as 
I bum this empty box." Then all the people uttered their war-cries 
four times. This was the custom before they went to war. 

Then the chief said a<^ain, "I invite the people of the canyon to go 
to war with us." Therefore he sent a messenger to the G"its lala'sEr, 
whose chief was Nes-dzakagul, and who belonged to the same clan. 
Tliis cliief went with all his wamors to the village of Chief LEg"e'°x, who 
told him that he wanted liiin to accompany them to Queen Charlotte 
Islands. The other chief agreed, and Chief LEg'e'^x ordered a box of 
oil to be brought out, and they followed the old custom. They 
opened the box of oil; and Nes-dzakagul came forward to where 
the box of oil was, and he said to his own people, "Who will come 
forward first and be the first to die for the sake of our sister Wl-n!e'°x 
and of her son Hats!Eks-n!e'°x and all the rest of our people?" Then 
one man of the Eagle Clan named Yaas said, "I will be first to open 
the bows of the Ilaida. I will give my life for the sak(^ of my ma.ster's 
sister and his nephew." He dipj)ed his fourth finger into the oil. 
Then two more came forward, and all the rest of the people; last of 
all, two young men, who took their clubs, and said that they would 
break the houses as they were breaking the oil-box, and that they 
woidd burn the village. After all the warriors had taken the vow, 
they shouted four times; and after four days had passed, they were 
ready to start. 

The great LEg-e'°x sent one of his friends to the G'inax'ang*i'°k, and 
he promised to pay him a certain amount if they should com(> liack 
safe. This man went ^\^th them secretly, for he was afraid of his 
people. His name was Anamlk. He behmged to the Raven Clan. 
He was their guide across the sea to Queen Charlotte Islands. 

Then they started down Skeena River. They passed all the vil- 
lages of the Tsimshian along the river, and the Tsimshian encouraged 
the great chief; and when they passed the last village of the G"id- 
wul-g'a'dz, they said when LEg"e'°x's many canoes passed in front 
of their village, " What are you doing ? " They replied, "Oh, yes!" but 
the people of this ^-illage made fun of them, and said, "Don't kill 
Wl-suqans! Take him alive, and we will pay you when you come 
back!" The warriors, however, did not reply anything, and their 
guide led them directly to Queen Chariotte Islands. 

Now I -ft-ill turn back to the Haida who had taken the Tsimshian at 
Sandy Shore. When they arrived on Dundas Island, at the point 
Lax-gulwal, they camped there; and before they began to eat, 
they tied their captives hand and foot. Then all the men went 
around the fire, and Wi-n!e'°x sang her brother LEg'e'°x's mourning- 
song with all her strength. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 383 

Sdl'lda,* one of the Haida chiefs, recognized the tune while he was 
eating. He threw his wooden spoon into liis dish, spit into the fire, 
and called one of his two warriors. "Go to my canoe and bring my 
copper!" They did so, and he said, "Bring the woman that sang 
the mourning-song from the canoe of Chief Wi-ha'°!" The two men 
went dowTi, untied the shackles of LEg'e'''x's sister, and Chief Sdi'lda 
asked her through an interpreter what her name was and to what 
clan she belonged. She said, "My name is Wl-n !e'°x and Nes-pdl"*ks. 
I am the sister of the great chief LEg'e'°x, and the head wife of the great 
chief Dzeba'sa. " Then all the people were silent when the great 
princess had spoken. She said, "This is Dzeba'sa's young son." 

Then Chief Sdi'lda said, "I want to buy my sister from Wl-ha'", 
the great chief;" and two of his men lifted one of his coppers and 
took two slaves and many valuable things; and Wi-ha'° said, "Leave 
her son with me!" but Sdi'lda said, "I do not want my nephew to be 
captive in anoflier clan's house. I shall return them to my brother 
LEg"e'°x. I should be ashamed if you should keep the boy in your 
house. Give him to me!" Therefore Wi-ha'° gave the boy to 
Sdi'lda, and also one slave, who accompanied the boy. They then 
left Dundas Island and went to Queen Charlotte Islands. 

When they reached their home, the great chief Wi-ha'° invited 
all the Haida cliiefs, and spoke to them, saying, "I will go to the 
tribe of Chief LEg"e'°x and atone for the people whom I have killed; 
and I will return the people whom we have captured, because I do 
not want to have war with him, but I want to make war on Sa^ks." 
Therefore all the Haida chiefs agreed to do so in the following summer. 

One day one of the nephews of the old Haida chief Wl-ha'" wanted 
to marry Wl-n!e'°x. This prince was to succeed Wl-ha'° when he 
should die; and the G'ispawadwE'da went to Sdi'lda and gave him a 
wedding present. Then Chief Sdi'lda allowed him to take her, 
together wdth many elk sldns, sea-otter garments, and many kinds 
of provisions. 

In the same summer all the relatives of Wi-n!e'°x's husband moved 
to the north side of Lax-wau (Sandbar?), to a brook that runs down 
in the middle of the bar. At that time salmon were in the rivers. 
Many people were camping there, and the young chief loved Wi-n!e'°x 
very much. All the Haida were scattered away from the village. 

Now let us tui-n again to those people of LEg"e'°x's tribe who had 
gone to make war against the Haida, and who staid at the point 
Lax-gulwal. Every morning Anamik went out and looked at the 
sky to observe the wind, and looked at the clouds. One day after 
he had looked at the clouds, he said to the chief, "Arise! There will 
be good weather today." Then all the warriors were ready; and 

I Swanton 2, p. 275: Ste'lta, chief of the T!51k!a Eagles. 



384 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY leth. ann. 31 

their guide said, "Let every one jjiit on his spruce-root hat; and if 
any one has no such spruce-root hat, k>t him close his eyes as long as 
we are passing through the sea, else he will become blind." 

Then they started. The sea was calm; and late in the evening 
they reached the south side of a sandbar near a point, and they buUt 
a fort there. On the following day they finished the fort, and all 
the old men were kept inside. When the sun had nearlj^ set, all the 
young warriors went to search for the Haida ^iliage. They walked 
about in the woods. One man named Qanas was among these young 
men; and when the sun set in the west, they heard the noise of a 
stone ax in front of them. One of the warriors said to his fellows, 
"Let us wait here! I will go on alone." They staid there, and the 
man went on alone to sec where the noise came from. 

When he came near the village, he heard the Haida speaking very 
loud. The warrior concealed himself in the bushes, ^nd saw a tall 
man striking his slave with a piece of wood, and the poor slave lay 
there almost dead. The Haida man took up a larger piece of wood 
■Bnd struck him again. Then the warrior shot him with his arrow, 
and he fell down dead. He went to the place where the slave lay 
half dead, and asked him, "How are you V Theslave opened his eyes 
and saw the man of his owai tribe. He arose, and said, "This was my 
master." Then the other one said, "Go down to the village and tell 
all our people — men, women, and chikh-en — not to sleep tonight, 
because we are going to burn the village before daybreak. Where 
is Princess Wi-n!e'°x? Is she here?" The other one replied, "Yes; 
she is married to the nephew of the great chief Wl-ha'°." — "And 
where is the boy Hats!Eks-n!e'°x?" — ''A chief of the Eagle Clan, 
Sdi'lda, is keeping him in his house as a free boy, but Chief Sdi'lda is 
not here. He has gone to his own camping^ound." 

After this conversation the slave went down to the village. His 
name was Sa-g'iba'yuk. He was one of LEg'e'°x's people. He 
whispered into the ears of all the captives that LEg'e'°x's wamors 
had come to burn the village before daybreak. 

Wi-n!e'°x heard this also, and she was ready to leave. At mid- 
night the G-i-spa-x-la'°ts warriors came up and killed many Haida, 
and some of the Haida came out and fought against them, and there 
was a hot battle. Then all the captives ran away to their people, 
and the battle was being fought the whole day. 

The men in the fort looked into the distance along the sandbar, 
and, behold! the battle was being fought on the beach of the sandbar. 
Then another gi-oup of warriors came out of the fort. They ran 
toward the Haida and shot them with their arrows, made of g-am 
wood. These arrows can not be broken. 



BOASJ TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 385 

One great man, Qanas Ijy name, the first one who had licked the 
oil from his fourth finger in LEg"e'°x's house in the war feast, was 
a strong waiiior. His arrow passed through two men when he shot. 

Now the Haida were subdued by the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts, and one of the 
brothers of the chief who had married Wi-nle'^x was shot by the 
enemy. He ran to his brother, who was seated in his house with his 
wife Wi-n!e'°x. The chief tried to break the an-ow of giam wood, 
but he coiild not do it: therefore he called his wife, and asked her, 
"What kind of an aiTOw is tliis?" Wl-n!e'°x replied, "This tree 
grows neither here nor in my home in Metlakahtla. It grows only 
way up Skeena Rirer. It is the tree of the people who live in the 
mountains far away. They are i>eople who are able to run very fast. 
Tell your people to run away and save themselves." 

Therefore the young chief ordered his men to flee; but before they 
left, the chief put his own dancing-blanket on his wife, Wl-n !e'°x, and 
gave her four of his coppers. He put the four coppers around her to 
defend her against the weapons of the enemy, and the chief escaped. 

When the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts entered the houses, they saw Wi-n!e'°x 
sitting between fourvaluable coppers, and two men-slaves by her side. 
She said to her people, "Take these four valuable coppers, and give 
them to my brother." The men did so, and they destroyed every- 
thing, and made many Haida women and children captive. They 
captured also a great old chief named Wi-suq^ns. 

On the following day they were ready to start home. They had 
many heads in their canoes. They broke up the new canoes of the 
Haida and burned the ^'illage. The great chief LEg"e'°x gave each 
man a slave. He had nine cojjj^ers, and gave two coppers to his 
fellow-chief Nes-dzakagul; and Chief LEg'e'°x gave forty elk skins 
to their guide Anamik. So they started across the sea; and when 
all the canoes approached Dundas Island, the man who served as the 
guide of the canoes said, "vShout to all the canoes, that they may keep 
close together, because there is going to be a strong wind." There- 
fore they kept together and they paddled hard. Then a southerly 
gale began to blow, and they came ashore at the point Lax-gulwal. 
There they camped for a few days and started again. They arz-ived 
at the mouth of Skeena River, and began to sing their war-songs. 
They put up many heads on poles; and as they passed the village of 
the G"id-wul-ga'dz, the people of the village shouted to them, railing 
at them, and said, "People of Gi-sj)a-x-la'°ts, what village have you 
destroyed?" They replied, "Git-lelguiu." The people told them 
that they had taken Wi-sQqans alive. Then the people in the village 
raised their wai'-cry; and then* chief, Las, took a copper under luis 
right arm, broke it, and tlu-ew it dowTi on the beach. 

Then all the war-canoes stopped in front of the village and uttered 
their war-cry. Chief LEg'e'°x broke one of his coppers and threw it 
50G33°— 31 ETH— 16 25 



386 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

into the water against that village. Th(>n the people ashore shouted 
again. Their chief brought down another copper, broke it, and 
threw it down on the beach. Then they shouted in the canoes, and 
another chief broke another copper. The people, on shore took 
up the shout, and their chief came out with the stern-board of a 
canoe under his arm. He thi'ew it down on the beach, and said, "I 
am going to buy the copper next summer for the Haida." Then 
LEg'e'°x's warriors shouted again. The great chief broke another 
copper, and now they were silent in the village. 

Therefore Nes-dzakagul's canoe paddled away from the place in 
front of Las's village, and they sang a mocking song: "O Las! verily, 
you are ashamed ! You are named Las ! for you threw away in front 
of your village a copper stern-board of a canoe." 

Then the war-canoes took up the song one by one and paddled away. 
The men in one of the last war-canoes sang while thi'owang the drip- 
ping water off from each paddle, "You shall be the last one among all 
the chiefs, because you are not able to throw away coppers as the 
high chief has done." 

Then all the warriors went away, and passed the town of the 
G'it-dzi'°s. The noise of drums was heard, and some of Nes-y!aga- 
ne't's men stood on shore to call the great chief LEg'e'°x. He 
thanked Chief Nes-y!aga-ne't for his kindness; and he added, "Wait 
until I come down again to accept your invitation. I will come from 
my own house to your house, and I will stay several days with you." 
Then the great chief LEg"e'°x took one of his male slaves and pre- 
sented him to Cliief Nes-y!aga-ne't, and so they left there. 

Then they arrived at G"inax'ang-i'°k, and the noise of drums was 
heard. Some men came dovsTi to the beach to call Chief LEg"e'°x to 
Chief Sa^ks's house to welcome him because he had come back safe. 
Then Chief LEg-e'°x thanked Chief Sa°ks for his kindness, and he 
promised to come down some day to have a good time. 

They went on, and arrived at the village of the G'itlanda', whose 
chief was Gul-qa'q, LEg"e'°x's own nephew. He sent do-svTi his own 
son to invite the great Chief LEg"e'°x to his own house to welcome 
him after his safe return. 

Chief LEg'e'°x ordered all his companions to go to his nephew's 
house, and the warriors went up. After Gul-qa'q's welcome dance two 
of his men lifted a copper, and said, "These are the feathei-s, chief; 
these are the feathers, chief; these are the feathers." Then they laid 
the copper down before LEg'e'°x to welcome him; and this was the 
first good meal that the warriors had had since they had left their 
home; and they drank as much water as they could, for since they 
had left home they had eaten only a little food twice a day and had 
taken water only twice a day throughout the whole time. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 387 

They spent one day in the village of LEg^e'^x's nephew. Thi^ cap- 
tive chief Wi-suqans had come up with Chief LEg'e'°x, and they 
placed him on one side of Gul-qa'q's house. They ate together out of 
one dish, and Nes-dzakagul was seated on one side with his own 
people. Chief LEg"e'°x took Anamik up with him to his home. 

On the following day they went on, and arrived at the village of 
the G"it-la'n. Their ch'ums were heard, and some of the men came 
down to the shore to invite Chief LEg'e'°x to Nes-lagunus's house. 
The chiefs thanked him kindly, and promised to come down later on 
and spend some time with him. So they went on again, after he had 
given presents to Chief Nes-lagunus, as he did with all the tribes that 
invited him. 

They went on, and arrived at their own house, singing their war- 
songs ; and as they came ashore, Chief Wi-suq&ns died of the wounds 
that he had received in battle. Chief LEg'e'°x's head wife, however, 
KsEm-g'a'mk, paid those who buried the captive chief Wi-suqans, 
because he belonged to her clan, the G'ispawadwE'da. 

LEg'e'°x fulfilled liis promise to liis fellow-chiefs who had invited 
him after his return from the war on the Haida. 

There are many things cormected with this; but I am not writing 
those here, only about the time when Chief vSdi'lda sent back Prince 
Hats!Eks-n!e'°x. He came up when the Tsimshian were on Nass 
Kiver, fishing. The following spring Sdi'kla had taken one canoe, in 
which he came with all his nephews; and he gave one largo canoe to 
Prince Hats!Eks-n!e'°x, with ten male slaves. These two canoes 
came across the sea from Queen Charlotte Islands. 

Before they arrived at the mouth of Nass River, they stopped at 
the foot of the high mountain Katsan; and Chief Sdi'kla said to 
HatslEks-nle'^x, "Don't let your uncle cut off my head to be given 
to another clan!" Then the prince's heart was full of sorrow on 
accountof what Sdi'kla had said; and Sdi'lda said again, "O nephew 
Hats feks-n !e'°x ! don't let your ungle cut off my head and give it to 
another clan, lest they mock me." And after he had said so three 
times. Prince Hats!Eks-n!e'°x said, "I shall not allow him to do so." 
So they went up. 

The people were learning one of LEg"e'"x's songs in his house. 
Many men and women were practicing, for the great Chief LEg"e'°x 
was about to invite all the tribes and their chiefs to remove the stain 
of captivity from his sister. 

While they were all singing the new song, some one came rushing 
in at the door, and said, "Listen to me! Two large canoes fuU of 
people are lying outside." Then all the people in the house stopped 
singing, and some one said that the people in the canoe spoke Haida. 
Then Wi-n!e'°x said to her brother LEg'e'°x, "Sdi'kla has come to 
bring my son." Then the great chief said, "Beat the drum and 



388 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [£th. ann. 31 

invite my brother Sdi'ida!" So they beat the drum; and two men 
ran down to the beach, and said, "Come in and warm yourself, chief!" 
They repeated these words twice. Then the two canoes came ashore, 
and LEge'°x said, "Let all my people run down and take off my 
brother Sdi'lda's cargo!" This was in accordance with the old 
customs among chiefs. So all the young men ran down, took the two 
canoes whUe the strangers were still aboard, lifted them up, and put 
them down outside of the great chief's house, so that the two great 
canoes broke to pieces. The Haida were afraid, and all went in. 
They were placed on one side of the great fire, and their whole cargo 
was broken up accorfling to the commands of the great chief. When 
everything had been brought in, the great chief wore his. dancing- 
blanket and his headdress and a rattle, and he danced the welcome 
dance for his relatives who had brought back his nephew from cap- 
tivity. After they had danced, they lifted one copper, ten boxes of 
gi'ease, and two large BellabeUa canoes, and two bundles of carved 
paddles, and other expensive things. They served food; and after the 
meal, Sdi'ida also danced. 

After he had danced, one of the Haida lifted two large coppers 
and ten slaves, and put them down before LEg^e'^x's seat; and Chief 
Sdi'ida said, "You shall have one of my names, Sanaxat." 

On the following day Sdi'ida was ready to go home; and Chief 
LEg"e'°x said to his tribe, "Let each man give one box of grease to 
my brother chief! " So all of LEg'e'°x's men gave one box of grease to 
Sdi'ida, and they loaded two large canoes with grease. The number of 
boxes given to Sdi'ida by the G^i-spa-x-la^ts tribe were seven score and 
ten. There were only five Haida men in each large canoe. Wi-n!e'°x 
sent down five of her own. slaves, and five more slaves were given to 
Sdi'ida by one of LEg"e'°x's nephews, five by LEg'e'°x's mother, 
Gan-dE-ma'xl, a high chief taiuess, the wife of old Dzeba'sa. Ten more 
slaves were given by Chief Gul-qa'q of the G"it!anda', and ten more 
were given by the new Dzeba'sa, the father of Hats !Eks-n !e'°x, who 
had maiTied Wi-n!e'°x. There were in all thirty-five slaves; and 
many elk skins and valuable robes, dried berries, and soapberries were 
given to them; and they went down from Nass River, and two canoes 
followed them to protect them against danger. 

They went across the Haida Sea; and w^hen they saw the point of 
Sandbar, LEg'e'°x's two canoes returned to Nass River. 

Many times the Haida of Masset tried to make war against the 
Tsimshian, but they failed for many years. 

The last time^ of all was when the Hudson Bay Company put up a 
post at Rose Island (Lax-lgu-gala'ms). When they had finished the 
fort and they had made a garden around it, a white man named 

' See a Haida version of the following in Swanton, Haida Texts and Myths, p. 384. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 389 

Mr. Kennedy or Dr. Kennedy, an officer of the Hudson Bay Company, 
was maiTied to Chief LEg'e'°x's eldest daughter, named Su-da'°l. Not 
many Tsimshian made their home in Port Simpson. They were still 
living in the old town Metlakahtla. Only the great chief LEg'e'°x 
himself was camj^ing at the fort with all liis people. They used to 
camp there on their way from Nass to Skeena River and from Metla- 
kahtla to Nass River. In olden times the people cleared their land 
with stone axes. 

When the Hudson Bay Company first came, ihey built the fort at 
White Point (Ma'ksgum tsKiwa'nql) on Nass River, the point that we 
call Crabapple-Tyee Point (K-lgu-sgan-ma'lks). In the same year 
when the fort was finished cm Nass River, ilr. Kennedy was mai'ried 
to Chief LEg^e'^x's eldest daughter. Th(>y lived there nearly two 
years. It is very cold on that point in mnter. Sometimes they 
lacked fresh water, and some of their workmen froze to death: there- 
fore Mr. Kennedy asked his wife to speak to her father. When the 
season of olachen fishing came, and all the people hail come up from 
Metlakahtla to Nass River, Mrs. Kennedy invited her father into the 
fort, and said to him, "Father, give a small piece of land to Mi-. Ken- 
nedy, for I almost freeze to death here. Some men were frozen to 
death last winter." Then the great chief was speechless. He said, 
"I am afraid lest my child be froz<>n here next winter." 

Then Chief LEg'e'°x said, "My dear cliild, I have no land. This 
land belongs to all the tribes of the Tsimshian. Only my camping- 
place on Rose Island, where there are a few houses besides my own 
large house — I can lend this to your husband for some time." 

So she tt)ld her husband what her father had said; and the white 
man said, "Yes ; I do not want to take land, but we will trade on it for 
a short time." Thus spoke Mr. Kennedy. 

They moved down the same summer, and in the fall of the year 
they moved all their property down. A year after they had finished 
the fort and the fences for the garden, they brought down the body 
of Simpson, who had died at Crabajiple-Tree Point. This was in the 
spring or summer. 

When all the Tsimshian moved down from Nass River for olachen 
fishing, they assembled at Rose Island Camp. 

Now we will return to our enemies, the Plaida. One day early in 
the summer the Haida came over to trade w4th the Tsimshian and 
with the Hudson Bay Company. Many hundreds of canoes came, and 
they camped in front of the Hudson Bay Company's potato fence on 
the seashore. The Haida built their little huts on the sand on the 
shore; and the Tsimshian were encamped on the other side, west- 
ward, and all around Rose Island. A Haida woman was trading 
with a Tsimshian woman, exchanging olachen oil for dried halibut. 
She was to give five pieces of dried halibut for one measure of oil. 



390 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY iF/rii. ann. yi 

All the Tsimshian aud llaida women were busy trading. One of the 
daughters-in-law of the g;reat chief LEg'e'°x was trading with a 
Haida woman; and the chief's daughter-in-law said to the woman 
who was buying her oil, "These pieces are too small. Exchange 
them for larger pieces. " The Haida woman was angry, and the prin- 
cess filled her measure again. The Haida woman took another small 
piece and gave it to the princess; and the princess again said, "I 
want to exchange it for a larger one." Then the Haida woman 
snatched the halibut from her hand and flirew it in her face. There- 
upon the chief's daughter-in-law left her fish oil and walked back to 
her home full of sorrow. Her father-in-law lay sick in the rear of his 
large house. He saw his daughter-in-law coming in weeping. She 
went right to her bed. Therefore the great chief said, "What ails 
you, my daughter-in-law?" She was weeping when she entered the 
house. He told one of his men, "Go and ask her what has happened." 
One of the head men went and asked her what ailed her; and she told 
him that a Haida woman had struck her face with dried halibut. 

Then the man told the cliiof that one of the Haida women had 
struck her face with dried halibut. Therefore the great chief said to 
his head man, ' ' Run out and tell all the Tsimshian tribes that I want 
them to shoot the Haida with their guns." So the man ran out 
and said, "The great chief wants all the Tsimshian tribes to shoot the 
Haida!" and all the Tsimshian people shot the people in the Haida 
camp in front of the Hudson Bay Company's fences. The Haida also 
shot the Tsimshian. Many Haida were killed, and some of the Tsim- 
shian were wounded. The battle lasted for two days and a half and 
two whole nights. During the battle of the last night the Haida dug 
up the ground in their own camp and piled the bodies of their dead 
around it; and they all gathered on one side — men, women, and 
children — to defend themselves. Their bullets and powder were all 
spent, so they sheltered themselves behind the wall of dead bodies. 
On the third morning, very early, the shooting of the Tsimshian 
sounded like the rolling of thunder. They had surrounded the Haida 
camp. Their canoes were on the water, and their warriors were on 
the hills on all sides. 

Now we will return to Mr. Kennedy. He said to his wife, "Go and 
tell your father, bring him my words : tell him that many Haida have 
been slain, and I want my workmen to bury those who have been 
slain." Therefore Mrs. Kennedy walked over the sidewalk of the 
fort and waited. She saw a young man pass by, and said to him, 
"Go and tell my father that the Haida are almost gone. Many have 
been killed; and Mr. Kennedy says that they shall be buried before 
they decay." 

The young man ran to Chief LEg-e'°x's house, and said, "O chief! 
your daughter is standing on the fort, and she says that nearly all the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN MYTHS 391 

Haida have been killed. She wants to stop your people and not to 
shoot any more; and Mr. Kennedy wants to bury, them before they 
decay." 

Then the great chief said to the young man, "Go out and tell all the 
Tsimshian tribes to stop shooting!" So the young man ran out and 
said, "0 people of all the Tsimshian tribes, stop shooting! This is 
what the great chief LEg'e'°x has said." 

So all the Tsimshian stopped shooting; and the people from the 
fort came out, and first dug out a ditch inside the potato fence to 
serve as a graveyard; and after they had finished digging two long 
ditches, they carried the bodies of the Ilaida and buried them, and 
they kept the Ilaida from further harm. They worked one-half of the 
whole summer day just thromng them into the ditch. They fUlcd 
both ditches with the bodies of men, women, and children, and they 
covered them over. Only a few of the Haida remained. 

Therefore some of the Ilaida chiefs sent word to LEg"e'°x, the 
great chief, that they wanted to make peace; and the chief asked aU 
the Tsimshian tribes, and the people consented to make peace with 
the Haida. Then the chiefs also agreed to make peace, and LEg'e'°x 
sent word to the Ilaida chiefs, and told them that all the Tsimshian 
chiefs had agreed to make peace between the Tsimshian and Haida. 
The Ilaida went down, they took bird's down and blew it up toward 
Chief LEg'e'°x's village as a sign of peace; and the people in LEg'e'°x's 
house were shouting, and went out. They took one of Kluna's 
nephews and carried him on an elk skin into the chief's house. Then 
the Haida shouted and entered LEg'e'°x's house. They took up one 
of LEg'e'°x's nephews and took him to their own camp; and one of 
the Tsimshian chiefs, Saxsa'^xt, invited the Haida to his house, 
because he was very friendly to them. On the following morning a 
few of the Haida took down their canoes to go to Saxsa'°xt's house 
for a peace dance. The great chief K!una took down his large canoe, 
and they shouted as they lifted LEg"e'°x's nephew on an elk skin. 
They took him down to their canoe, as the old peace customs required. 
Two other men went with LEg'e"'x's nephew in the Haida canoe. 

Then the Haida became suspicious and talked among themselves. 
First one canoe went away, then another one, and stiU another one, 
and they went out toward the sea. Then some one began to shoot 
again at one point, and another one began, and all the Tsimshian 
were shooting at the men in those canoes. 

A large canoe, in which LEg^e'^x's nephew was, went out toward a 
rock just out of the village. They shouted and lifted the elk skin on 
which the prince was sitting and put him on that rock, and his two 
friends jumped into the water and swam ashore. So the Tsimshian 
took their canoes and pursued them. All of the people in one of the 
large canoes were slain; and they pursued them to Dundas Island; 



392 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Leth. ANN. 31 

and many canoes were left on the way, and a <ji"eat many wore slain 
in the canoes. 

Chief LEg'e'^x still kept one of the Haida princes and two other 
men who had followed him. He treated him according to the peace 
customs. At the end of three months he sent him home with a copper 
and a large canoe and much property, four slaves, and many boxes 
of grease. 

When the Haida came home, the woman who had struck the face 
of the Tsimshian princess was in the last canoe. Then all the Haida 
came to kill her; but when they were ready to kill her, a great chief, 
her .uncle, arose, and spoke kindly to all those who had lost many of 
their relatives in that great war. He said, "I wiU atone for the 
relatives you have lost as long as I live; and if I should not be able 
to pay for one of your relatives, then you may kill her and her whole 
father's (?) house." Therefore the Haida did not touch her. 

On the following day the great chief called all the people to his 
house, and he gave to each chief a copper. He gave one copper to his 
nephew; and the woman who had struck the face of Chief LEg*e'°x's 
daughter-in-law was given to K!una's nephew to be his slave-wife in 
that family. Then all the relatives of the great chief who atoned for 
the loss the others had sustained in the war helped him to pay for 
those who had been slain; and some of the women's sisters were given 
to each chief with a copper, and the great chief paid for every man. 
Therefore he became a head chief among the people, but it was not 
many years before he died. 

This was the last great war between the Tsimshian and Haida. 
The wars between the Tsimshian and Haida started a long time 
before the white man came to this coast. Two villages of the Haida 
were kUled off in this great battle at Rose Island. They were all slain 
in tliis battle; and so they did not come again, because there were 
VL'Ty few. 



II. DESCRIPTION OF THE TSBISHIAN, BASED ON THEIR 

MYTHOLOGY 

Introductoey 

In the following chapter I give a description of the mode of life, 
customs, and ideas of the Tsimshian, so far as these are expressed 
in the myths contained in the fii-st jiart of this work, and in the 
Nass River tales -collected by me (Boas 7).^ It is obvious that in 
the tales of a people those incidents of the everyday life that are 
of importance to them will apjiear either incidentally or as the basis 
of a plot. Most of the rofei-ences to the mode of life of the people 
wUl be an accurate reflection of then- habits. The development of 
the plot of the story, furthermore, will, on the whole, exhibit clearly 
what is considered right and wiiat wrong. 

From these points of view it seemed worth while to review con- 
nectedly those ideas which are either implied or described in detail. 
Material of this kmd does not represent a systematic description of 
the ethnology of the people, but it has the merit of bringing out 
those points which are of interest to the people themselves. The}' 
present in a way an autobiogi'aphy of the tribe. 

In order to preserve this intact, I have not added to the descrip- 
tions given in this chapter any of the data that are known from otlier 
sources. I have, however, placed in footnotes those incidental 
remarks which the narrator considered important for the purpose of 
illustratmg the meaning of a tale, and which were obviously not 
mentioned when the tale was related in olden times among the people 
themselves. I have added in the same form a few notes on Tsimshian 
games. It seems likely that there is a distinction between the way 
in which the stories were told to the older genexation, that followed 
the old way of living, and tlie manner in which they are related to 
white people or to the younger generation that has forgotten many of 
the old ways. It is not unlikely that some explanatory matter has 
been mcluded in the tales that in olden times would not have been 
present. On the whole, however, my impression is that only a slight 
amount of descriptive material has been introduced in this way. 

Since many of these tales deal with the supernatural or witli 
unusual events, it might be considered that some of the actions men- 
tioned do not conform to what is customary. However, in almost all 
cases our knowledge of tlie people will indicate clearly whether a 

1 The tales published in the present work are indicated by page number: those published in Boas 13, 
by 1; those from Boas 4, by 5; those from Boas 7, by N — each followed by the page number referred to 
(see p. 566). 

393 



394 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

certam custom belongs to this class or not. In a few cases of this 
kind that have been included in the following descrijition, I have 
stated that they do not seem to conform to the ordinary ideas of the 
people. 

Towns, Houses, Household Goods, and Manitfactuees 

Towns. — The towns are located either on large rivers or on the 
coast. The permanent winter towns of most of the Tsimshian tribes 
were near together in the channel of Metlakahtla (166, 267, 272, 275, 
297, 306, 317, 1.119, 1.160), in the middle of the Tsimshian country 
(1.223). Among the Metlakahtla towns, Q!adu' (166), Xlen (161, 
179), Lax-mEs-6'1 ( = Red Bear Village), the town of the Gi-spa-x- 
la'°ts (214), are mentioned, and also a Raven-clan town at Metlakahtla 
(272). The town of the Gid-wul-gS-'dz lies between Metlakahtla 
and Port Simpson, "where there is a sandbar in front of Kumalgo" 
(225, 272). The ancestress of a Gid-wul-ga'dz family .derives her 
origin from the Haida town Dzi'gwa (260). GinadS,'°xs is on Skeena 
River (1.143); a lake is near the town. The Ginax'angl'°k towai 
occurs in 1.115; their temporary camp at KsE-ma'ksEn, in 1.119. 
The summer village of the GidzExla'^l is at the creek Ifedal (272, 
1.147); their olachen camp, on Nass River at Algusauxs^ (275). 
The town of the Gi-lu-dzii'r occurs on 100. Some of the towns of the 
other tribes are located on tributaries of Skeena River. The story 
192 is localized at the two Gits!ala'sEr to^vns Git-xts!a'xl and 
Gi-lax-ts!a'ks (see also 1.71). The story of Part Summer (278) and 
a ghost story (336) are placed at Gits lEmga'lon and at the lake above 
it (278). The GispawadwE'da and Eagle Clan of Gits lEmga'lon 
are the subject of the story on 253. Lax-ala'n, the town of the 
G'it-qxa'la, and their olachen camp SpE-sE-rE'dEt on Nass River, are 
mentioned in 1.121, 123. This tribe is told about also on 238. In 
1.193 and N 220 two towns on Nass River opposite each other are 
found. The towns of Gits lala'sEr and the Wolf and Eagle towns at 
Metlakahtla (306) are similarly located. 

Prairie Town (T!Em-lax-a'm), the original home of the Tsimshian, 
occurs in the animal tales (106, 131); in the story of the heavenly 
plume (125); in the story of Prince Mouse (232); of the four chiefs 
and Chief Grizzly Bear (292); and in the Deluge legends (346 and 
1.243). The home of the Git-q!a'°da is also placed in Ttem-lax-a'm 
(250; see also 246). 

The home of the Raven is said to have been at Kunc/alas, near the 
southern point of Queen Charlotte Islands (58). 

We hear that there was a great river at the end of a town, and a 
trail leading up the river (N 146). Lakes aie near many of the towns 
(154), and a trail leads up to the lake or into the woods (155, N 140). 

' Native names printed in italics are in the spelling of Mr. Tate. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 395 

Sometimes an open urea behind the town or near the town is men- 
tioned, which serves as a playground for the chihh-en (N 94). Tlie 
rivers were sometimes bridged (N 234). Some of the large villages 
consisted of four rows of houses, one over another (181). The three- 
row town of GitslEmga'lon is mentioned (278); but ordinarily no 
mention is made of the rows of the town, while the general description 
gives evidence that the arrangement of the houses is side by side, 
fronting the water, on a street stretching in front of the houses, 
parallel with the beach. 

The chief's house is located in the middle (194); in a town of sev. 
eral rows, in the middle of the first row (181) . Wlrilo it is often stated 
that the town belongs to one particular clan, it is mentioned expressly 
in one place (234) that the chief's wife's brothers had their houses on 
each side of the cliief 's house. This of coiu-se w^ould imply the pres- 
ence of house owners of the wife's clan in the village. In one case 
the chief's house is described as located on a sandy beach (116). 

Hoiises. — There is no detailed description of the permanent houses. 
The house is carved on the outside, and has carved timbers inside 
(100-101). Carved houses of chiefs are mentioned several times 
(seep. 430). liouses with many platforms and a pole in front of 
them are not often referred to. One of these occurs in N 230 (see also 
1 .189) . The doorway is covered by a skin flap, although other types of 
doors must also have existed, since we hear of a chief barring the door, 
which, I presirme, implies a wooden door. In N 224 the doorway is 
described as ornamented with skulls. The floors of many houses 
must have been simply smooth and leveled ground, because the 
cleaning of the house is described in such a manner as to imply the 
absence of wooden floors (61, N 230). In a few cases there is an 
obvious reference to houses erected on piles on the beach. This is 
particularly clear in 214, 1.99, and 1.113, where a privy-hole is 
described between the door and the fii-eplace, like those that were 
fomid in recent times in the houses of the BeUacoola and some of the 
other northern tribes. Platforms were arranged in the framework of 
the house, and some of these served as bedrooms for the children. 
The bed of the parents was on the lower platform which runs aroimd 
the walls of the houses, while a ladder led up from these to a bedi-oom 
under the roof (58). These beds were used for both boys and girls, 
in order to enable the parents to keep watch over their children. 
The beds of servants were placed at the foot of the ladder leading 
to the upper bedroom. In the houses were kept stores of winter 
provisions, such as salmon (78, 86) and halibut (87). These were 
preserved in boxes, and the most valuable provisions were kept in 
smaller boxes that were placed in the larger boxes (193). Slaves 
(N 182) and poor people (1.167) lived in the corners of the chief 's 
house. 



396 TSIMSHIAN MYTilOLOGY [ETii. ANN. 31 

In the roof was the smoko hole (N UG) ; and under it, in the center 
of the house, the fire. The seat of honor was in the rear of the house, 
behind the fire; while guests wore placed at the side of the fire, prob- 
ably most frequently on the right-hand side (see p. 437). Old people 
would enjoy sitting near the fire, wanning their backs (162, 234). 
In one tale the Soutliwest Wind is described as sitting near the fu-e 
with the back to the door of the houst^ (SO) ; but this arrangement is 
probably due only to the particular plot of the story, wliich required 
this position. In N 146 we hear of a princess sleeping iii the rear of 
the house, while a poor boy sleeps near the fire. 

Firewood. — Getting of firewood was one of the occupations that 
required a gi-eat deal of time and attention. This work was done 
by the men. The material used for firewood was pitch wood (299), 
spruce (119), or driftwood (299). Rotten cedar was considered a very 
poor kind of fuel (119), which was collected only by inexperienced 
men. In one tale we learn that the Bear's wife collected fuel and 
started the fire in the house (1.153). This is undoubtedly contrary 
to the custom. Bad fuel produces disagreeable smoke in the house 
(299). When food was to be boiled, a very large fire was built in 
the middle of the house, and stones were put on; these were thrown 
into steaming-boxes as soon as they were red-hot (N 131), and used 
also for steaming meat in pits (1.103). 

Torches. — For any work to be done outside of the house during the 
night, torches made of pitch wood, maple bark, or of olachcn were 
used (193-194, 208, 323). 

Underground House. — There is a peculiar reference in 1.181, in 
which it is said that a slave of the Killer Wliales falls down from 
a ladder with his bucket. He throws the water into the fire, and 
thus creates thick steam in the house, which enables a visitor to 
escape. It is quite obvious that this incident can not refer to the 
ordinary square houses of the Indians, but that here the undergi"ound 
lodges of the interior are referred to, in which a ladder leads from the 
roof right down to the fireplace. It is remarkable that this incident 
has been preserved wherever the story is told vn the coast. In this 
connection may be mentioned the \asit of a man to the house of sea 
lions, into wliich he descends along a ladder (1.129). 

Storehouses. — When provisions were plentiful, special storehouses 
were built. Thus we hear in N 158 of four houses full of provisions — 
one for salmon; one for bullheads; one for seals, porpoises, sea lions; 
and one for whales. In the same way we learn (242, N 17G) of 
houses filled with provisions — one for porpoise meat, one in which 
seal blubber was kept in boxes. A storage-hut behind the house is 
mentioned on 175. 

SmoTce-Houses. — Fish was prepared in smoke-houses (77, 159, 251). 
Rotten hemlock was considered the best wood for smoking salmon (89) . 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 397 

Canoe-Building. — Red cedar was used for canoe-building (84). The 
canoo-builder would leave early in the morning, take his meal along, 
and come back in the evening (84). He continued his work until 
the canoe was finished. Princes are described as good canoe-builders 
(251). 

Household Furniture and Vknsils. — Household furniture consisted 
of large and small boxes, which were used for holding provisions (193). 
Valuable property was kept in the small boxes, which were placed 
in larger ones (193). Square carved dishes, wooden spoons, spoons 
carved from horns of momitain goat and of bighorn sheep, were used. 
The food was placed in the dishes, taken out with the spoons, and 
then eaten (183, 251, 277). 

Mats were spread near the fire for the people to sit on (see p. 437). 
Wlien the people were asleep, the face was covered with a mat (313). 
Various kinds of baskets are spoken of. Berries were gathered in 
baskets (240) provided wth carrying-straps (1.147). Water-tight 
baskets were used for boiUng (251) and for drinldng water (211). 

Among the utensils used by the woman, the fish-knife was particu- 
larly important (215, N 119). Ivnives were made of shell (125). 

Fire was made with a strike-a-light, pitch wood, and tinder 
(N 118). Wedges for splitting wood (N 133) were cut out of small 
trees (N 148). The large heavy stone hammers were fastened to 
handles by means of thongs (N 133). They were used for driving in 
wedges and for splittmg wood (N 148). Wood was also cut with 
stone axes (N 119). Stone axes were also attached to handles 
(N 147). Axes were sharpened on whetstones (N 148). When split- 
ting a tree, wedges and spreading-sticks were used (89, N 133, N 148). 
Red-hot stones used for cooldng were taken out of the fii'e by means 
of tongs made of cedar wood a fathom and a half long (66). 

Mats, boxes, and baskets were used for berrying (240, 1.147). 

Weaving and Netting. — Mountain goats were hunted not only for 
then- meat, but also for their wool. The wool was washed, spun, 
dyed, and woven into dancmg-blankets (152). 

Nettles are used for maldng nets. They are gathered, tied into 
bundles, and taken to the house, where they are spread out. After- 
ward they are split with a sharp j^iece of wood, dried in the sun, and 
peeled. After this, the drj-ing-process is continued, and then the 
outer bark is peeled off with, implements made of ribs of mountain 
goats. Then the fiber is spun on the right thigh with the thick of 
the thumb, while the loose fibers are held with the fu-st three fingers 
of the left hand. They are twisted together by rolling them toward 
the knee (159). 

The fiber thread is used for making nets. These are made over 
mesh-sticks of hard wood, four fingers wide and as long as the palm 
of the hand. The net used in salmon fishing is made twenty 



398 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [etii. ANN. 31 

fathoms long and twenty meshes wide. The top of the net is pro- 
vided with a cedar-bark Hne twisted of three cords forty-six fathoms 
long. Carved floats made of dried red-cedar wood are attached to 
the top line. There is no bottom line (159). 

Occupations 'of Various Tnbes. — On 274 a list is given of products 
that various tribes have to furnish for a potlatch, indicating the lines 
of their activities. The Git-la'n make carved wooden dishes; the 
Ginax'angi'°k, carved wooden boxes; the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts, carved 
wooden spoons; the G id-wul-ga'dz, deep, carved wooden dishes; the 
Git-dzi'°s, carved horn spoons; the Ginada'°xs prepare dried moun- 
tam-goat meat and tallow; the Gi-lu-dza'r preserve cranberries and 
crabapples mixed with grease; the Gid-wul-ksE-ba'" make cakes of 
hemlock sap; the GitsIala'sEr dry blueberries and soapberries, and 
prepare cranberries mixed with grease; the Gits !Emga'l6n make 
mats and dry salmon; the Git-qxa'ta shred bark of the red cedar, 
and have eagle down and tobacco; the G'it-q!a'°da make blankets of 
yellow cedar and prepare burnt clamshells. 

Dress and Ornament 

Only few parts of the dress and few ornaments are described. 
Blankets were worn. Rich people wore sea-otter and marten 
blankets (193, 26G). In one place a blanket of weasel skins sot with 
abalone shell is mentioned (X 199). In ceremonies dancing-blankets 
woven of mouuatain-goat wool were used (265). Elk skins are men- 
tioned very often as valuable property (266), but their use as gar- 
ments is nowhere described. The woman's apron is described' (140). 

A man who goes out fishing wears a valuable hat (260). Men 
wore their hair in a top-knot (N 234), while that of the women was 
worn in two braids ornamented with white shells (181). 

Among the orbaments, we hear about copper bracelets (1.151), ear- 
ornaments of abalone shell and whale teeth (72, 1.195), ear-ornaments 
made of bone (178) and wool (109, IGO), nose-ornaments made of 
bone (178), and labrets (299, 303). 

Fishing, Hunting, and Food-Gathering 

Seasons and Montlis. — Tlie year is divided into four seasons (115) — 
spring, summer, autumn, and winter. There are twelve months, 
named as follows: 

Between October and November, "FaUing-Leaf Month." 
Between November and December, "Taboo Month." 
Between December and Januaiy, "The Intervening Month." 
Between January and February, " Spring-Saknon Month." 

1 In a note it is said at this point that men as well as women used to wear a small piece of leather as an 
apron. Soft leather of good quality, of the width of the pahn of the hand, was used. The ends were fas- 
tened to a belt in front and behind. No shirts or trousers were worn. 



BuAbJ DESCEIPTIOX OF THE TSIMSHIAN 399 

Between February and March, "Month When Olachen Is Eaten." 

Between March and April, '^ Month Wlien Olachen Is Cooked." 

Between April and May(?). 

Between May and June, "Egg Month." 

Between June and Jidy, "Salmon Month." 

Between July and August, " Humpback-Salmon Month." 

Between August and September(?). 

Between September and October, "Spinning-Top Month." 

Seasonal Occupations. — Before entermg into a description of the 
methods of fishing and hunting, the seasonal occupations of the people 
may be described. Toward the end of winter, before the ice of the 
rivers breaks up, the olachen go up Nass River. At this season all 
the tribes — men, women, and children — move there (172, 227, 238, 
275, 299, 300, 1.119, 1.189), not only the Tsimshian, but also tribes 
hke the Git-qxa'la (1.121). Each tribe has its own camping-place. 

The olachen fishing in Nass River is referred to in the Raven legend 
(62) , and the early moving of the tribes to Nass River is mentioned fre- 
quently in the tales (173, 178, 238). Sometimes, when the olachen 
were late in coming, there would be a famine on Nass River (228, 
1.121). After the olachen fishing the Tsimshian retm-ned to Met- 
lakahtla (231 , 303, 1.119,1.123), where they staid until the salmon-run. 
Then they moved to their villages on Skeena River for salmon fishing 
(173). HerethetownsIvsE-ma'ksEn (244, 1.119) of the Ginax'ang i'°k, 
and Ksdal (252, 272, 1.147) of the GidzExla'°l, are mentioned (see 
p. 394). In the fall the men would go to then hunting-gi'ounds 
(244) accompanied by their wives ' (141, 152, 244). Winter himting 
is mentioned on 1.52 and 239. Thepcoplemovedbacktotheirhunting- 
ground in midwinter. The bulk of the tribes, however, lived during 
the winter season in the permanent villages; the Tsimshian, in Metla- 
kahtla. They retm-ned there late in the fall (239). Sometimes a 
single family remamed behind (239), but generally the whole tribe 
moved. In N 200 we hear of a himter going to his hunting-hut in 
midwinter. Late in winter, when the stores of fish were consumed, 
there was often starvation. In fact, this is the ever-recurrmg theme 
of Tsimshian tales (158, 239, 242, 250, 292, 1.71, 1.167, N 171, N 178, 
N 200, N 225). During a famine the rich people would leave the 
poor; and widows, old people, and orphans would die of hmiger (158). 
Starving people built little sheds for themselves (N 185). 

Fishing. — Salmon were caught through a hole cut in the ice, a 
bag net bemg held imder the ice (250). After the fh-st salmon had 
been caught in this wav, all the people began fishing in this manner 
(250). 

» In an explanatory remark (174) it is said that the people used to hunt in the fall, but also in the spring, 
when the fur of the animals was thick. 



400 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [icrn. ANN. 33 

111 small brooks salmon were caught with spears with detachable 
bone points (N 117). 

Trout were caught udth a two-pronged fish-spear (260). In the 
fall, while the people staid in their summer camps on the small tribu- 
taries of Skeena River, salmon were also caught with spears with 
detachable points (246, N 117). Poor people would wait for the sal- 
mon to go up small brooks. Tlien thoy caught and clubbed them 
(158). When the salmon were late in arriving, these people were in 
great need. Atripof aprinceand his friends, who go up the river every^ 
spring to catch trout, is described (2G0). It is also told that the fish- 
ermen go up the river in their canoes as far as the depth of the water 
permits (304). The salmon, after being secured by means of the spear 
are clubbed, the dart is taken out, and tlie salmon are then thrust 
back on the bank (.304). Wliile the fishermen were out Ln camp 
obtaining salmon in this manner, they would make new darts and 
spear-handles for fishing whenever required (.30.5). 

Fish were also caught in traps. People traveling along the river 
are described as campi:ig near a shallow brook and maldng fish traps 
of red-cedar wood, which were placed m the water (251). These 
fish traps were also used with weirs, two traps being placed at the 
ends of one weir (251). A weir mth trap is also mentioned in N 208. 
On the seacoast, weirs were erected across narrow channels, in 
which seals and fish were caught at low tide (306). 

During the early part of the salmon-run, on the upper part of the 
river, the fishermen would fish A\nth bag nets, which were attached 
to long poles. They would stand on a platform (199), evidently in 
the same way as is done by the Salish Indians on Fraser River. 
According to this passage, which is not quite clear, it might seem 
that the fish were directed toward the sides of the river by mear.s of 
a weir or a net stretched across, which left an opening only at the sides. 
The olachen were very plentiful, for a canoe could be filled in half 
a day (302).' The fisherman's vnie and his mother-in-law, in another 
case his wife and a female slave, are mentioned as accompanying 
him in the canoe (301). The olachen taboos and the preparation of 
the olachen will be found described on p. 450. 

Hahbut are caught ^vith hooks made of crooked branches of red or 
yellow cedar, attached to fishing-lines made of red-cedar bark sixty 
fathoms long. The hahbut hook is tied to the fishing-line with spUt 
spruceroots. Devilfish is used as bait. Thefishing-Unes are taken out 

1 In 301 a rather full note tells about the olachen fishing. When the fish arrive, they swim very near the 
surface, and are caught with long wooden rakes. These are made of red cedar, and the teeth of the ralies are 
made of the Imotty branches of rotten spruce. These are three finger-widths long. The man sits in the 
bow of the canoe; the woman, in the stem, where she steers. They work day and night, going up and 
down the riverwith the tide, for about eight days. After about eight days, the fish swim in deeper water, 
and then they are caught in bag nets, which are attached to poles five fathoms long. At this time there 
are generally one man and several women in the canoe; the wife steering, tlie others sitting in the middle 
to help him in the handling of the bag net. 



BOAS] DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 401 

by the fishermen ui theii- canoes and thi-owni overboard. After a 
wliile they are puUed up acjain (350). After the hahbut hooks have 
been taken np, the fish are Idlled by chibbing (92). Tlien the hooks 
are thrown back into the water. At tliis place it is said that there 
were two fishermen in the canoe, who distinguished the hahbut they 
had cauglit by placing them with the head toward the owner. Tlie 
fisherman had his knees covered with a mat (92). The hahbut fisher- 
man, when going home, will go ashore to take a rest (93). 

In N 111 a supenuitural bemg is described who caught hahbut in 
liis hands by jumping into the water and clubbing them. 

Fish are strung up on ropes made of cedar twigs: eels (177), sal- 
mon (N 117), hahbut (X 111), are thus treated. 

Hunting. — The outfit of the hunter consisted of a spear, bow and 
arrows, quiver, huntmg-hat, a small, root basket, a mat blanket for 
protection against rain, a hmiting-staff,' and snowshoes (244, 245, 
1.89). In N 201 only spear and snowshoes are specifically mentioned. 

When traveling on the snow of the mountains, the snowshoes were 
provided with four points of goat horn on each side, which were 
intended to enable the hunter to climb (282). Snowshoes were also 
used for traveling over soft snow (251), over the ice of a lake (252), 
and by himtera for sliding down over the snow of mountam-sides 
(142, 145, 1.95). The hunters had dogs that recognized their masters 
and wagged their tails (282). The hunters had hunting-gi'omids 
which were then- personal property. A hunting-grountl for raccoons 
is mentioned (138), also another one which is the personal property 
of a man (152, 295). One hrmter owned four valleys (108). It is 
saitl that a man possessed a hunting-ground for all kinds of animals 
(244), and that this hunting-gromid was inherited by the man's son. 
Sometimes the hunting-ground is spoken of as belonging to the people 
of a town. Thus the GitslEmga'lon had their hunting and berry- 
picking ground on the shores of a lake (278). On the hunting- 
ground the himter had a hunting-hut (IDS, 139, 245). On lOS one 
hunter is said to have had a hut in each of four valleys owned by him. 
Sometimes they would make long trips and discover new hunting- 
gromids (245). 

^Yhen the hunters went to then- hunting-gi-ounds, they took along 
their woodworking tools, traps, and snares (152). Traps were made 
for foxes, martens, black bears, and grizzly bears (174), but evi- 
dently also for other animals. They would live in their hunting- 
huts during the whole hunting-season. After all the meat and skins 
had been properly dried, the skins being tied in bundles of ten 
(159, note), the himters returned to the winter village (151). 

1 In an explanatory note it is stated that the hunting-staffs were from seven to eight feet long and pro- 
vided with a tip of mountain-goat horn at one end, and that they were used for walking over sliding snow 
C282). 

50633°— 31 ETH 16 26 



402 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (ETH. ANN. 31 

Tho occupation of tlioliuntor while in tlio hunting-camp is described 
as follo^vs: A man woukl go out early in the morning setting his 
traps (139). He would return late in the evening (139); and two 
days later he would go out again to look after his traps. He cut 
up the game and carried it home to the camp (139, 1.79). "VMien 
he was very tired from carrying his load, he would whistle (153). 
When he had obtained small game, like raccoons, the animals were 
skinned on tlio following day, and the meat was dried. After this 
work was done, he would go out again and look after his traps or 
go hunting. Wlien he had caught a great many animals, his wife 
or other women of the family would help him carry the game homo 
(139, N 119). After an arduous expedition the hunter would take a 
rest (99). 

Sometimes the hunter's family would continue to IIyc in tho winter 
village, and the hunter would be absent for as much as six weeks at 
a time, and would icturn home only for two or three days (317). 

In the fall some hunters would also go up the mountains to hunt 
mountain sheep (152) and moimtain goats. It would seem that the 
hunting was not always confined to a man's own hunting-ground, 
but that the family would roam over long distances and visit ujiknown 
parts of the country. Thus in 141 the journey of ten brothers and 
their wives is described. 

In spring, when the hunters were moving from Skeena River to 
Nass River, they would sometimes start from their camps to go 
hunting on the mountains (174). 

Porcupmes were killed with a club of yew wood (lOS, 145). Then 
the hind legs were tied together, and the game was hung on a tree, 
to be gathered when the hunter went back home. It is said that 
formerly porcupines were smoked out of their dens (108), but that this 
is forbidden now. Marmots were hunted on the mountains (1.193). 
Mountain-goat hvmting was evidently considercul a particularly noble 
and dangerous occupation (1.117). The hunter used spear, bow and 
arrows, a mountain staff, and snowshoes, and wore a hat and rain- 
coat (see p. 398). In climbing, he chopped steps in the glacier 
with his ax (N 201). Dogs M'ere used to drive the goats (1.143). 
Generally the hunter is said to have two dogs (150, N 201). Moun- 
tain sheep were hunted in the same way (245). After the goats, 
sheep, or other game were killed, the hunter let them slide down over 
the snow of the movmtains (98, 283, 1.95). The fat of the goats, 
sometimes the meat also (95), was taken home (132, 1.93). It was 
carried wiapped around the mountain staff (96, N231). Bears were 
smoked out of their dens and either suffocated (283) or killed with 
the spear (244, 1.119). Otters were also smoked out of their dens 
and clubbeil (168). Dogs were used to find the bear dens (N 201). 
Sometimes the mice would eat the bait out of tho traps (174). 



BOAS] DESCBIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 403 

Hunters, while out on tho hunting-ground, would make arrows and 
darts as required (95). Arrows were of such value that children were 
asked to search for one that had missed its mark (247). 

When a question arises as to whether game has been killed b}' a 
certain arrow, the people smell of it and decide whether it smells of 
fat (247) or exhibits other evidences of having hit the animal (N 144). 

The skilHul hunter was much admired and renowned among all the 
tribes (245, 1.83, 1.189). He was even knowTi to the animals (245, 
317). By selling skins and dried meat he became wealthy (174, 242, 
1.81). His wife wore beautiful garments (317). The hunter must 
be fleet, hke a flying bird (1.85). 

The grizzly bear is the most dangerous animal. Hunters were 
attacked by them (150, N 201). They are particularly dangerous in 
spring (111). On account of the dangerous (haracter of the grizzly 
bear, his habits are often described. He catches fish (1.153, N 208), 
and gets salmon for winter food (111), which he eats before his winter 
sleep (246). When he gets wet in his <len, he comes out and is very 
angry (1.237). 

Dangers that besot the mountain-goat hunter are fogs (1.91) or 
the danger of falling off of steep precipices or being unable to turn 
(1.91, 1.145). Beaver hunters were endangered by the falling of the 
dams (1.193). 

Sea Hunting. — The sea hunter required a training quite different 
from that of the mountain hunter. For this reason it is considered 
remarkable that a man from up the river who settles among the 
island tribes becomes theii- best sea hunter (1.123). It is of course 
only a mythical incident if he used snowshoes on the slippery sea-lion 
rocks. Sea hunters go out in a huntmg-canoe manned by four men, 
the harpooneer in tho bow of the canoe (260, N 134); the steersman, 
in the stern (261). When one of the men expected to go off by 
himself, there was a crew of four besides him, a fifth man to take 
charge of the bow of the canoe during his absence (1.173). Some- 
times there are five hunters in the canoe (1.167). 

Sea lions and seals were harpooned (N 134). Successful seal 
hunters come home with a canoe loaded so high that the seal flip])ers 
may be seen from a distance (1.169). The sea-lion hunter jumps on 
the rock on which the animals are basking and kills them there with 
his harpoon darts ' (1.125). Often the hunter would ask his friends 
a day m advance to go hunting with him (284). Sea-otter hunting 
was an important occupation on account of the value of the furs for 
garments. Princes are described as expert sea-otter hunters (256). 
The people who have lost their relatives almost forget their grief 
when they get many sea otters (222), -which are plentiful on two 

• The harpoon iised in ,v.i-lion hunting was provided with a cedar-bark line for retrieving it (N 110, note). 



404 TSIMSiriAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

islands (221). 'When shootin<r a white sea ottor, the hunter tries to 
avoid spilhng Wood on the fur (1.171). 

The canoe of returning hunters or travelers was carried up the 
beach by the young people of the towii (290). 

Eagles. — Eagles were caught in traps consisting of pits in which a 
man would hide. The pit was covered with brush on which a bait 
was placed. Then the hunter would grasp the eagle by its feet and 
club it (203). The feathers were used for winging arrows (340). 
It is also said that when the eagles are fat, their feathers drop off. 
They are then gathered (225). Feathers are gathered on islands fre- 
quented by birds (340). 

There is a reference on 253 and 255 to a tame eagle kept by a chief. 

Food-Gathering. — Gathering food, such as shellfish, roots, and ber- 
ries, is often referred to. Women and young men go out clam-dig- 
ging (170); boys gather cocldes on the beach (N 122). For getting 
clams, digging-sticks ' are used (210) . The custom of placing hemlock 
branches on the beach for herrings to spawn on is implied (205) when 
such branches are put into a knot-hole of the house of the dancing 
herrings and come out full of spa^vn. Women go digging fern roots 
(1G6, 169, 337). Hemlock bark is scraped off by men and women, 
but it is considered a kind of food that is important only when salmon 
gives out (193). Crabapples were picked by the women (240). The 
yomig men assisted in this work. The apples were gathered in mats, 
boxes, and baskets. Women go out jointly by canoe or walking in 
the woods to gather berries (238, 267, 1.147). 

Food 

The following references to food and ])reparation of food are found 
in the tales. Among the fish caught in rivers, the various kinds of 
salmon are by far the most important. Spring salmon seems to have 
been the staple food for winter (182, 192 et seq.). Humpback salmon 
was also dried in gi-eat quantities (225). Trout is often spoken of 
(251). Olachen is of very great importance on account of its oil (66). 
Among sea food, halibut is particularly important (88, 167, N 158, etc.). 
Red cod and other kinds of fish (16S), devilfish and crabs (168), eels 
(177), sea eggs (63), chitons (166), are also used. Seals, sea lions, 
and the meat of stranded whales, are considered particidarly valuable 
food (184, N 176, etseq.). Blubber of stranded whales was chopped 
with stone axes (N 179) . Among land animals, grizzly-bear meat and 
fat (182), fat of mountain goats (88, 182),porcupinemeat andfat (108), 
are often referred to. There is only one reference to deer meat (89). 

Among vegetable products, crabapples are mentioned with great 
frequency (240). Various kinds of berries were used extensively (182, 
251, etc.). Fern roots were also gathered and eaten (337). 

1 In a note at this place a digging-stick is described as a pole sharp at each end, three or four feet long. 
Sometimes digging-sticks were used also as spears in war. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 405 

Preparation of Food. — Much uf this food was boiled fresh. We 
hear of boiled fresh halibut (167), of fresh salmon which is split and 
roasted (N" 155), of fresh boiled sprmg saknon (250), boiled fresh 
deer meat (89), boiled trout (251), fresh grizzly-bear meat (247), 
fresh seal (N 135). Dried salmon was roasted by the fii-e (293). 

Winter Provisions. — The preparation of whiter provisions plaj's an 
exceedmgiy unportant part hi the life of the people. Sahnon are 
split, dried, and roasted (N 174); they are also smoked in smoke- 
houses (159) ; eels also are smoked (177).' Halibut is dried (N 158). 
The meat of mammals is also dried. Thus we hear about dried seal 
meat (N 176), dried porcupine meat and fat (108), dried meat and 
fat of mountain goat (88). Grizzly-bear meat kept for a considerable 
length of time is mentioned (247). Berries are dried m summer 
(251). Crabapples are boded and kept for wmter use (240). 

Boiling ivith Stones. — Most of the food was boiled by means of stones, 
either in square boxes (183, 240) or in root baskets (251). The ves- 
sel was partially filled with water, which was brought to a boil by 
throwing red-hot stones into it. Then the material to be cooked 
was thrown in, and the vessel was covered ^\^th a mat. On 250 we 
are told that fi-esh spring salmon steamed in a box are spread by 
means of small sticks pushed through the fish a finger-wadth apart. 

Steaming. — ^inother method of cooldng is hi an underground oven. 
A hole is dug in the ground. A large Ih-e is built, in which flat stones 
are heated. These are thrown into the hole. They are covered over 
with leaves of the skunli-cabbage. Then the food to be cooked — 
as salmon cut length\\Tise, fern roots, deer meat — is placed on top of 
the leaves (68). " These are covered with another layer of leaves (68). 
Earth is piled over the whole, and then water is poured in, and fhially 
a fh'e is built on top of tlie whole. In a description of the cooldrg 
of fern root in an oven, wet moss is used in place of skunk-cabbage 
leaves, and the cover is made of ashes and soil (337). 

Cooking Olaclien. — In the Raven story a detailed account is given of 
the way to cook olachen. Wlien the olachen have been carried 
ashore, a large fire is built, in which stones are lieated. When they 
are hot, four pails of water are poured into a large cedar box. The 
red-hot stones are taken out of the fire with tongs and thrown into 
the box; and when the water beghis to boil, five baskets of olachen 
are thrown hi. ^Meanwhile more stones are placed in the fii'e. 
Wlien the stones in the box are cooUng off, they are taken out 
by means of a large ladle made of alder wood, and more water is 
poured into the box. Then other red-hot stones are thrown hi, and 
the contents of the box are again brought to a boil. After this has 
been done two or three times, the fish is done. The oil is then 
skimmed off (66) . 

' The dried salmon is tied up in bundles of forty (159). 



406 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [hth. ann. 31 

The method of roastintj ohichen and of treating the first sahnoii is 
obviously a cerenioiij^ intended to secure good hick; it will be found 
described on pp. 449-450. 

Berries put up in sea-hon bladders, and meat put up in bags (94), 
are used as pro\isions on journeys on foot. 

Rich and Poor Food. — Very commonly an enumeration occurs of 
what is called rich food. For instance, whale, sea lion, seal, hahbut, 
and other kinds of lisli (184); fresh spring salmon, berries, mountain- 
goat meat and fat, and grizzly-bear fat (182); meat and tallow of all 
kinds of animals (244); dried salmon aiid berries mixed with grease, 
elderberries, currants; and others of a similar Icind. Hemlock sap 
(193) and salmon backs (N 189) were considered poor food. 

Meals. — Meals consist generally of two courses. In great feasts 
more courses are mentioned. Generally the first course is dried 
spring sabnon (73, 91, 94, 179, 293, N 190). The dried salmon is 
roasted, cut, or broken in pieces, and placed in a wooden dish (85-86) . 
Generally oil is served with the salmon, and it is eaten by dipping 
the j)ieLe of s:dmon into the oil (90). Sometimes the first course 
consists of fresh boiled salmon (182, 183), also of meat and souj) 
(183). After the salmon has been eaten, water is passed about, 
and the people drink (86). This custom is explained in the story of 
the visit of the i)rince to the Salmon chief (195). The second 
couree consists generally of fruits and oil. Preserved craba])ples and 
oil are mentioned (73, 86, N 190), blueberries and other berries 
(183), soaked dried berries mixed with fresh berries (293), fresh 
salmonberries and gnzzl}'--bear fat (183). In a feast described on 
179, fat meat of mountain goats and various kinds of fresh berries are 
given last. Other dishes served as a second course are seal blubber 
with oil (90), boiled dried meat (94), salmon eggs (91). Fruits 
and salmon eggs are eaten with wooden spoons (91) or horn spoons 
(86). 

In a few cases the number of courses is described as greater. Thus 
on 179 the order of the courses is" dried spring salmon, mountain-goat 
meat, fresh berries; on 94, roasted dried spring salmon, boiled dried 
meat, fresh meat steamed in a hole in the ground; in N 193 it is said 
that visitors were given crabapples and oU, various kinds of berries, 
and meat and fat, and last of all soapberries. 

People when out hunting sometimes seem to have eaten only a 
suigle course. In N 135 a seal feast is described without any par- 
ticidar mention of other courses. 

The meal was prepared either by the slaves (85) or by the wife of 
the house owner. The woman pi-epared ordinary meals for her hus- 
band (78). In feasts the young men of the chief's clan served the 
food (276). 



boas] description of the tsimshian 407 

Travel 

Canoe Travel. — We hear of journeys to distant countries by sea 
and river. The inland tribes were visited on trading-trips made by 
canoe (N 194); and legendary tales report of canoe trips to the 
confines of the world (308). According to the purpose and length of 
the journey, the canoe was loaded with traveling-provisions or with 
articles of trade, or presents consisting of preserved pi-ovisions — as 
oil, tallow, dried berries, dried meat, blubber of sea mammals, vari- 
ous kinds of fish, coppers, eagle down, red ocher, and other valuables 
(163, 1S2, 184, 223, 308, N 194). Blue paint, tobacco, and lime or 
burnt clamshells, are also mentioned (163). The men took their 
woodworking tools along ; on long trading-trijjs women accompanied 
them to look after the provisions (163). 

For long trips to unknown countries, steering-directions were given. 
Thus a number of ti-avelers who go to a certain village on Queen Char- 
lotte Islands are told to keep ahead, starting from Skeena River, 
between Dundas and Stephens Islands; when out at sea, to steer in 
the direction in which the sun sets ; and after reaching the islands, 
to turn to the southwest (268). The return journey from the village 
at the confines of the world was also made by following definite 
steering-directions (311). 

On arriving in a strange village, the travelers hid their canoe 
(309, 1.167). When they were sure of a welcome, the canoes anchored 
in front of the village (210) until called ashore; and the villagers 
unloaded the canoes and carried the freight uj) to the chief's house 
(183, 211). 

Canoes are also used for short hunting-trips (1.161, 1.167) and by 
women wlio go to pick berries (82). The chief man, or noblest man, 
is seated in the bow; the next in rank is the steersman (2S.5). On a 
hunting-trip, when the steersman desires to communicate with his 
companions, he shakes the canoe (286). When a deer is killed in the 
water, it is taken aboard (82). 

When young men out hunting in their canoe meet a girl, they might 
invite her to come along in their canoe (75). 

The canoe was provided with an anchor-line and anchor-stone 
(270). When no landing coidd be made at night, the travelers would 
anchor and sleep in their canoes (285, 1.173). When asleep, they 
pulled their blankets over their heads (285). Groing up river, they 
use punting-polcs (194, 235). 

When traveling, chiefs and princes have their seats in the middle of 
the canoe, and furs are spread over the seats for them to sit on (210). 
A princess is placed on board in the midcUe of the canoe (N 184). 
Sometimes two canoes are connected by planks, forming a platform, 



408 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

either for transporting very heavy loads or for a scat for a person to 
be carried along in ceremonial style (184). Travelers taken along in 
a canoe he down in the middle of the canoe to sleep, and cover their 
faces with their mats (107, 177, 194, 208). 

Dangers of canoe travel and of sea hunting are described in several 
places. On the trip to Nass Kiver, strong head wnds are often 
encountered, which keep the j^eoplo on shore and sometimes cause 
privations (172). Sometimes the north wind is blowing so hard that 
it is difficult to round some of the projecting points of land near Port 
Simpson. Then the people have to stay on the south side, waiting 
for the wind to calm down (299 k Fog at sea is considered very 
dangerous (289). Sometimes there is also mentioned a mountain of 
foam caused by supernatural beings (289). Whirlpools which swallow 
canoes (291) are also much feared (see also p. 461). Sea-hon and sea- 
otter hunters who visit the outljdng rocks may be swamped by the 
waves breaking over the islands (1.127). At one place (267) we hear 
of a woman who travels by canoe and is sent adrift in a southwesterly 
gale. Killer whales wiU attack canoes and break them (1.141). 

Travelivg on Foot. — Long trips on foot were considered great hard- 
ships. Eaven (97) is tired out by walking. A girl who escapes from 
a village destroyed by fire is starvuig; her garments are completely 
worn out, and, when she finally reaches a funeral pyre, she sits down 
exhausted (260). 

Camps. — ^Permanent and temporary camps may be distinguished. 
The former were iised during the hunting and fishing season; the 
latter, while travehng. On Nass River each trilje has its own camp- 
ing-place (301). People who fish for humpback salmon camp on the 
small salmon brooks (88). The Ilaida have camps during the hali- 
but-fishing season (254). Hunters have their camps, consistmg of 
small huts, on their hunting-grounds. It would seem that some of 
their huts were permanent (239). After a famine, the survivors put 
up their permanent camp on a brook (158, 252) or in sheds on the 
village site (N 185). A man who elopes with a girl takes her to his 
permanent camp (340). 

Travelers and peopli; who mov(> about hunting put up temporary 
camps at night, preferably under large spruce trees (97, 166, 261). 
A sea hunter's camp is referred to on 135. A traveler sacrifices every 
night in camp, in order to secure success (164). Canoe travelers 
camp m the evenuig (268, 270), and let a girl keep watch while they 
sleep (257). Travelers who come to visit a town land near by, turn 
their canoe upside down, and camp before sho^^^ng themselves (235). 
People on their way to Nass Eiver camp and build Uttle sheds (172). 

A person who happens to fall in with travelers asks for permission 
to stay in their camp (95, 1.121). Traveling girls stop at a hunter's 
camp (153). 



BOAS] DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 409 

When women who are out berrying go into camp, they may be 
visited by young men, who cut firewood for them (1 67) . The campers 
keep up a roaring fire (167, 1.73). The}' use skimk-cabbage leaves 
for dishes (68,89,261). 

Plating and Gambling 

Cluldrcu phiy house ia a liollow log lying on the beach (253, N 102) ; 
boys play being shamans (322) : young people amuse themselves 
swimming in the lake and playiug on the beach of the lake (154); 
they play baU with bat and ball (N 95). In the eveniag they come 
home from play (155). Boys go out to play in the momiag (246). 
The people go playiag in the evening (254, 257, 292, 1.213). Cliil- 
dren walk about on the street (235). They also amuse themselves 
catclimg f;sh (1.243), hunting squirrels (322, N 211), and they play 
with young animals captured ahve (see p. 445). People contest in 
throwing sliug-stones (299, N 138), and have shooting-matches (69, 
N 19).' ' 

Man}' men pass their time gambhng. Generally tlie game played 
with a set of gambling-sticks^ is referred to (157). The gamblers 
sit on the beach (74) or in a house in which tliey assemble day by 
day (207). They paint their faces to secure good luck (217). Some 
men play until they have lost all their property (101). They will 
gamble away even their wives and parents, although it is not clear 

' The following games were described to me on Xass River (Boas 1, 1895, pp. 5S2-5S3): 

Leha'l: The guessing-game, in which a bone ^vrapped in cedar bark is hidden in one hand. The player 
must guess in which hand the bone is hidden. 

Xs3n: Guessing-game played with a number of maple sticks marked with red or black rings or 
totemic designs. Two of these sticks are tramps. It is the object of the game to guess in which of the 
two bundles of sticks, which are wTapped in cedar bark, the trump is hidden. Each player uses one 
trump only. 

Mats&'n: About 30 small maple sticks are divided into four or five lots of unequal numbers. After 
a first glance one of the players is blindfolded, the other changes the order of the lots, and the first player 
must guess how many sticks are now in each lot. When he guesses right in 3, 4, or 5 guesses out of 10 
(according to the a'n"eement of the players), he has won. 

GOnl: A ball game. There are two goals, about 100 to 150 yards apart. Each is formed by two sticks 
about 10 feet apart. In the middle, between the goals, is a hole in which the ball is placed. The players 
carry hooked sticks. Two of them stand at the hole; the other players of each party, six or seven in num- 
ber, a few steps behind them toward each goal. At a given signal both players try to strike the ball out 
of the hole. Then each party tries to drive it though the goal of the opposing party. 

Let.': A ball game. Four men stand in a square. Each pair, standing in opposite comers, throw 
the ball one to the other, striking it with their hands. Those who continue longest have won. 

Smenis: A hoop is placed upright. The players thro^ at it with sticks or blunt lances and must 
hit inside the hoop. 

Madd': A hoop wound with cedar bark and set with fringes is hurled by one man. The players 
stand in a row, about 5 feet apart, each carrying a lance or stick. When the ring is flying past the row 
they try to hit it. 

Halha'l: Spinning top made of the top of a hemlock tree. A cylinder 3J inches in diameter and 3 
inches high is cut; a slit is made in one side, and it is hollowed out. A pin 2^ inches long and a quarter 
of an inch thick is inserted in the center of the top. A small board mth a wide hole, tlirough which a 
string of skin or of bear guts passes, is used for winding up the top. It is spun on the ice of the river. 
The board is held in the left and stemmed against the foot. Then the string is pulled through the hole 
with the right. Several men begin spiiming at a signal. The one whose top spins the longest wins. 

' The sticks, 50 or 60 in number, were made of bone or maple, and each was painted with its own 
mark. Each has a name (157, note). 



410 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

what tliis means, since the relatives certainly rotaLii their liberty 
(207). Visitoi-s are invited to gambling-games (217) or the people 
visit a neighboring village to gamble there (1.215). 

Quarrels and War ' 

There are many references to individual quarrels, murder, and 
revenge. Families that are on bad terms do not camp together when 
moving back to their permanent village (241). 

Wars and war customs are often mentioned. The people of some 
villages are describetl as wealthy and warlike (1.193). A liattle on 
the ice of the river is described in 1.199; and a general war, in 1.217. 
In a battle between two clans all the men of one side are killed (307). 
The town of the vanquished people is bm-ned (1.199). Insult is 
revenged bj' a person secretly entering the house of his enemy, where 
he cuts off his head (318). Incidents of murder for revenge are men- 
tioned repeatedly (222, 1.195, N 221). A man who suspects another 
one of being the lover of his wife, comes home secretly, waits behhid 
the houses until late at night, and then enters to see whether his sus- 
picions are justified (1.195). The Beaver conquers the Grizzly Bear 
by inducmg him to jump into a swamp, in which he is drowned (111). 
Jealousy between hunters is given as the cause of quarrels. One man 
tells that his companion clubbed him, threw him downi a cliff, and cut 
him, because he had been unsuccessful in hunting, while he liimself 
had killed much game (97). The same idea appears in the tale of 
Txa'msEm and Cormorant (92). When a tribe or c Ian resolves to make 
war on another one, a war party is organized (258) . Scouts were sent in 
advance (196). Such a party may be organized by one generation to 
avenge the defeat of their ancestors (258). People who have to stay 
over night in a strange house guard against secret assaults (142, 150). 
When people fear attack, they build forts. On 319 it is stated that 
a fort is built with a double wall. The women and children gather 
stones in the fort, build a walk over the top of the wall, and all the 
people move in. The walls are evidently made of posts. When 
an attack upon a village was expected, children and women were sent 
to a secure place (165). In individual struggles a woman might also 
be hm't (1.197). Quite exceptional is the appearance of a woman as 
warrior (316). In war, open attack was resorted to in extreme cases 
only. In ordinary defense and attack, ruses and strategy were 
resorted to. On 143 we read of ten men defending themselves by 
brealdng off the snow from the mountain, and thus causing an 
avalanche, that overwhelms their pursuers. 

^Vhen a victory has been gained, the people shout for joy, and sing 
the war-song of their clan (259). The heads of the slain enemies are 

1 The information found in the war stories, pp. 35o et seq., is not contained in these notes. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF TUB TSIMSHIAN 411 

cut off (1.195) and hung up over the door of the house (1.197). Al'ter 
the head has been cut off, the scalp is removed and kept as a trophj' 
(259). At the same place another custom is described, but not very 
clearly. The warriors cut down the bodies of the slain enemies on 
each side, and pull down the skin between their legs. The decapi- 
tated bodies are put up on poles (152, 259) . The poles, with the bodies 
attached to them, were sometimes put up in the corners of the house 
(14G, 151). The bodies of the slain enemies are thrown behind the 
house. 

The chief has to pay his tribe for losses sustained m war (430). 
When a man has been killed accidentally, the murderers may atone 
by the pajnnent of property for the loss they have mflicted, in accord- 
ance with the rank of the murdered person (172). 

Social Organization 

The tribe is divided into four exogamie groups of maternal descent. 
These are the G'ispawadwE'da, the Ganha'da, Lax-k"ebo' (Wolf), 
and Lax-ski'°k (Eagle) . The four groups are, of course, assumed to 
be known. Clan relationship, position, and property are inherited 
by a man from his maternal rmcle. Property transmitted m this 
way consists of crests, lullabies or mourning-songs, clan-songs (note 
on 1.219-221), names, hmitmg-grounds, bathing-places (.308"), sea- 
lion rocks (N 109). A woman recognizes warriors of her clan by their 
war-song (259). It is interesting to note that in one case at least a 
man makes over his hunting-gi'ound to his son (244). 

In one case distinctive characteristics of the clans are referred to. 
When visiting the home of an ocean-being, the G"ispawadwE'da, 
who have the killer-whale emblem, are able to swallow seals whole, 
while the Eagles can not do it (2S7). 

The clans existed before the Deluge, when all the Tsimshian tribes 
lived at T!Em-lax-a'm (Prairie Town). TMien the people were scat- 
tered after the Deluge, the dans were thus continued wherever they 
went (1.251). On the other hand, a rather obscure statement m the 
Gau'o story has it that the children of the Sky Being, who were sent 
back to the earth with their crests, made war upon all the tribes, and 
compelled them to adopt the clan system (1.217). 

A number of stories tell of the origin of crests, or are given as clan 
stories. These are as follows: 

G'ispawadwE'da: 

G-it-na-gun-a'ks (285). 

The fom- chiefs and the Grizzly Bear (292). 

Gau'o (1.193, N 221). 

ilotten Feathers (N 234). 

The Grouses (N 229). 

Story of the G'ispawadwE'da (297). 



412 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. axx. 31 

Ganha'da: 

The water being who married the princess (272). 

The story of Part Summer (278). 

Explanation of the abalone bow (284). 

Story of GunaxnesEmg'a'd (1.147). 

Story of the Ganha'da (285). 
Eagle Clan: 

The driftmg log (253). 

The story of Asdilda and Omen (260). 

Explanation of the Beaver hat (270). 

Little Eagle (N 169). 
Wolf Clan: 

Tsauda and Halus (297). 

Story of the Wolf Clan (p. 306). 

The prmce and Prmoe Wolf (317). 

Story of the Wolf Clan (355). 

There are two types of clan stories — one telling of the marriage of 
a woman of the human race with a supernatural being; the other 
basing the acquisition of crests on the individual experiences of a 
person, or of a whole group of clansmen. 

The tales of the firet class are almost all of one type. They tell of 
a woman who marries a supernatural being, and who, later on, returns 
with her children to her father's house. The supernatural being pre- 
sents her with gifts, such as a name, magical objects, wealth, etc., 
for their children, more particularly for their son. She gives them 
to the son when he is gro^vn up. Ordinarily no mention is made of 
the transmission of these gifts to later generations or to the reten- 
tion of the name given by the supernatural being. It seems to my 
mind that these stories imply that the gifts, which are always formally 
transferred to the young man in a potlatch, are gifts made by the 
husband's family to the wife's family, and become family property, 
and will be transmitted by him to his sister's sons. There is, how- 
ever, hardly ever any mention of the existence of sisters. There are 
even cases in which it seems unlikely that there are other children, 
because in one case at least (243) it is said that the woman who had 
had a supernatural husband does not venture to marry again. The 
tales leave lis in the dark in regard to this important point. In one 
case we even find that the supernatural being gives his powers to his 
son, who in turn transmits them to his own son, together with his 
himting-ground (243 et seq^., 1.81, 1.143). 

It is true that in the case of cousin marriage, such as was customary 
among the chief families, a man's property would eventually be 
inherited by his son's son; but this does not explain the condition 
referred to here, since the supernatural beings, in their relation to 
human beings, do not follow the system of cousin marriage, but rather 



BOAS] DESCKIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 413 

establish an entirely new relationship. Neither is there any definite 
statement that the supernatural beings and animals that marry 
human beings are divided into clans. We only hear of the Iviller 
Whales and Eagles that they are divided into four clans, like the 
Tsimshian (135, see p. 457). The sacredness of the clans is so great 
(1.219), that the idea probably did exist that the supernatural beings 
who married human beings belonged to the proper clan, but this is 
nowhere stated exphcitly. 

Some of the tales of the second class imply the existence of the 
clans before the events of the tale occurred. In other words, they 
do not explain the origin of the clans, but only the acquisition of 
their privileges. This appears most strikingly in the story of the 
G"it-na-gun-a'ks, where we hear that four hunters go out, — thi-ee 
belonging to the G'LspawadwE'da, one to the Eagle Clan, — who then 
receive from the supernatural being Xa-gmi-a'ks gifts that become 
clan property (285 et seq.). The Eagle Clan, on their escape from 
Alaska, acquire through an adventure the Beaver crest (270 et seq.), 
and m the story of Asdikla, the man whose family receives later on 
songs and crests owing to the adventures of a woman, wears the Cor- 
morant hat of the Eagle Clan at the very beginning of the story (260). 
The Wolf Clan also existed before they acquh-ed their crests (.354). 

In a strict sense, neither the stories of the first type nor those of the 
second type are origm stories. All of them explain rather the origin 
of clan propert}'. Examples of the origin of clan property from the 
father-in-law of a woman who has married a supernatural bemg are 
the foUowurg: Gau'o's daughter is taken up to the sky by the son 
of the Sky, and has by him four sons and two daughters. The Sky 
Being gives the eldest one the rainbow crest; the second, the moon; 
the third, the stare; the fourth the mythical bird Lax-6'm (Boas 
4.284). In another version the eldest is given the moon; the second, 
the stars; the third, the rainbow; the youngest one, the Lax-6'm in 
the form of a man (1.213). In the Nass version only the Lax-6'm 
is mentioned, this being the house with thi-ee doorways ornamented 
with skulls, which is given to the eldest one. This version mentions, 
besides, a head-ornament inlaid with abalone shells, given to the 
eldest one; for another one, a head-ornament of skins; for a third 
one, a bow inlaid with abalone. All had blankets made of white 
weasel skins (N 224). In the version 1 .215 it is definitely stated that 
this was the origin of the G'ispawadwE'da; and this is repeated in 
the Nass veision, in which thi-ee brothers go to T!Em-lax-a'm and 
become the ancestors of the G"isg'aha'st, a branch of the G'ispa- 
wadwE'da. According to present customs, this impHes that the 
descendants of the two sisters of these brothers form the clan. It is 
not stated, however, what became of the sisters. It is also inter- 
esting to note that the Sky chief gives houses only to the brothers, 



414 TSIMSIIIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann, .-fl 

not to the girls, who ordmarily did not own houses. Whatever the 
further descent may have been, the crests were first given by the 
Sky chief to his son's children. 

In the Asdi-wa'l tale (1.71 eiseq.) the supernatural being Hats tena's, 
or in another version (Boas 4.286, and 1.14.5) Il6° or Hu", in Nass 
Houx (N 225), gives supernatural gifts to his son. Later on this 
son, who has first taken the name Waxaya'°k, then Da-huk-dza'n, 
gives these supernatural gifts to his son (243, 1.14.3). 

The lake-being Dzaga-di-ia'°, the father of GunaxnesEmg-a'd (1.1 05 
et seq.), gives bow and arrows, an otter club, and a copper canoe, as 
well as his son's future name, to his wife for their son. Later on the 
young man invites all the sea monsters, who come to his potlatch 
wearing their crests, and he then takes the name Y!aga-k!une'''sk, 
which "staid among his relatives" in the Raven Clan. 

A rather characteristic story, although not a clan story, strictly 
speaking, is that of the Otter prince who abducted a woman. His 
wife returns to her father, taking her Otter son along, and the latter 
is so successful a hunter that her father becomes very rich (171). 

Here belongs also the story of the girl who is married to a Spider 
man, and whose mother is taught by him the art of making nets (1.58). 

In another tale a giil marries the Devil's-Club (Fatsia Twrrida), 
and her son obtains gifts partly from his father, partly througli his 
own exploits. In this tale it is stated that the young man married 
his uncle's daughter and had a son; but nothing is said about the 
transmission of his powers, which, according to the customs of the 
tribe, should have been given to his sister's son (172 et seq.). 

In the tale 243 et seq. vre learn of the son of a supernatural being 
who is taken back by his mother to her father, but nothing is said 
about the transmission of his powers. 

In the tale of the water-being who married a princess (272), a giil 
is abducted by a water-being. A son is born to them, and then the 
young woman's father-in-law asks a river to send her a daughter. 
Eventually the children return to their mother's tribe, where the 
young man takes his uncle's place, but retains the powers that he 
had re(^eived from his father. He invites the sea monsters to a feast 
in two houses he has built, and receives from them the carving of a 
starfish covered with abalone shell for one house, a bullhead with 
live (hildren on its back and abalone shells in the eyes and fins for 
the other one (277). 

The idea of the gifts of the father-in-law to his son-in-law's family 
(presented, however, through the daughter to her husband) seems to 
me to appear with great clearness in the tale of Tsauda, who gives 
the secret of copper-working in this manner to his son-in-law (300). 

Following are a number of stories of the second tjrpe: 

A chief kills the sea monster Haklula'cj, and takes her for his crest 
His nephews marry and obviously inherit the crest. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 415 

Of a similar type is the story of Deserted One (225 et seq., Boas 
4.300), called in the Nass dialect Little Eagle (N 109), who obtains 
his name (and evidently also his Eagle crest, although this is not 
stated) from the eagles whom he feeds. 

In the story of the Princess and the Mouse, the second husband of 
the Princess, a Haida, is taught by her Mouse children the Mouse 
dance, which is then learned by all the Haitla tribes. Nothing indi- 
cates here that the dance is confined to one clan (232 et seq.). 

A woman who has married a Bear returns with her Bear children, 
but eventually they are sent home to the Bears, after having been 
asked to give success in hunting to their uncles (2S4). 

The acquisition of crests through adventures of an individual is 
also described in the story of Asdilda and Dl°ks (260 et seq.). A 
princess who survives the destruction of her village hears the mourn- 
ing-song of the being who had annihilated her people; she sees 
another being named Dzi]a'''gans, who carries a cane with a live frog 
and a live person on the frog at the lower end, a live eagle at the 
upper end, and wearing a spruce-root hat painted green. On her 
travels she sees a blanket glittering like stars (266), a supernatural 
halibut, and a supernatural eagle. All of these become her crests, 
wloich are transmitted to her children. 

When the Eagle Clan escaped from Alaska, they had as their crest 
a carved stone eagle, which was lost on their travels (270). Later 
they met a supernatural halibut that killed some of their people; 
then later on a beaver with copper eyes, copper eare, teeth, and claws, 
whose moiu-ning-song they learned (272). 

The man who catches the live abalone bow with the design of the 
Raven takes it for his crest (284). 

Here belongs also the story of G"it-na-gun-a'ks, of the four men 
who are taken down to the house of Na-gun-a'ks and receive from 
him their crests. It is interesting to note that three of these men 
were G'ispawadwE'da, one an Eagle (287). The crests given to the 
former are the house carving, consisting of two killer whales with 
noses joined together (it is called Dash Against Each Other), and 
another house carving, representing green seaweed, a killer whale hat 
covered with horns, a seaweed bhmket, and a copper canoe. The 
crests given by Na-gun-a'ks to the Eagle Clan are Na-gun-a'ks's hat, 
representmg a sea-apple hat with a human figure in the center and a 
box inlaid with abalone shell (288-289). 

The tale of the Grizzly Bear, who is treated kindly by a chief and 
in return gives him liis clan privileges, belongs here also (292 etseq.). 
The crest here described (296) is a Bear mask with abalone shells for 
ears, eyes, and teeth, or, as more fully described on 294, a Grizzly- 
Bear hat, red leggings, and a bow, a Mountain-Goat hat, one dish 
carved in the shape of a frog, one in the shape of a mountain sjiring. 



416 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [Exn. ass. 31 

Later on he received, in addition to these, a mountain staff. AH 
these had songs belonging! to thorn. 

A few of the stories are of a mixed type and refer in part to the 
descent of the ancestor, in part to his exploits. Hero belongs, for 
instance, the story of GunaxnesEmg^a'd, who is the son of a supei- 
natural being, but transmits the name Y!aga-k!une'°sk that he has 
taken at a feast (1.191). Here may also be mentioned the story of a 
man who killed the Wolf prince ami took his crests — a blanket witli < loft 
hoofs of deer and sheep, an armorset with ears of reindeer and other wild 
animals, and a hat with a wolf's tail (317) — who, however, was later 
adopted by the mother of the Wolf whom he had murdered, married 
two Wolf sisters, and whose children lived in part among the Wolves, in 
part among the people, and established the crests and a friendship be- 
tween wolves and man. Here we have apparently a c onti-adic tion, for 
the man is given the place of the wolf whom he had killed. Therefore 
his sister's cliildren should inherit his place. It is not stated that the 
children whom ho had by his Wolf \\'ifo, and who staid with the ])eo])lo, 
inherited his crests; but, according to their descent, they must have 
been Wolves, although the Wolves themselves would then have had 
different clans. In short, it seems difficult to reconcile this story 
with the present organization of the tribe. 

The stories telling how a shaman receives his powers are quite 
similar to the crest stories of the second type. Tliis may be seen, for 
mstance, on 347, where a man is given the Grizzly Bear, Thunder- 
bird, a being called Living Eyes (the hail), one called Mouth At Each 
End, and the Cuttlefish; or in the story of the man who obtained 
power from the squirrel (N 211). 

In a few cases the encounter with a supernatural being results not 
only in the acquisition of crests, but also in the establishment of 
what seem to be clan taboos, or relations between clans and animals. 
Na-gun-a'ks forbids his proteges to kill fish (288), a friendly relation 
is established between the Wolves and the people of the Wolf Clan 
(322). We may perhaps mention here also the promise to assist 
their uncles, made by the young Bears, the children of a woman who 
had been carried away by the Bears (284). In one story of the 
first type a somewhat analogous incident occurs. There the descend- 
ants of the supernatural being are given the power to work copper 
and the taboos of this kind of work (306). On the whole, however, 
this feature is not strongly developed. 

Names are acquired in the same manner as crests, and are given 
by supernatural beings to their grandchildren or obtained in an indi- 
vidual encounter. Thus in 273 a male supernatural being calls his 
son's son Coming Do\^^l The Useless River; this refers to the name 
of the supernatural being himself, and therefore can not possibly 
belong to the maternal family, since the child's mother was of human 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 417 

descent. Later (278) it is mentioned that this bo^-'s sistei' takes tlie 
name Killer Whales Are Eeady To Go Up, which name, in all prob- 
aliility, also belongs to the supernatural beuig. The same is appar- 
ently the case with the children of the son of the Sky and of a human 
princess, who receive their names and crests in heaven (1.213). On 
•306 Tsauda's daughter's husband is said to have taken the name of 
liLs great-grandfather, Around The Heavens. Here it is not quite 
certain whether it is meant that he takes the name of a member of 
his own clan or not. Tsauda also gives the heavenly name Moon 
to his daughter, whom he gives to his father-in-law as a substitute 
for his lost daughter. The name is therefore not one belonging to 
the girl's clan. Here may be mentioned also the case of the super- 
natural bemg of the lake, who gives to his son the name Gunaxne- 
sEmga'd (1.165). Nothing is said about the provenience of this 
name, which either may belong to the supernatural being or may be 
a new name. Later on this man takes the name Y!aga-k!une'''sk, 
which is transrnitted to his relatives; that is to say, to his mother's 
relatives, who belong tothe Ganha'da (1.191). 

In the story of the man who killed the Wolf prince, and who is 
adopted by the mother of the Wolf whom he had killed, he takes the 
name of the dead prince (320). 

It would appear from this that all these new names were given by 
the husband as presents to his wife's family. 

The GispawadwE'da name Nes-nawa (295) was received, to- 
gether with a number of crests, from a Grizzly Bear on whom a 
man ha<I taken pity. In a similar way a shaman receives his name, 
Mouth At Each End, from the Grizzly Bear ; and later he revives his 
own brother, who had been devoured by martens, and calls him 
Devoured By Martens (348). The shaman initiated by the Squirrels 
takes the name Squirrel (N 216). These shaman's names are, of 
course, not clan names, but should be mentioned here on account of 
the sameness of the method of their acquisition. 

It is interesting to note that the name G'it-nar-gun-a'ks (291), 
which belongs to one of the subdivisions of the GispawadwE'da, is 
taken from the supernatural being Na-gun-a'ks, whose house some 
membere of the clan visitetl. 

In a few cases new names are assumed in a different manner. 
Thus Raven's father gives him the name Giant (60) ; a boy who had 
been deserted by his people because he had displeased them takes 
the new name Deserted One (232) ; a woman who has been ridiculed 
by the people because she had drifted ashore and had married a 
prince without having been given away properly by her father takes 
the name Pickmg Strawberries and Great Haida Woman. These 
names, being assumed at a gi'eat festival, become names of high rank 
(268). A girl whose eyes are sore because she has always been looking 
.50633° -^31 ETH--]6 27 



418 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. .-il 

into the sun is called Ya°l, which is supposed to hiiYo some reference 
to the blinding rays of the sun (307). 

A new crest obtained through an adventure was proclaimed at a 
potlatch. Thus the man who had captured the live abalone bow 
gave away its wood and claimed the bow as his crest (284). Only one 
chief in each generation owns it, antl, when assuming it, he gives a 
gi-eat potlatch, at which the story of the crest is told. — The children 
of the Haida woman who obtained a number of crests after the 
destruction of the town of Dzl'gwa gave a potlatch; and the eldest one 
assumed the cormorant as crest, which his imcle had owned before 
the beginning of the events told in the story, and the various crests 
commemorating his mother's adventures (267). — The man and the 
woman who had received ci'ests from the Grizzly Boar showed them 
at a great feast (294). — The man who had killed the Wolf prince 
showed his crests — the cleft-hoof garments, the wolf-tail hat, and the 
long-ear armor — at a festival (320). — The men who had received 
crests from Na-gun-a'ks announced them in the same way (290, 291). 
Crests were worn at potlatches by both host and guests. The 
guests at Dragging Along Shore's feast are asked to wear each his 
crest (290). The sea monsters at Down The Useless River's potlatch 
wear their crests (276). 

Names were proclaimed in the same manner. Ordinarily the name 
was not proclaimed by members of the clan to which the name be- 
longed, but by the father or grandfather, who belonged to a distinct 
clan. Thus the father gives the name in 60, 1.165, N 101; the 
father's father, a Haida chief, gives names to his son's children from 
a Tsimshian princess (258); the supernatural being gives names to 
his son's children (273); a boy receives his name from his mother's 
father (243) (here it is somewhat ambiguous whether ho gives his 
own name or another name) ; a man gives names to his daughter's 
children (283). 

On the other hand, in N 164 a boy who gives a potlatch asks his 
uncle (his wife's father) to distribute the presents and at the same 
time to proclaim his name. 

If on 234 it is stated that the mother gives noble names to her chil- 
dren, it may be meant that names belongmg to her family were 
selected. It does not necessarily imply that the bestowal of the names 
was performed by the mother herself. In 1.83 and N 227 the mother, 
after the disappearance of her supernatural husband, announces the 
name Asdi-wa'l as her son's name, which name had been selected for 
the boy by his father. In 1.111, however, the mother gives a pot- 
latch, and gives a cihief's name to her son. Later on he gives a feast 
to all the chiefs to make known this name to all the people (1.123). 
At another place (1.169) the mother, after a hunting exploit of her 
son, mentions her son's name for the first time, saying, "This is ni}' 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAX 419 

child, whom his (supernatural) father called GunaxiiesEmga'd." 
Later she gives a gi-eat potlatch and announces this name pubUcly 
(1.171). 

In a note on 1.223 the customs relating to naming are described. 
In a great many cases it is not stated explicitly who gives the name, 
but the festival of taking the name or of pi'oclaiming the name is 
mentioned. Thus it is said (268) that a gi-eat name is given to a 
woman; a boy takes a name publicly (274); a boy and a girl take 
names publicly (277) ; a man takes or is given a great name (232, 306, 
1.143, 1.191); a gud receives a woman's name (243). 

After the names have been established, individuals take na'mes 
belonguig to their families. A boy takes his uncle's name (267), and 
a man takes his mother's eldest uncle's name (312). 

It remains here to state what we can learn regardmg the relations 
between the clans. The towns are the property of certain clans. 
Thus we hear of a Raven town, an Eagle town, and a Wolf town in 
Metlakahtla (272, 306), and of an Eagle and a Raven town on opposite 
sides of a river (270). 

On the other hand, it is stated that the chief's brothei'S-in-law have 
their houses on each side of the chief's house (234), so that in this 
case these must be house owners belonging to at least two clans in 
the village. 

Rivalry and hostility between clans is the theme of many tales. 
Examples are the tale of the war between .the Eagles and Ganha'da 
in Alaska (270), the Eagles and GispawadwE'da in GitslEmgaTon 
(2.53), between Eagles and Wolves in Metlakahtla (307), in the Nass 
vereion the confUct between the Git-gini5'x and GispawadwE'da 
(N221). 

Sometimes a clan, on being defeated, would seek a new home in a 
distant comitry (270), or the survivors woul<l flee to their clan fellows 
in a neighboring tribe, as the GitslEmga'lon Eagles to the Nass 
Eagles (253, also 354). We hear of the Wolf Clan that after a war 
with the Eagles (316) they were scattered over all the villages. 

Family Life 

Families. — In many cases families are spoken of, consisting of sev- 
eral brothers and one sister. Thus we fuid mentioned a chief who 
has four sons and one daughter (278, 1.115, 1.121, 1.193), and another 
family consisting of four brothers and one sister (216); a chief who 
has four sons and two daughters (1.213), another one who has five 
sons and one daughter, the daughter being the youngest child N 9S ; 
othei-s who have six sons and one daughter (140, 161) ; another family 
of many brothers and one sister (154); also a chief who has one son 
and one daughter (260). In quite a number of mstances we find a 
number of sons and two daughters, thioe sons and two daughters 



420 TSIMSTIIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

(267), four sons and two (laufjliteis (236, 255). In still othoi-s tho 
stories treat simply of tho sons of a chief, without any mention of 
his daughters. Thus there are ten sons mentioned (141), six (131), 
and four (N 200). An only son is spoken of on 58, 154, 192, and in 
N ISS; the only son of a woman on 243. An only daughter is men- 
tioned on 172. The man who has eighteen Wolf children belongs, of 
course, in tho domain of myth (322). In one story there appear a 
chief and his sister; the chief has ason, and his sister a daughter (liS5). 
Two children, without reference to sex, form the subject of the story 
N 159. In most of those cases tlici children are referred to as living 
in their father's house (244), although a few times (1.195, N 100) 
they are referred to as living with their mothers. There are hardly 
any cases in which the social unit of which tho story treats consists 
of a chief and his nephews. We find mention of such a chief and 
his four nephews on 116. 

A number of times polygamy is specdfically referred to. Thus the 
chief is said to have six wives (267), as many as twenty (278), and 
many wives (238). 

After the destruction of a village, a chief, his sister, her two sons 
and one niece, are the sole survivors (222); and at the same place it 
is said that four boys and two girls were the only survivors (223). 

Love. — Although marriages were arranged as previously described, 
the personal inclination of the girl was evidently of considerable 
importance. We hear (185) that the relatives of a prince talk to the 
father and the uncle of a princess in order to arrange a match for him, 
but that they are miable to overcome tho objection of the girl. In 
another story a girl's aunt asks her to be kind to her cousin, who 
wooes her, but whom she rejects (166). Again, at another jijace, a 
gul makes love to a man whom she had previously rejected (189). 

Clandestine marriages with supernatural beings, and subsequent 
elopement, are one of the ever-recurring motives of the tales. The 
man always takes the girl along with him to his town. 

A girl sends her maid to a youth in order to tell him that she loves 
him (189). She asks a visiting stranger to marry her (1.117, N 1.58). 
A youth meets in the woods a girl whom he loves (155); a woman 
pretends to be dead, and her lover visits her in her grave-box in the 
woods (215); a boy elopes with his cousin (1.171); a stranger mar- 
ries the chief's daughter (1.115); a prince meets a beautiful girl, and 
at once wants to take her in his canoe (261). 

The boy (154, 242) or the girl (242) who does not want to marry, 
either on account of a secret marriage or because of pride, is met 
with often. 

A girl who does not like her suitor makes fun of him without 
mercy (186). 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 421 

A poor woman pretends not to notice it when a young man who she 
thinlvs may be a desirable suitor comes to see her daughter (158). 

After a man had married a girl in a foreign town, ho might stay 
there for some time, but finally he would take her back to his own 
home (N 100). In this way a prince who has married two Wolf 
\N-ives retiu-ns with them to his native village. Wlien he arrives, he 
fii-st leaves them behind the village: but, after announcing their 
arrival, he brings them down (32 1 ) . 

Married Life. — Incidents of the joint life of husband and wife are 
numerous. We are told of ten hunters who go out accompanied by 
then- wives to visit the himting-ground (141). There are also other 
cases of women accompanying hunters who go out to stay on the 
hunting-ground for a long time (152). ^^Tien the man kills salmon 
on the river, the woman carries them up and the man hangs them 
up to dry (77). In the morning, when a noise is h^ard on the beach, 
the wife sends her young husband to see whether any animals have 
drifted ashore (N 151). The woman makes fire for her husband (1 .155) ; 
she prepares the meals (78); she combs his hair (78) ; and when they 
are resting, the husband lays his head in her lap and lets her louse 
him (1.161). In ease of danger, women and children are placed in 
canoes and sent to places of safety (165, 1.165). The wife will 
also reproach her husband for improper conduct. Thus a slave- 
woman reproached her husband for having done harm to their 
master's son (59). 

The husband of a supernatural woman draws water for his wife 
(213, 1.111). 

The love between husband and wafe is often mentioned. A man 
who has lost his wife searches for her (236), and, when he fbids her 
in the woods, embraces her (237). A supernatural woman wdio had 
killed her husband in a fit of jealousy moiuned him; and when he is 
resuscitated by her father, the couple are reunited and continue to 
live loving each other (1.115). • The loving wife tries to protect her 
husband against the attacks of her father (1.89, 1.103). When the 
couple have to part because the husband longs for his home, and his 
wife is imable to follow him, she embraces him (1.115). A man who 
has insulted his wife in a fit of anger prays her to come home, saying, 
"Come home, my dear wife! You know I love you better than any 
one" (140). The dying wife addresses her husband, saying, " My dear 
husband, keep your love for me after I am dead. Don't go home too 
soon! Watch over my grave!" (152). In memory of his wife the 
widower makes a wooden figure I'epresentmg her, which he sets up 
in his house. He does not touch anything left by his wife (152). In 
another tale we learn of a man who traveled away from home and 
had married a supernatural woman. Wlien he returns, liis former 



422 TSIMSIIIAN MMIlOl.OCiV [hth. ANN. 31 

wife tries to get liim back (211). Auuthor man who had given liis 
wife cause for jealousy was struck by her in the face. When she 
left him, he followed her, crying, trying to get her back (1.111). 

Another phase of domestic life is revealed in quarrels between hus- 
band and wife. A woman whom her husband has offended by scold- 
ing her does not follow entreaties when he assures her of his love 
and asks her to come back (139). A man who htis been gambling 
makes his wife so angry, that she throws the dishes into the fire and 
upbraids him, saying he ought to maiiy the daughter of a super- 
natural being. This induces him to leave her and to seek the homc^ 
of the supernatural woman. Improper behavior of the husband 
makes the wife first of all downcast (207). In N 12(5 a man deserts 
his wife because he is tired of her. 

Faithlessness of woman is the moti\'e in several stories. When it 
is discovered that a woman is faithless to her husband, who, in con- 
sequence of her actions, hsis hard luck and is lulled by an accident, 
his brothei-s kill her lover (1.195). On 317 a chieftainess is said to 
be in love with the Wolf chief, and the chief's nephew is in love witli 
the cliief's wife (214). Jealousy without cause is the theme of the 
tale on 270. 

The polygamic relations also enter into our stories. The chief with 
one wife on each side' is described in N 194 and N 205. The hmiter, 
when he comes home, divides the game between his wives (238, 1.161). 
Very often difficulties aiise because the chief loves one wife more than 
the other. In 217 he loves his second wife best be('ause she has a 
child. In 181 it is said that he loves one more than the other; and 
in 207 that he loves the noblest wife best. Jealousy between wives 
is the subject of 216, 238. 

Only in one case are the two mves of a man said to be sisters (317) . 

Brothers and Sisters. — The relations between brothers and sist(!rs 
are also touched upon. A woman who has been insulted by her hus- 
band is asked by her brothers in the most loving terms to go home 
with them (140); and when she is being transformed into an animal, 
the brothers can not forget her (141). We are told that brotheis 
love their only sister (278), and six brothei-s go out in search of their 
sister who has been lost (163). On 283 one brother after another 
loses his life in -the attempt to rescue his sister from the Bear who has 
abducted her. After the people in a village have been killed by a 
supernatural being, a brother takes his sister along, and they leave 
the village together (157; see also p. 459). When a poor woman 
retmns home with her child, her biothers make fun of her and let 
her live m the corner of the house (1.167). After they have killed 
their sister's husband, they maltreat his widow. Only the youngest 
one takes pity on her (1.137). 

1 See also p. 429. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 423 

A widow who has been helped by supernatural behigs takes her 
supply of salmon to her brother's house (160). 

In a few cases the relation between sisters is also described as inti- 
mate. Thus, when one girl is taken up to heaven by her husband, 
she wants to have her sister taken along too (29S); and when two 
sisters visit the camp of a hunter and one of them is put into an embar- 
rassmg position, her sister tries to protect her against ridicule (154). 

Brothers appear often as companions, but there is no special men- 
tion of the love between brothers. In 1.193 a number of brothers go 
out hunting, one of them is killed, and the three remaining ones are 
very sad. Four brothers, chiefs of one village, are spoken of as each 
having a house of his own (292). A number of brothere live together 
who are very active, except the youngest one, who is lazy (116). 

Male Cousins. — Cousins (that is to say, sons of a brother and 
sister) are mentioned once only, when it is told that when a lost man 
returns and finds that his cousin has succeeded to the cliieftaincy 
formerly hehl by his father, the two embiace each other, and the 
new cliief receives his returning cousin most kindly (32 1 ) . 

Brotliers-in-Iaw and Sisters-i7i-law.— -The- relations between a man 
and his wife's brothers appear, on the whole, as friendly, but very liable 
to turn into enmity. They bring food to their sister's husband (217). 
Four brothers give their sister in maiTiago to Asdi-wfi'l (1.121), who 
later on presents them with gifts of meat (1.123). They, however, 
become jealous of him on account of his prowess (1.125): and when 
he goes hunting with them in the canoe of the eldest one, they 
desert him on a sea-lion rock (1.127). Later on they look for his 
body (1.133). Another set of brothers-m-law desert a hmiter 
because they are ashamed on account of their lack of success (1.121). 
Only the youngest one is merciful (1.127, 1.137). When the hunter 
is saved in a miraculous way, he lives with his youngest brother-m- 
law (1.143). Brothers-in-law come to visit their sister's husband, 
and brmg hun food (217, 1.163). The chief then gambles with them 
(217); and later, in a fit of jealousy, the chief orders his people to , 
kill his brothers-in-law. The brothers will take vengeance on any 
injury inflicted upon their sister. For instance, the woman's biothers 
kill her husband because he has killed his wife, their sister, in a fit of 
jealousy (270). 

In one case we are told that a chief had two waves. The brothers 
of the younger wife came to visit him, anil at this opportunity the 
chief's first wife falls in love with one of the brothers, who declines 
her overtures (217). This instance is interesting, because it shows 
that the two wives of the chief must have belonged to difl'erent clans, 
othei'wise the woman could not have ap])roached the other wife's 
brothers. The incident in which a man kills his Bear brother-in-law 
(282) can hardly be used in this connection, because obviously it 



424 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [i:th. an.v. 31 

contains supernatural elements; still it is a reflection of the fact that 
quarrels between a man and his wife's brothel's were not uncommon. 
In still another passage (225) wo hear of a chief who has one son and 
four brothers-in-law, and that he orders his brothers-in-law not to 
give any food to his son. Here the wife's brothers, who belong to 
another clan, appear as living in the chief's village, and to a certain 
extent subject to his orders. A supernatural woman who is not 
treated kindly by her husband gives to his younger brother super- 
natural presents and other gifts, and f.r.ally marries him (N 195). 

There is hardly any mention of the isolation between a woman and 
her brother's wife. In N 204 a girl goes out to invite her brother's 
\viie to come in. 

Parents-in-laiv. — The wife's parents and their relatives do not seem 
to have had a very intimate relation with those of the husband. We 
hear often, however, of their bringing ])resents of food. Thus in 
N 192 the relatives of a strange wife bring much food. A visit of 
the woman's father to the husband's father's house is spoken of in 
N 230. The girl's relatives, also her father, give property to her 
husband's father (207). It does not appear clearly whether there is 
any reluctance on the part of the young woman to speak to her 
mother-in-law. The latter turns her out of the house because she 
ilislikes her. Incidentally we hear of a woman's father-in-law inquir- 
ing how many brothers slio has (280), and apparently he addresses 
her directly. 

References to the relation between the young man and his wife's 
parents are somewhat more frequent. In one place it is said that 
the mother loves one of her two sons-in-law, the father the other one 
(299). The young man gives presents to his father-in-luw and to his 
wife'suncles (302). Hegivesasea otter to his mother-in-law (1.173). 
During the olachen-fishing season a man goes out with his wife and 
his mother-in-law in his canoe (301); another one with his wife and 
a slave-girl. A hunter sits in the bow of the canoe, his mother-ui-law 
in the middle, his wife in the stern (84). The wife's mother prepares 
supper for her son-in-law (84). Very often we hear of a son-in-law 
doing various kinds of work for his father-in-law. He offers or is sent 
to get fuel (209, 299) . He is asked to get fish (301 ) . The tests of the 
son-in-law (1.89, N 130) refer in part to such tasks imposed upon him 
by his f ather-m-law : He gives meat to his father-in-law (1.97), is 
sent to draw water for him (1.97), is sent for fuel (1.101, N 133). In 
N 230 a chief asks his son-in-law's help because he is old. When the 
chief has many slaves, his son-in-law is not allowed to work for him 
(209). Apparently the young couple may live for some time in the 
wife's father's house; but after a while the son-in-law puts up a new 
house (238). As stated before, the couple go back after a while to 
live in the man's village. The relations between the wife's father 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 425 

and the husband's father :ire uf course mutual; and as we heard 
before of the father and the rehitives of a woman giving food to tho 
husband's relatives, so we hear also of the man's father giving prop- 
erty to the relatives of his daughter-in-law. One rather character- 
istic passage tells us that the mother-in-law of. a young man does 
not dare to look angry when her son-in-law, whom she does not like, 
acts against her wishes (303). 

Sorir-in-law. — There are two stories of the tests of the son-in-law 
(1.89, N 130) which center in the idea that the girl's father tries to 
overcome his daughter's suitors. In the further development of this 
theme, the j'oung man finally gains the love of his father-in-law 
(1.107). After a clandestine marriage, the father welcomes his son- 
in-law, and asks his daughter to accompany him to a seat by the fire 
(1.117). In the story of Chief Peace (214) the relation between the 
cliief and his son-in-law is that of mutual love. The chief mourns for 
him when he dies, and revives him. I have not found any indication 
of the mother-in-law taboo. 

Uncle and Nephew. — Since in the social organization of the Tsim- 
shian the relation between a man and his sister's children is particu- 
larly intimate, it is not surprising that we find many references to 
the relations between the chief and his nephews. The chief orders 
his nephews to build a new house (116), to get fuel (116), and to 
make fire (226). On 154 we are told that a chief tainess had many 
brothers who loved their nephew. A number of nephews offer to 
accompany their uncle on a dangerous journey (335). The uncle 
invites his nephew (189); a man's adopted daughter is given in mar- 
riage to one of his nephews (267) ; a chief leaves his name and prop- 
erty to his nephew (295); he is ashamed because his nephews are 
overcome in a contest (119). Nephews {viz, a sister's daughter's 
sons) are mentioned as successors to the chief's place (258, 314), and 
the nephew whose good will is desired is asked to marry his uncle's 
daughter (231, N 184). On 224 a man marries in a certain village, 
and for this reason all his nephews desire to marry in the same vil- 
lage. On 284 a woman asks her Bear children to provide food for 
their younger uncle; that is to say, for her younger brother. 

On the other hand, rivalry between uncle and nephew is a marked 
element in some of the tales. A chief's nephew makes love to the 
chief's wife (214) ; a poor oi'phaned nephew is maltreated by his uncle 
(N 137) ; four uncles maltreat a girl returning from the woods, whose 
parents had died (1.167) ; and uncles maltreat their nephew, following 
his father's orders (225). Only the yomigest tmcle is merciful (1.167). 
At another place (244) we read of a boy being compelled to go witli 
his micles against his will. 

Parents and Clnldren . — It is rather striking that in hardly any of these 
ca.ses is there any mention of an intunato love between the uncle and 



426 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ikth. ann. 31 

nephew. On the othoi- hand, the relations between parents and 
children, particularly between father and child, are dosci'ibod as 
most intimate. It is said over and over again that parents lovo their 
cliildren very much (for instance, 297); and even more often, that a 
father loves his son very much (137, 192, 244). On 247 it is said 
that a boy loves the father very much. It is an expression of the 
love between father and son that a boy sleeps in his father's bed, 
cries when he thinks that his father has been killed, and lies in the 
bed of his lost father, weeping (249). Father and son cry when they 
have to part (244, 248). A father thinks always of his lost daughter 
(163, 170). He searches for her when she is lost (N 230). When the 
mother scolds her son, the father stops her (193): but at another 
place we hear that when a child dies, the mother dies of sorrow (172). 
When a woman gives birth to an otter, she finally takes pity on him 
and begins to lovo him (168). "When a visitmg woman allows the 
hostess to take charge of her infant child, she constantly looks at it, 
full of fear that something might happen to it (142). When her chikl 
is killed by the hostess, fear prevents her from crying (142). When a 
slave-woman in a starving household has secured some meat, she 
feeds her children secretly (229). 

The children grow up in their father's house (234) . Even a married 
man lives in the same house with his mother (1.195). When the 
father retm-ns from hunting, the childi-en run to meet him (94). The 
children give property that they have procured to their father; 
therefore the father of hunters is wealthy (161). A woman who has 
obtained food from a supernatural being gives it to her parents (240). 
A yoimg woman who finds food shares it with her mother (1.73). 
On the other hand, a woman who is not treated well by her husband 
asks food from her father's people (238). 

Retm-nuig travelers are met by crowds, who assemble in front of 
the house of the father of one of the travelers. The}' then go to this 
man's house (262). A lost woman returns to her father's house 
(342). A lost hunter returns to the house in which he finds his 
sister, while liis wife and chilchen have to be called in (104). A lost 
prince returns to the house of his father, -who has died during his 
absence, and whose nephew has succeeded to his place and has 
inherited his house (321). The body of a person who has died is 
carried to his father's house (203). 

^lien a person had been away for a long time, he would naturally 
return to his parents' house, and therefore several times we find 
mention of a hunter who had been absent for a long period, and who 
finds liis parents dead (1.115). Tire same happens to a girl ( 1 . 1()7) . 
The lost girl who returns to her father's house goes straight to -her 
bedroom without speakhig to any one (170). In 1.195 we find tlie 
married sons living in their parents' house, for the youngest one of 



BOAS] DESCRIPTIOX OF THE TSIMSHIAU 427 

the hunters goes home aud asks liis mother in regard to the doings 
of the eldest brother's wife. 

The fathei- gives presents to his wife for tlie purpose of giving 
them to his son wlien he is old enough (see j). 414 ), and the young man 
asks his mother for his father's hunting-tools (1.143). On the other 
hand, the son gives hunting-dogs to liis father as a present (1.14.3). 

The duties which the father's <lan performs in the social advance- 
ment of an mdividual do not come out very clearly. We learn that 
the cradle for a child is made by its father's father, a supernatural 
being, who is paid two elk skins, ocher, and eagle down by the child's 
mother's father (241). 

The daughter is carefully guarded by her parents (see p. 432). The 
father who does not want to let his daughter maiTy is an oft-recurring 
motive in these tales (161, 177, 2.32, N 229). In some cases the 
father consents to a secret mairiage which his daughter has entereil 
into against his will (29S, 1.117, N 229'), but he may harbor enmity 
agamst liis son-in-law who has married his daughter without his 
consent. In other cases the child is deserted by him (432). 

When a chief desires to obtain a treasure, he offers his daughter in 
marriage to the successful competitor* (N 138). A hostile relation 
between father and son, developmg from the fact that the two belong 
to hostile dans, appears as an element of one tale only, when, 
after a war in which all the men of one clan have been killed, the 
chief kills aU his sons who are the children of a woman of that clan, 
for fear that they might avenge the death of their relatives (307). 
For that reason it is also said at this place that the only sm'viving 
boy hates his father. 

We do, however, find numerous cases m which a chief is displeased 
with his child of whom ho is ashamed for one reason or another. On 
225 the son will not work. Wlien tlie strain becomes great, the 
father deserts his child. Thus the father sends off his voracious cliild 
(60); the chief deserts his daughter, his nephew, and the grand- 
mother of the latter (N 145); he deserts his son, his son's grand- 
mother (presumably the maternal grandmother), and a slave (227 
and N 171). On tlie other hand we hear of the deserted boy who 
becomes successful and will not help his father (230). 

At the death of a man or a woman, their children give a potlatch 
(N 186). Disobedient children are spoken of only once ( 126). 

We often find women described as living far away from their rela- 
tives. Tlie woman married in a foreign country tells her cliildren 
her story (208). She tells her story to her grown-up children (234), 
speaking a language which all her younger children do not under- 
stand. Onl}' the eldest one has learned her language (235). We 
also hear of mother and daughter living at tlifferent villages, who 

'See also p. 432. 



428 TSIMSillAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. iNN. 31 

moot during a famine, oacli hoping that tho olhor one might assist 
her (1.71). In the story mentioned before, in which th^ man kills 
all his sons, fearing their revenge, the mother is descrribed as loving 
her son and finally running away wnth him (307). She fUses from the 
ill will of her son's uncle ( 244) . 

The poor lonely woman and lier daughter sli^^p on opposite sides 
of the fu-e (1.73). Wlien a sup«u-uatural being ai)proa('hes her daugh- 
ter, she allows her to be married, pretending not to notice what is 
gouig on (158). A bad woman offers her daughter in marriage to a 
visitor, whom she intends to kill while he is asleej) (N 234). Tlie 
mother urges her son to marry (242). 

Grandparents and Grandchildren. — Very often tho relations between 
grandparents and grandcliildren are referred to. The grandmotlier 
who stays with a boy in a small hut on a, brook (N 117), the grand- 
mother who stays with an isolated girl (N 96), and children deserted 
with their grandparents (se«v p. 432), are not of rare occurrence. In 
one tale from Nass Kivor a boy who lives with his grandmother makes 
fun of her and maltreats her (N 119, N 121), but finally he is anxious 
to return to her. 

When a woman is married in a foreign country, she likes to send 
her children back to her father. Thus the Grouse cliiklren visit their 
mother's father, and at his retjuest call in their parents (N 230). 
The children of the princess who drifted away in a hollow tree visit 
their mother's father (256). The children of the Bear go back with 
their mother to their grandfather's house (283). The woman who 
had married the Mouse and had drifted to Queen Charlotte Islands 
also sends back her children to visit her father (234). In several 
cases the children are sent back because their paternal grandmother 
scolds them. The incident generally takes the form of the children 
romping in the house and falling agamst their father's mother, who 
then reprimands them and calls them cliildren of slaves (234, 256). 
In only one case does this mcident refer to the mother's mother ( 283) . 

It is stated on 274 that the father of a male supernatural being 
sends back liis son's children to their maternal grandfather. 

A number of cases of adoption are referred to m i\w tales. Tlu; 
Wolf Woman adopts the slayer of her son in his place (320). She 
calls the animals to a feast, and shows them her arlopted son, who 
then marries her brother's daughters. A Haida chief adopts girls 
who drifted ashore near his village in a hollow log, and his sons marry 
them (255). At another place a couple wlio have lost their daughter 
find a girl, and adopt her in place of the dead girl. Then the father's 
nephews marry her (234). The apparent discrepancy in usage may 
be due to the fact, that in the fii'st case the Wolf Woman adopts the 
youth as a member of her clan; in the second the Haida chief makes 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAX 429 

the girl a member of his own ckiii: while in the third she takes 
the place of his daughter. 

I may mention here also the statement that a supernatural being 
who caused the loss of two sisters gave to their parents in return 
the daughters of one of the sisters, whom he had taken to the sky 
(303). One of the two lost women, it seems, was actually reborn as 
the cliild of her sister (303). 

Chiefs, Attendants, Slaves, Council 

Chiefs and their Families. — The chief is the head man of the clan. 
He has the privilege of using certaui names and crests (see p. 41 1), and 
has also limited social and political rights and duties. On the whole, 
the chief is represented as taking care of the welfare of the people of 
his village. 

In ordinary life he takes part in the occupations of the whole tribe, 
although he has men who may work for him. He goes out fisMng 
with his brothers and his brothers-in-law (285). He asks a guest to 
go fishmg with him (92), and comes back after an unsuccessful fishhig- 
excursion (239). When the chief goes with his tribe to search for 
beautiful feathers, he is given the first choice (344). The chief's sons 
are expert hunters (161), and for this reason their house is full of 
grizzly-bear sldns (311). The prince makes arrows for hunting (192, 
22.5, N 170), and, assisted by his slave, ho takes a halibut up to the 
house from the beach. We hear also of chiefs' nephews or sons-in- 
law going out to get fuel and to do other service in the house. The 
chief tainess goes with her maids to pick berries (1.147). She pre- 
pares a meal for the visitor (N 190). She washes the skm of a wliite 
sea otter (1.173). The princess goes out to draw water. Neverthe- 
less the noble woman is not expected to do' hard work (see p. 432). 

On the other hand, the people work for the chief (278). They fish 
and pick berries for him (182, 239). Girls pick berries foi- the chief- 
tainess (278). The chief sends out his hunters (94, 146). They go 
out to search for his lost son (208). In general, the people obey his 
orders (165). ^^^len it is time to move camp, the chief sends out his 
slave and orders the people to move (see p. 435). Ho is called the 
master of the town (N 169); and it is said that there was one chief 
and a cliief tainess in the town, indicating their high position (N 188). 
We hear, however, also that there are two chiefs (161) and six chiefs 
(295) in a towni, indicating that the wealthiest and noblest men of 
the clans were designated by this term. In large towns there are 
therefore also many princes or people of noble birth (161). 

In return for their services, the chief must feed his people when 
they ai-e in need (294) , and be liberal in arranging feasts. The people 
have fun ia the chief's house every evenmg (218). 



430 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [i.th ann. ,'!1 

On ceremonial occasions the chief and the chieftainess do not do 
their owni work and do not talk to the people, but have their attend- 
ants and messengers who work for them. These may be younger 
members of their owii families, people that do not belong to the high 
nobility, or slaves. 

It was mentioned before that chiefs' nephews or sons-in-law work 
for them. On important occasions the chief sends his nephews as 
messengers (104) or as his speakers (224). In one case he sends his 
own sister, accompanied by some men, as his messenger, and finally 
goes himself with his sister to invite a great chief (275). 

When messengers come to invite a tribe, the chief invites them to 
his house (132). On the other hand, when he is traveling, he sends 
his messenger to announce his arrival; and when he is offered food, 
his messenger tolls the people whether the chief will accept it (N 40). 
When his son dies, he orders all the people to put out their fires, and 
punishes those who do not obey. In this case his authority seems 
to extend even over a village located on the opposite side of the river 
and inhabited by another clan (1.197). It is said that a ('hief mal- 
treats a (Ian that he has vanc^uished m war (311). 

Since all the people work for him, the chief is rich in property as 
well as in provisions. A chief has four canoes full of slaves (1.189). 
When all the people are starving during a famine, smoke is still rising 
from the houses of the chiefs (295). He owns the weapons for war 
and distributes them among the people ' (N 1 42) . When a chieftainess 
travels about, she is accompanied by many slaves (241). 

When strangers visit the village, they are called into the chief's 
house (72, 292), and give presents to the chief and to the chieftainess 
(N 190). When at a festival or at other times the present offered 
to the chief was not of sufncicnt value, he took offense (314). 

As stated before, the chief's house was the principal building in 
the town, and stood in the middle of the row of houses, or, in a town 
of several rows, in the middle of the front row (see p. 395) . The chief's 
house was carved (100), and the most beautiful houses were known 
among all the tribes. A new chief might build a new house (238). 
In the tale of the origin of the clans it is said that the Chief in Heaven 
built houses for his sons' cliildi-en, and decorated the front with carv- 
ings (1.213). There is no indication in the tales that this was the 
regular custom of the people and that the houses of the poor people 
were carved. 

The chief, as leader in war, was responsible for the safety of his 
men. When any of his followers were killed in war, lie had to pay 
the relatives for the losses they had sustained (119). 

Before his death, the chief invited the people, transferred his prop- 
erty to his sister's son, he and his relatives sang his mourning-song, 

1 See also p. 365. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAX 431 

and after he had died his tribe mourned over him for two days and 
two nights (295). At another place it is told that a dying chief gave 
his place to his niece's eldest son (258) . 

The people take an intimate interest in the chief's family aJfairs. 
When a chief dies, the people travel about to investigate who has 
caused his death (313). When his child dies, they go to his house to 
console him (58), or they invite him in order to comfort him (342). 
When he wishes to marrj' , he submits the proposal to his tribe (179), 
who try to find a wife for him (179). When a princess disappears (340) 
or is lost out of a canoe (273) , the whole tribe is stricken with sorrow, 
and the people search for the lost princess in all the villages (163). 

In one case we hear of a chief who has paid out all his property to 
his tribe to repay the losses that they have sustained in war. Because 
he is poor, the people desert him (119). There are, however, other 
cases where the old chief who has lost his eyesight is still respected 
by the tribe (258). When the village belonging to a clan is con- 
quered by enemies, the chief flees with his niece to his own clan on 
NassKiver (253). 

If the chief is deshous of accomplishing a certain end, he announces 
that he will give his daughter in marriage to the jjerson who achieves 
tlie task that he sets him (N 141). It seems rather curious that such 
an incident should happen among tho Tsimshian, since this would 
exclude from the contest aU the members of the chief's own clan. 

T^Tien any event of importance happens in the village, the people 
assemble in the chief's house (N 13S). 

Nose and ear ornaments were used by chief's cluldren (178). The 
labret, which was used by females only, four holes in each ear for 
ear-ornaments, and the perforation of the septum, were all indications 
of high rank (303).^ 

The chi(>f's children dress in beautiful valuable garments. A 
prince who goes out fishing wears a valuable cormorant hat (260), 
and princes dress in marten garments (193). 

The intimate relation between a chief and his children is indicated 
by the fact that a princess who is in danger ofl'ers all her father's 
wealth to a shaman in order to be rescued (341). At another place 
she says to a person whose help she asks, "My father's property shall 
be your property, my father's canoes shall be your canoes, my 
father's slaves shall be your slaves, my father's coppers shall be your 
coppers" (1.157). 

I have discussed on p. 425 the relation of the father to his children: 
and we have seen that in cases where the prince acts in a way imbe- 

1 Whenthedaughterofapersonofrani was able to walk, her parents made a small hole in her lip. All 
the men and women of the girl's clan were invited, and the child's mother would give all her property 
to her husband's sisters, ^^^len the child was gro^Ti up, tlie lip-hole was enlarged. The highest chief- 
l^iiness had the largest lip-hole and largest labret as a sign of her high rank. Girls who had no librct 
iverc called slaves (299). 



432 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Tetii. axx. .11 

coming to a membor of tho uobility, ho may be deserted b_y his father. 
This happens when a prince, instead of catching salmon, makes 
arrows and feeds the eagles with the salmon that ought to be stored 
for winter use (225, N 169), and when another one is voracious and 
greedy (60). Although the prince and the princess should marry 
according to the wishes of their parents, they often follow their own 
inclinations (see p. 420). A prince is married secretly to a Lake 
Woman (155); and a princess who marries a Mouse Man is put into 
a box wliich is sent adrift on the river (233). There are many tales 
based on clandestme marriages of princesses. 

When scolded by his father, the prince may leave his paternal 
home. In this case he tells his slave that he will leave his father's 
house (193, 208). Friendship between the prince and his slave is 
often referred to. When the prince and his slave are deserted, the 
prince generally first looks out for the needs of his slave before attend- 
ing to his ovm needs (N 173). 

The social position of chiefs' daughters is very high, and they were 
carefully guarded by their parents. The bed of the princess is over 
her parents' bedroom, so that access could be had only from the 
parents' bed (161, 232, 297); her maids have their beds under hers 
(297). The chief bars the door of his house every night to protect 
his daughter (161), She is watched by her parents, brothers, and 
maids (161). She must not go out on the street in the daytime (297) 
or when other people are about (161, 297). She has a number of 
companions (1.147) or maids (340), who watch over her. Ten com- 
panions are spoken of on 297. When a girl goes out, she is accom- 
panied by her maid (161, 232). On 318 the princess orders her maid 
not to let the people know what she is doing. While she is asleep 
the people keep quiet (162). She goes to bed early and rises late 
(161, 232). The parents are very particular whom she shall marry, 
and often do not want her to marry at all (161, 177, 232, N 229). 
On the other hand, the girl resents this restraint and wants to marry 
(297). 

The Prince and Ms F7-iends.- -Four boys are selected among the 
noble people of the village to grow up with the prince as his friends 
(173, 187, 322). Three friends are spoken of on 260, 307, 317. Good 
boys were selected as his companions (322). The relation between 
the prince and these youths is very intimate. In 154 we hear that 
a prince and his friend sleep in one bed. The prince and his friends go 
limiting together (317); they travel together (173,284, 303); they 
go out together to get a supernatural arrow (308), go to the house of 
Chief Pestilence (187), and set out to get the supernatural coj)per 
(303). 

When men go out hunting, there are generally four men in a canoe 
(75, 135, 171, 260, 285). 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 433 

A prince's friends make a fii-e for him, and after the meal take 
away his dish (N 190). In cases of danger the friends will always 
stay with the prince. Thus they stay under his coffin (203). In 
cases of trouble there is generally one companion who does not want 
to leave his friend. A boy's companions leave him one after another 
(323); the friends watch by the body of a prince, and leave him one 
by one. The last one is unwilling to leave the body (203). The 
friends of a princess who has some difficulty iu carrying her berries 
home leave her one by one, until finally the last one, who is unwilling 
to leave, is sent back by her (279, 1.149). 

When a young man sets out on a dangerous expedition, his friends 
insist on accompan_\nng him, until he finally sends them back (165). 
The young man who visits the house of Chief Pestilence leaves his 
friend at a brook, making the most dangerous part of the journey 
alone (187). A youth who sets out on a dangerous expedition is 
accompanied by two friends and a slave. First the two friends are 
sent back by the Mouse Woman, who gives advice; then the slave is 
told by his master to wait (N 129). 

Council. — Matters of importance are decided in a council of wise 
men. Thus, when a flash of lightning proceeds from a bundle tlu"owii 
down on the floor of the chief's house, he calls his wise men and asks 
them to explain the significance of the event (219). When a chief 
finds out that wise people are starving and a Gull has given meat to 
ojie of his slaves, he sends messengers to call the wdse men, in order 
to ask them what they think (230). A chief is m'ged by his people 
to take a wife, and when he agrees the wise men take counsel and 
choose himters to search for two women whom the chief is to marry 
(179). When a young man has obtained crests, his father, the chief 
of the village, calls all his wTse men to consider with them what to do, 
and upon their advice builds a fort (319). When a number of trav- 
elers have lost a princess out of their canoe, a meeting of the wise 
men is called, who conclude that a supernatural being has taken her 
away (273). When a number of young people have been killed by 
a ghost, the wise men assemble and suggest to the parents to call in 
the shamans (338). In the same way, when a girl has been hm-t, 
her father calls together the wise men and asks them what he shall 
do to cure his daughter. They advise callmg in the shamans (82). 
When a young woman requests her father to send food to her hus- 
band, he calls in the wise men, who advise hun to do as she requests 
(184). When a chief's grandchild is crying all the time, the chief 
calls his wise men to tell hun what the boy wants (61). 

We also hear of coimcils of shamans who want to kill a rival (328) ; 
and when the animals try to arrange the seasons, they call a meeting 
of all the animals, large and small (106). AVlien the Ghosts are 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 28 



434 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann-. 31 

troubled by a very successful slmnian, they all assemble in council 
and determine to kill him. It would seem that in these last cases 
councils of the whole tribe are referred to (325). 

Messengers ' and Attendants. — Attendants are sent to act as mes- 
sengers (163), to watch a grave (215), to put fuel on the fire and to 
spread mats for visitors (296), to call visitors to come down to the 
fire in the middle of the house (286) , to give fat food to guests (98) , 
to prepare a meal for guests who are expected (179), and to feed the 
guests (110). At a feast they are sent by the chief to see what kind 
of food his wife's relatives have sent him (184). The chief's "men" 
bring douTi his property from the sides to the niiddlf! of the house 
(233). 

The chief's messengers have to perform many duties. As just 
stated, his own relatives, his attendants, or slaves (see p. 430) may 
act as messeng(^rs. 

Young men and women are sent in two canoes to take the chief's 
wife to her father and to act at the same time as messengers (181). 
Messengers are sent out in four canoes to look for a deserted boy 
(N 160, also 230, N 180). A shaman is called by thi-ee messengers 
(335). Messengei-s are sent to invite people (132, 275), to call the 
people to the chief's house (321), to ask for help in taking revenge 
(135), to request a girl in nuirriage for a chief (179, 298). 

Slaves. — The miserable condition of slaves is referred to (59). 
They live in the corner of the house (229). A slave-girl who enters 
a house sits down at the end of the fire (N 189). Wealthy people 
have many slaves (161) ; and the son-in-law of a chief is not allowed 
to work, because the chief has many slaves (209). They carry food 
(59), take animals up from the beach to the house (227, 302, N 172), 
they are sent to get firebrands for starting a fire (1.197), they start the 
fire in the house (209), and attend to the cooking (59, 85). They 
take care of children (216), give them to eat (59), carry crying chil- 
dren about in the house (61). They are sent out to pick crabapples 
for the chief! ainess (240), or the chief tainess goes out with her slaves 
or maids to pick berries (317). 

When the people go out olachen fishing, a slave-woman sits in the 
stern, while the other slaves manage the bag nets (229). Children 
who go out traveling are accompanied by six slaves (268). In war 
they are sent out as scouts (196). 

A chief sends out his slave as messenger to see what causes a noise 
outside of the house (286). At other times the slaves are sent to 
call the people to the chief's house (193, 321). They go as messengers 
to investigate the fate of a deserted boy (N 180). A slave traveling 
with his chief goes ahead of him and announces his arrival (72) . He 



' See also p. 438. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 435 

sptniks in behalf of the chief (74) ; and when his master is visited 
by members of the tribe from which he has been taken, he serves 
as interpreter (255). A supernatural being who wants to many a 
girl sends his slave to woo her (298). When the tribe has to shift 
its camp, the slaves are sent out by the chief to give the order (230, 
N 145, N 162, N 171, N 184). 

The relation between master and slave is often described as one of 
great friendliness, the master taking good care of the slave. In one 
story it is told that a slave who has been maltreated by strangers 
goes to his master's house to complain (286). Stories are quite 
numerous in which we hear of a noble person being deserted with a 
slave. A chief, his nephew and slave, are deserted (119). A boy 
deserted with a slave procures food for the latter ,(227; see p. 444). 
Slaves are given as a present to the chief 's son-in-law (209). Another 
chief buys a slave as companion for his son (192), and at the same 
place the love between the slave-boy and his master is described. 
A prince who wants to leave his father's house tells the slave of his 
intention (208) . A slave-boy who does not want to desert his master, 
the prince, is ordered by him to sta\^ at home, and he cries bitterly 
when the prince leaves (193). Afterward he tells the cliief that the 
son, his friend, has left his father's house (207). 

When a totem-pole was put up, a slave was killed, and buried 
under the pole (259). A man kills liis wife's maid because she lies to 
him (307). Slaves are described as standing in fear of then- master 
(1.179). Slaves may be sold or given away as presents; they are 
counted among pieces of valuable property (see p. 436). 

WTien the members of one clan make war upon another clan, they 
rescue the slaves of their own clan who had been captured at a pre- 
vious time (259). 

Property. — While the possession of what is called rich food (see 
p. 406) was essential for maintaining the dignity of the family, the 
jMovisions themselves were not counted as constituting wealth. 
Wealth is obtained by seUing provisions for other kinds of goods, 
which, after they have l)een accumidated, are distributed in tho pot- 
latch. It seems that the ordinary road to wealth was tlirough suc- 
cess in sea hunting or in land hunting. In a great many cases we ai'e 
told thi\jb the successful hunter who has accumulated a great deal of 
food sells it for jiroperty. Elk skins are most commonly mentioned 
among valuable objects. Following is a list of objects ofl'ei'cd in 
exchange for food: 

Elk skins, marten earnients, i^ea-nlter garments, canoes, raceoon skins, and all kinds 
iif property (211). 

Elk skins, spoons made of elk antler, slaves, large coppers, houses full of elk skins, 
thousands of raccoon skins, and horn spoons (243). 

Elk skins and all kinds of goods (212). 



436 TSIMSHIAX MVTHOLOUV (k'h. ANN. 31 

Elk skins, slaves, canoes, abalono shells, many IuiiuIiimI sroicti- of raccoon skin:-, 
sea-otter garments, marten garments, dancing-blankets, mid all kiii<ls of goods (231, 
232). 

Elks and slaves and other goods (N 164). 

Elk skins, canoes, and slaves and all kinds of goods (N ISli). 

In 1.171 it is impliod that a whit«i soa-otter skin is of great valiK!. 

Copper plates were of very great value. In a note in 1.171 it is said 
that a single copper was worth a large number of slaves, canoes, and 
other kinds of property. 

Certain kinds of food are considered as unfit for chiefs. Mussels 
are mentioned as ch«»tp food ( 1 8.5) . 

In descriptions of the wealth of people it is said that tliey had four 
houses full of property (N 186). Two lonely women have two large 
houses full of provisions, which they trade for proper!}' (1.81). 

The simple statement that p«!rsons become rich by selling meat 
and other provisions is found (108, 242, 274, 1.81, 1.123, 1.171). It 
is stated as particularly remarkable that a hunter becomes ri<-h in a 
foreign land (2G7). In one place it is said that the chief distributes 
his food, and is given in return presents of skins, etc. (294). In one 
case at least it is said not only that the himter acquires nicat, fat, 
and skins of all kiitds of animals, but that he also makes spoons of 
mountain-goat horn and spoons and dippers of elk antler ( 244) . On 
274 the principal indu.stries of the various tribes are iu<intioned, all 
of which consisted in the manufacture of objects given in exchange 
for food. 

In these lists other kinds of property used for sacrifices ar«'. not 
enumerated. These are particularly tobacco, red paint, and sling- 
stones (N 88); tobacco, tallow, and coppers (208), which are taken 
along on canoe journeys. On a journey to supernatural beings, food, 
coppers, eagle down, and red ocher are taken (308). In order to 
propitiate a killer whale, tobacco, red paint, and sling-stones are 
thrown backward from the canoe (N 92); and elk skins, ocher, and 
eagle dovm are given away as offerings (241). See also i>. 4.'')1. 

In other cases people become wealthy by their shamanistii^ art, for 
which they are well paid (328). 

A chief who has to pay for losses sustained in war giv<'s in tAcliaiige 
coppers, slaves, largo canoes, elk skins, etc. (119). 

When canoes are sent on a visit, they take along as jjresen's either 
food (235) or property, such as coppers and slaves (256). A trilx^ 
that make their escape after having been vanquished m war tak<' 
along all their property — coppers, elk skins, marten garments, etc. 
(271). Buying and selHng of goods arc referred to a few times with- 
out a special statement as to the character of the purchase medium. 
Tims we read On 268 of the piu'chase of a canoe. 



KOAS] DESCBIPTIOX OF THE TSIMSHU.N 437 

Trading-expeditions are refeiTed to in N" 19(3, where the people go 
inland to trade red ocher for weasel skins. 

On p. 362 the custom is described of destroying life and 2iroperty 
in order to regain a loss of prestige sustained by some act that is con- 
sidered shameful. In this sense must be understood the act of a 
chief referred to on 2.S3, who has his daughter, who married a I\Iouse 
Man, sent adrift in a box lined with ten coppers, many elk skins, 
mart*n blankets, and expensive garments. Here may perhaps also 
belong the reference to a girl who is put into a pit lined with costly 
garments and coppers at a time when the tribe was exjiecting a, dis- 
aster sent as a punishment for the acts of tlie chief's son (204). 

Visitors and Festiv.\i,s 

The reception of visitors and formal feasts are elaborated on a 
-similar plan, and I shall therefore describe these together, beginning 
with a simple visit, and ending with a great potlatch. When a 
traveler arrives at a village, the chief sends out a messenger to call 
him into the house, and he is given to eat (142, 194, 292, N 113). 
A hunter arriving at a village is called into the house and fed (94, 1 79) . 
A chief walking in front of a town is called in by the head chief and 
treated to rich food (72, 98). When a man looks into the last house 
in the village, the occupant, a woman, calls him in, snulmg; and 
when the chief learns of his arrival, he is taken to the chief's house, 
where he is given to eat (146). A traveler who reaches the house 
of a lonely old woman is called in and given to eat (127). A chief 
sends out four messengers to invite a visitor (235) . The visitor should 
be given good food. Wlien a slave-gu-1 who arrives as a visitor is 
given salmon-backs, she resents this as an insult and leaves (N 188). 

In a tale of the town of the Mice, no strange human being is 
allowed to come near; but finally the husband of the mother of the 
Mice is permitted to visit the village, and four messengers take him 
in (237). Travelers who are not certara of a friendly welcome hide 
beliind the houses, and one of them shows liimself on the beach (254). 

The visitor may be called in by the people who happen to see him 
first (85, 95, 121). If the visitor is an important person, he may 
also send his own messenger to amiounce his arrival (63, 72). Then 
the people come out to meet the stranger (72). When entering the 
house, he should wait in the doorway until c aUed bv the chief him- 
self (188). 

^^lien the visitor is led into the house (208) , a good new mat is 
spread for him by the side of the fire, and he is invited to sit down 
on it. This is a very common incident in all the tales (85, 94, 108, 
226, 236, 254, 296, N 230). A grizzly-bear skin is spread for the 
visitor to sit on (153). The mats are, of course, not always specifi- 



438 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY ( irni. anx. .-il 

cally referred to (G3, 92, 279, 1.129, 1.151). Somcniiuos the guests 
stay on the platform of the house until the meal is ready, and are 
then called do-n-n to the fire (286). The chief himself is seated in the 
rear of the house (108, 321). Noble guests are seated at his side 
(324) or on his right-hand side (321). The chioftainess sits next to 
the chief (218), one wife on his right, the other one on his left 
(N 194, N 205). The child for whom a feast is given sits in the rear 
of the house (60), taking, obviously, a position quite different from 
that of a guest. A princess, on the other hand, who is welcomed 
with gi-eat ceremony and carried into the chief's house on a wide 
plank, is placed by the side of the fire (211). 

A hunter who retm-ns with his game, puts it dow^\ on mats spread 
out on the ground, and gives it to his father-in-law (1.95). 

The meal that is served has been described before (p. 406). \Mioii 
food is prepared for the guest, he smiles to express lus plesisure (94). 
All social events are celebrated by feasts, often accompanied by 
distribution of property. A man gives feasts to his uncle's people 
(274). A successful hunter, on his return, gives a feast to all the 
people, builds a large house, and IxTomes a head chief in his genera- 
tion (154). A successful fisherman invites all the Tsimshian tribes 
to a feast (171). Another one gives a feast to the chiefs almost 
every year, so that his fame spreads all over the world (291). Still 
another one gives many feasts to all the tribes (242) . 

A chief sends a messenger (N 77, see j). 434) to invite his own tribe 
to a feast, and to ask the consent of his people to give a feast to all 
the other tribes. Then he sends out messengers (180, 183, 290). On 
their arrival, the messengers are called into the chief's house, where 
they are fed (132). The messengers return and announce the accept- 
ance of the invitation. Sometimes the date set for the great festival 
may be as many as two years ofl". Then the chief's people and 
related tribes will gather, and, in the interval, make the objectsneeded 
for the festival (275). When they are ready, messengers are sent out 
again to invite the people. On the appomted daj^ the guests arrive* 
(290). Before they reach the village they dress up in their best 
clothing, paint their faces red, and cover the hah- with eagle down 
(257). They stay in then canoes in front of the village while the 
people assemble to meet them (210, 290). The head chief invites 
them to come ashore (290). The chief's people then come out of the 
chief's house, dancing and singing, to welcome the visitors, and go 
back. Then the visitors, are led into the chief's house. If there are 
several tribes, each tribe is assigned a seat by itself (183). When 
the guests are seated, they sing and beat time on planks and on a 
wooden drum (63), and the chief dances in their honor (63, 321), or 
his people dance (224), wearing their crests (132). The guests wear 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 439 

their crests (290). Then slaves or the chief's attiMidants serve food 
to the guests (183, 224, N 193). 

After the feast the guests take the remainder of the food home 
(250, N 207). In a great intertribal feast the dishes and the remam- 
der of the food are thrown into the fire (277). It is said that the 
guests who come from other villages take food home in their canoes 
(ISO, 183). 

^Vfter the meal is over, the chief announces the object of the invi- 
tation — to proclaim a wonderful experience of his tribesmen (101), 
to announce the return of a lost daughter (343), to celebrate the 
supposed return to life of a deceased daughter (267), to show his 
daughter's son whom ||he daughter brings when returrdng after a 
long absence (242), to welcome a returned male cousin (321), to tell 
of adventures (151), to celebrate a marriage (299, 1.171), to show 
his bride to the tribe (ISO, also 1.111), to welcome guests (109), to 
show guests to the people (287) , to test the strength of his nephews 
(118), to prepare the body of a dead child (58), to take a name (274, 
312, 1.83, 1.123), to proclaim a crest or take a position of high rank 
(267, 284, 290, 294, 312-313, 320), after the death of father or mother 
(N 186), or to deliberate over matters of common concern (106, N 76; 
see p. 431). A chief invites his own people in order to ask them to 
gather food which he intends to send to his daughter who is mar- 
ried in another village (182). During a famine a chief invites all the 
tribes in order to feed them (160, 183). 

Great festivals are given when a man takes a position. A prince, 
for instance, sends messengers to all the tribes, and invites chiefs, 
chieftainesses, princes, and princesses, and announces that ho takes 
his mother's uncle's greatness. Then the presents are givcui awa}* 
(313), wliile lie holds a copper on his chest (232) or head (N 164).' 
The host sings while he stands by the pile of property (N 104). In 
N 199 the guests sing. Then the goods are distributed. 

j\f ter the food has been served, the chief gives away his presents, 
which represent very great values (232, 313, N 194). These are 
brought downi to the middle of the house (233, 294, N 164, N 193, 
N 198) and distributed by the host's uncle (N 164). All kinds of 
property (see p. 435) are given away; and every guest receives his 
share, the chiefs more than people of lower rank. Thus it is said 
that a widow gives each chief one bundle of salmon, and divides one 
bundle between each married couple (160). During a famine the 
presents consist of various kinds of food (213, 231). At the same 
time food is sold to visitors for property which may be distributed 
at the same festival (213). 

The ocean-bemg Na-gun-a'ks, who has received presents from his 
human guests, distributes them among his guests at a festival to 

»In a note (313) it is also stated that he stands before the people, holding a copper over his head. 



440 TSIMSHIAN MVTllOI.OCY [kth. ANN. 31 

which all the ocean-beings havc^ been invited, and in return gives his 
human visitors a number of crests (287-288) . 

Visitors who come to a village after slaying a sea monster are 
called to the chief's house, tlie people dance for them, and they are 
feasted. Then the nephew of the visiting chief announces that his 
micle wishes to marry one of the village chief's relatives. The old 
people choose one of the village chief's wives, and the whole village 
gives property to the yoimg couple (224). 

A chief invites the sea monsters, feeds them, gives his presents, 
and in return requests the two most dangerous ones to take j)laces 
where they will not imperil canoes (277). 

The Mountain-Goat tribe send messengers to invite a whole tribe 
to a great festival, and ask them to erect a village near their own, in 
which to live during the festivities (132). 

A chief who receives gifts of food from his daughter's relatives 
(N 231) or from his wife's relatives (Kobin) distributes them among 
his guests. 

A man who gives many potlatches liecomes a great cliicf (1.189, 
N 194). 

When the son of a daugliter married among strangers comes to live 
with his mother's father, all the tribes are invited, so that they may 
know him. On 171 one tribe has been forgotten, who then kill the 
youth because they do not know him. 

When a chief of High rank is not invited to a f(^stival, his friends 
wiU not come either (275). 

Marriage and Death 

Marriage. — The normal type of marriage, as described in the tra- 
ditions, is that between a young man and his mother's brother's 
daughter. Thus a deserted boy marries his youngest uncle's daugh- 
ter (231), or his uncle's younger daughter (17C); a motlier requests 
her daughter to marry her cousin (244) ; a princess marries her cousin 
(234, 238, 244). Evidently this narrow restriction of marriage often 
found resistance. This is expressed by the characteristic type of 
stories of a girl who refuses to marry her cousin (166, 186). In 
one case it is even said that the girl hates lier cousin whom she is to 
marry (166). 

Very pecuMar is the remark (185) that a prince is to marry his 
mother's brother's daughter in order to inherit his uncle's house. 
This sounds as though the recorder considered this marriage essential 
in order to secure the succession. This, however, was cei-tainly not 
the old condition of affairs. 

On 154 it is stated more loosely tiiat a prince mariies one of his 
father's relatives, meaning by this, obviously, one of the father's clan. 
In several cases a girl adopted by a man is described as marrying one 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN • 441 

of his sister's sons (267). Evidently the story of a girl marrying 
among the Ilaida belongs to the same class (255). 

The idea that a person must marry outside of his or her clan under- 
lies also some of the marriages to supernatural beings. Chief Peace 
gives his daughter to a visitor (209), another princess marries the son 
of the Black Bear (279), and a prince marries two Wolf sisters (320). 

The incident told on 260, in which it is stated that a prince mairies 
a neighbor's daughter, is interesting, because this implies that the 
neighbor's wives must have belonged to different clans, or more 
probably, that the heads of two households in the same village 
belonged to different clans. 

More general statements referring to the marriage of a chief's son 
to a princess were quite common (as 207 and 123). 

Clandestine marriages are evidently reflected in the numerous tales 
of supernatural beings who marry girls over whom their parents watch 
carefully (161, 166, 172, 192, 232). The same is said in regard to a 
widow's daughter (84, 158). The incident that parents will not allow 
their daughters to marry because none of the suitors are good enough 
for them, or because of their love for their daughters, appears vpry 
commonly (297). The mariiage of the girl, if not automatically 
determined by her marriage to her cousin, may also be decided upon 
by her brothei-s. Thus, in a family consisting of a number of brothers 
and one sister, the brothers give away their sister in marriage to a 
himter (1.121). 

After a clandestine marriage the young man gives marriage lues- 
ents — three coppers to his father-in-law, three to his wife's uncles, 
and four to his own uncles (1.171). The wife's mother brings mar- 
riage presents to her son-in-law, who distributes them (N 1 98) . The 
wife's father gives only a little property to his daughter when she 
marries a chief and is taken to his house and ^^Uage, promising, how- 
ever, larger gifts for the following winter (180). 

In one case a chief agrees to marry a woman selected for him by 
his tribe (179). 

Ordinarily the girl accompanies her husband to his house (123, 
160, 162, 167), although it happens very often that the young husband 
visits his wife secretly before he takes her back ' ' is parents' house. 
In ahnost all the tales relating to the marriage between a girl and a 
supernatural being the girl follows her husband to his father's house, 
and the further development of the tale tells of her return (162, 167, 
177, 298, .303, 1.151, 1.213). 

Death. — When a person died away from home, the body was 
wrapped in a new cedar-bark mat and carried to his father's house (305). 
The descriptions of the disposal of the body seem to be quite contra- 
dictory, suggesting tliat several methods of burial were in use. It is 
told (58) that the intestines were taken out of the body and burned 



442 TSIMSIIIAN MVTUOLOGV [btii. ans. :'.l 

behind the house, wliile the body was kept in the liouse. IncitU'iituUy, 
on 3;->7, where a burial is described, Mr. Tate says that iu oklou times 
it was the custom when a prince or rich man, or a cliieftainess or a 
princess, or somebody dear to them, cUed. for the bowels, stomach, 
heart, liver, and lungs to be taken out and bunKul inuneiUately. 
When the body was empty, it was Idled with red-cedar bark and 
kept for a long time.' At the same place it is told that the 
body was deposited in the burial-place after four days. On 214 
a woman asks that her body shall not be burned, but that it 
be put into a lai^e box, which shall then bo placed on a tree. The 
funeral p>Te on which a body has been burned is mentioned (2(JG). 
In the description of the funeral of a shaman (329) it is stated that 
he is placed on a l)rancli of a lai-ge tree behind the house. At another 
place (203) we learn of tiie burial of a ])rinco, who is placed in a 
grave-box, which is erected on four strong poles in order to protect 
it against wolves. Burial of bodies of people who died through magical 
influences is meutioneil on 264. A woman who has l)e(ui kJlledis buried 
in the house (1.1G3), and the body of a murdered man is treated in 
the same way (1.197). The boxes in which boihes are deposited are 
tied up (73). In this case, where a man pretends to be dead and asks 
to bo put into a box, there can obviously bo no cremation of the body 
or of part of the body. 

After the body had been placed on the burisd-ground, generally 
on a tree or on posts, the peojile would watch under it. Thus we are 
told that a cloief watches for two days under the body (215); in 
another place, that the people watch a shaman's body a whole year 
(329). The mourners singe their hair and blacken their faces with 
charcoal (313). They do not eat (218). Blackening the face with 
charcoal during the mourning-period is mentioned also on 261. 
When a chief died, the whole tribe had to go into mourning in this 
manner. In one case the cliief orders that as a sign of mourning 
all the fires in the house be extinguished (1.197). The mourners 
would go out waihng early in the morning. Generally" women are 
described as going tlorough a formal wailing. A mother wails for her 
children (233); a girl, for her brothers who had disappeared a year 
before (289) ; a chief and a chieftainess wail every morning under the 
body of their son in the house (58) ; the chief weeps for two nights 
imder the coffin of his wife, (215) which has been put up in the 
branches of a tree. Generally the wailer would go to the beach (233) 
or into the woods. In the first outburst of weeping, after a 'death 
had occurred, the people would try to go into sohtude. Thus, after 
a dead man has been brought to the village, his widow goes into the 
woods weeping (305); after the destruction of a whole vUlage, the 

1 The opening of the stomach and taking out of the intestines is also referred to on N 232. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 443 

surviving girl goes away weeping (266) ; a girl weeps for her brother 
on tlie shore of a lake (272). In another case early every morning a 
woman goes with her child to wail in the woods, where the bodies of her 
brothers he (217). Mourning and weeping are very generally spoken 
of as occurring after the death of the eldest brother (1.141). Parents 
moui'n for the death of their son for two years (337); widows weep 
at tlie death of their husbands (148); a father walks about crying 
after the death of his son (N 87) ; a man cries for the loss of his nine 
brothers (148) ; a chief weeps for a long time after the death of liis wife 
(215) ; a tribe mourns for the dead chief (258, 1 .197) ; the Wolf mother 
wails while she demands her son's garments and body from the slayer 
(see 319; also 125, 1.73, 1.107, 1.133, 1.135, 1.199). On 233 it is 
told that a father sets his daughter adrift in a box, and the whole 
tribe mom'ns the loss of the princess. 

Sacrifices are offered at the grave. Thus a widow gets her dead 
husband's tool box to burn it (1.137), and parents burn a boy's 
favorite food on his grave (337). 

After a death had oct^urred, the people would sometimes move 
(73,337). 

There is no particular mention of the singing of mourning-songs 
during the funeral, but these songs play a very important part in the 
tales. They are called either "mourning-songs" or "cradle-songs." 
These are mentioned particularly in the stories relating to the acqui- 
sition of crests. We find, for instance, the mourning-song of Omen 
(264-266), the mourning-song of Beaver (271), of the Bear (283); 
another one of the Bear (294, 295), of the Wolf (319, 320), of the 
abalone bow (284). 

After the death of a person of rank, a great festival was given by 

the person who took the name of thedeecased (see pp. 418, 419). In 

one case a shaman had killed many noble girls, vmtil finally one par- 

ticxdar girl succeeded in killing him. Tlien her father gave a feast 

to the parents of aU the dead girls, returning to them then- garments 

which he had recovered, together with presents of beautiful feathers 

(344). 

Ethical Concepts and Emotional Life 

Ethical Concepts. — In the following notes I have collected remarks 
on what is considered good or bad behavior, and on expressions of 
the emotional life of the people. A young chief should be merciful 
(226, 293) and gentle (154), Idud to the people (154). The princess 
has a gentle voice (340), and it is proper that she shoidd not eat 
much (60, 192). Chiefs who had these equalities were loved by the 
people (207, 336). Princesses were loved by their girls (253, 273). 
The people were proud of their chiefs (292). A cruel chief is ashamed 
because the people loved his son, who was kindly and merciful (312). 
Princes should be industrious, so as to become skillful (114). 



444 TSIMSUIAX MVTHOLOUV [etii. ANN. 31 

Pity is often described as a lovable quality. Tlio jxiople cry for 
pity (259). A youth takes pit}' on a goat that is maltreated by 
children (132), a prince is rewarded because he feeds the eagles 
r(^:ularly (225 et seq., N 169 et seq.), and a cliieftamess shares her last 
sahnon A\'ith a stranger whom she pities (293). A mother comforts 
her sorrowful daughter (238), and the people try to comfort their be- 
reaved cliief (58). The modesty of a hunter is rewarded, who, in an 
encomite.r with a supernatural being, ascribes to him success in hunting 
(95) . Humility seems to have been appreciated, as appears in the tale 
N 189, in which a ]>rince is rewarded because he takes ]iity on a slave- 
girl, whom he asks to sit down next to himself in the rear of the 
house. The poor inaltreatcnl boy receives supernatural help and 
succeeds in a contest. II(* shoots the white bear, being as quick as a 
fly (X 143); and althougli the people ridicule him, he ^\ins (N 139). 
The poor boy who does not show his strength is a favorite theme 
(117, N 151). Poor people should be humble, and, when entering 
the house, not walk proudly up to the fire, but keep along the sides 
(219). Patience and persistence in pursuits are rewarded (310). 

Noble people should be abstemious and eat little. A heavenly boy 
eats very Httlo (59); a piince eats very httle (225, N 169); a hunter 
is warned not to eat too much, in order to avoid danger (149); a 
deserted princess refuses to eat (N 152); a deserted boy neither 
speaks nor eats (X 149, X 173) ; a deserted boy and a cliief's daughter 
fast (N 146); a visitor eats little only (153). In one tale the advice 
to eat little may have been given to keep the himter active and fresh 
(149); but in most cases it is evidently proper behavior to eat little, 
and a means of attaining success. A woman who has been abducted 
only chews fat (177). Here belongs also the restraint of noble people 
duiing famines. Noble youths only chew a Uttle fat during a famine 
(192, 225), and a noble family eats but very little (250). Correspond- 
ing to this is the degradation tlirough greed. A hungry princess who 
cUps off oil from the surface of the sea vnth her fingere is despised 
(231), and Raven's greed makes his father so ashamed that he deserts 
him (N 37) or sends him away (61). 

Children are indidged and given what they ask for (61). It is 
seldom that any restraint is demanded of them, as when a child is 
asked not to cry so as not to waken enemies (X 91). Only children 
that are to be trained to obtain supernatural power ai-e subjected to 
severe trials (see p. 451). 

The badness of people is also often described. In several talcs it 
is said that in olden times the people were foolish and careless (1.243) ; 
that they were proud and overbearing on account of their great num- 
bers (161). Sometimes it is simply said that people were happy in 
olden times because they were numerous (278). The people in Prairie 



BOASl DESCRIPTIOX OF THE TSIMSHIAiST 445 

Town showed their overbearing by killing slaves and doing inmiy 
\\-icked tilings (1.243). 

People should not be too warlike. This is indicated by the uneasi- 
ness felt by the Sun chief on account of the many wars waged by his 
grandchildren (1.219). On account" of their warhke character he 
takes them up to heaven. 

Unrestrained vengeance for insults is not commendable. Thus the 
warrior who takes revenge on all the people of a hostile clan is killed 
(306 et seq.). The plot of the Gauo story (1.193 et seq.) is largely 
based on tliis idea, wliich, however, is treated chff erently in the story 
of the Wolf Prince (317 et seq.) in wliich a man forgives liis faithless 
wife after killin g her lover and is adopted by the lover's mother. 

FooUsh people turn out of the house an old woman who comes to 
deliver a message (X 123). Heaven resents noisy play on the street 
at nighttime (125, N 95) and is annoyed by wailing (58). Heaven 
punishes those who make fun of him. During a snowstorm a man 
held up a salmon to the sky and cried, "Shame on you for letting it 
snow every day!" This act was punished by snowstorms that con- 
tinued into the summer, while round about the weather was good 
(250). A boy who makes fun of the stai-s by saying, "You little 
twinklers, you must feel cold ! " is taken up by the stars and punished 
(N 86). The overbearing pride of a man who has married a beautiful 
woman is punished (299) ; and a girl who shows her pride by kicking 
a snail and making fun of it is visited by the snail, who comes in the 
form of a youth, and is then compelled to marry him (161). The 
irascible husband who scolds his wife is punished by losing her (139) . 

The irascible person who burns a fs'og, and teai-s his hat because it 
drops into the water four times, is punished, and contrasted with his 
friends who take the frog out of the fire and throw it into the bushes, 
and who take the torn hat out of the water (261). 

Animals should not be scolded (278). The Grizzly Bear takes 
revenge because he is called Drop Jaw (N 117, N 209) ; aBear, because 
a girl says that its dung is disgusting (1.147). 

Particularly reprehensible seems to be the maltreatment of animals 
and of poor people. We have a number of stories in which we hear 
about people who are punished because they maltreat animals, chil- 
dren who play with the kid of a mountain goat (132), others who 
play with trout (1.243), men who play with a bullhead (291), a prince 
who throws a frog into the fire and throws it back when it tries to 
jump out (261), and a cliief who tears off the fins of a fish (285). 
Indiscriminate slaughter of animals is not commendable (108). 

A chief who pretends that he wishes to feed his nephew and then 
takes away his food is appropriately punished (226) ; and another one 
who treats a stranger in the same way is punished for his cruelty (293). 



446 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. Ml 

A slave-giii feels insulted because she is iiiv-ited into a house and given 
salmon-backs instead of good food (N 188). A woman who with- 
holds food from her l)lind husband and, when she believes that he 
has been killed, sings happily instead of intonating the appropriate 
mourning-song, is punished (249). 

It is not right to make fun of people. Those who make fun of a 
poor boy (N 143) are put to shame by his prowess. A prince who 
makes fun of his awkward brother (N 196) is punished. The people 
wlio make fun of a mourning woman whom they trip are killed (218); 
and a girl who induces her cousin, who loves her, to cut his hair and 
his cheeks, and who afterwards gives him a nickname, loses her life 
(186). People who make fun of a dead person are killed by his 
ghost (.337). 

Faithlessness of husband or wife is equally reprehensible (213, 
214, 1.111, 1.193). Even a woman who objects to lier husband's 
taking a second wife finds support among the supernatural beings 
(238). 

The old mother-in-law who gets impatient because her son's chil- 
dren, who romp about the house, throw her to the floor, and calls her 
daughter-in-taw a slave from a foreign country, is the cause of her 
grandcliildren going back to the home of their mother (267). 

When a hunter steals the game of his companions, nobody speaks 
to him after the return of the party to the house (99). 

Miracles should be treated with respect, and it is reprehensible to 
make light of them (74) or to disbelieve miraculous events (219). 

Emotional Life. — The people are very ready to give expression to 
their emotions. Whenever an unexpected event happens, there is 
excitement in the whole village (236, 289). When there is any cause 
for joy, they shout and clap their hands' (119, 137, 211, 218, 283, 300). 
On the other hand, danger and disappointment cause them to cry. 
Children and men cry for fear (254, 286). A man cries for fear, 
because he is unable to avoid danger (1.105). People cry for pity 
(259) , when insulted (256) , for sorrow (266) , for hunger, or for pity 
with their hungry children (158, 193, N 122), for homesickness (209). 
A blind man cries because he is maltreated by his wife (248). A 
woman goes into the woods to weep for son-ow (234, 236, 238). 
Men who are in great danger are silent for fear (289) . 

Danger produces great fear (74, 289, 325). Children are afraid 
when they hear people speaking the Haida language (255). They 
are afraid of ridicule (308). 

Disappointment of any kind makes them downcast. In this state 
of mind they will sit in the house staring into the fire (207), or they 
will sulk and lie in l)e(l (207, 209). Sulking men go into the woods 

1 Correspondingly, the killer whales strike the water with their tails (137). 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 447 

(101) and threaten to commit suicide (248). A chief who is downcast 
takes courage when his ^\^sc men give him advice (220). 

Homesickness overtakes those who stay away from then- village 
for a long time (209, 1.109, 1.115, 1.133, 1.143, 1.15.5, 1.165, N 105, 
N 203). They are easily depressed by a feeling of loneliness (242). 

The death of relatives and loss of property make the people sor- 
ro\vful. We hear very often about the sorrow of people at the loss 
of their children (254). The chief of the Sun is sorrowful because 
his slave has been killed (1.99) ; a sorrowful man is described as sitting 
with his back to the fixe (170) ; and a woman in her sorrow wishes to 
die (218), while a man threatens to commit suicide (248). A curious 
phrase occurs very often, saying that people who are fidl of sorrow 
go out of the house to refresh themselves (272). In 1.105 a man 
who is threatened with death goes out to cry. 

One of the emotions that are referred to frequently in the tales is 
shame. The plot is very often founded on this emotion, Mhich is 
brought forth by the most diverse incidents. A chief is ashamed 
because his daughter married a Mouse (233): a man, because his 
younger brother, who had been poor before, is wealthy, and gives a 
potlatch (N 198) ; a chief, because his poor nephew wins a contest 
(N 145); three brothers, because their younger brother, who had 
been ridiculed by them, proves to be stronger than they (119). A 
chief is ashamed because his wife's relatives present him with poor 
food not fit to be given at a feast (185). Failure at attempts on the 
life of enemies is a cause of shame (334, N 134). A princess is 
ashamed because her husband does not take her along on a trading- 
journey (N 196); a woman, because her husband is unsuccessful 
(299) ; a man, because he does not succeed in imitating his rival (91). 
A girl is ashamed because she has overeaten and has soded her bed 
(154); a boy, because his hungry cousin dips gi-ease up from the sur- 
face of the water (N 1S5). 

People are ashamed because they are made fun of. In one place 
a man is given the nickname Am'ala', said to mean '"dirty" (117). 
In another place (302) an unsuccessful fisherman is asked, "Did you 
catch leaves ?" A girl makes fun of her lover by causing him, first, 
to cut his hair, then to cut his cheeks (187). • A young man is invited 
and offered good food, but, at the moment when he is about to take 
it, it is taken away from him (226). All these are given as causes of 
shame. 

Scolding is very often given as a cause of shame. A woman and 
her children are scolded as slaves (234, 284). A gambler is scolded 
by his wife, who, in a fit of anger, throws the food into the fire. AH 
tliis makes him feel ashamed (207) . 

People who have been made ashamed are liable to leave the house 
and the village. Thus girls who have been scolded run away (153): 



448 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ktii. ax.v. 81 

cluldi'cn scolded by iheii' inothor leave the house (127); a scolded 
gambler leaves the village (208) ; a scolded woman refuses to go back 
home with her husband (140). 

Here may also be added remarks on beauty of the body. Long 
hair (181) of reddish color (140) , or long dark-yellow hair (189) , blond 
hair and a soft skin (78), are enumerated as traits of beauty. The 
chieftainess has also long, slender fmgcrs (229, N 183). 

Religious and Magical Practices 

Taboos. — In former times there were a great many taboos. Hunters 
should not waste the meat of the game. Momitain goats punish the 
people who leave the bodies on the mountains, so that the bones 
decay and are scattered about (134). The taboo requires that bones 
and meat shall be biu-ned (132). It is told in the same tale that the 
people repent, and heap up all the bones of the goats, the moat, and 
the sldns, bm-n them and walk around the fire (13.5). At the same 
place it is stated that the peopk^ did not speak badly of animals 
of any kind, and that the burning of the bones had the effect that the 
animals would recover from theu' sickness, while the sickness would 
grow worse if the bones remained scattered on the ground. The 
same idea is brought out in the injunction requiring part of the body 
of the salmon to be thrown into the fire (202). This is explained on 
195, where the salmon child that had been killed is transformed 
into a small spring salmon. When the bones are burned, the child 
comes back to life; but smce by mistake an eye, and later on 
a rib, have not been burned, the child has a sore eye and a sore rib. 
It recovers, however, when these parts are found and thrown into 
the fire. This idea is also given as an explanation why water must 
be drunk after eating salmon. It serves to revive it (195). This 
injmiction is said to refer only to fresh salmon (202). 

Hunters are instructed in a general way to count the days (224), 
or, more particularly, to count four days. That means that the}' 
have to keep taboos during these days (173). During this time they 
must fast and wash. They must eat the bark of devil's-club (Fatsia 
horrida); and after having done so for four days, they must bathe 
and dive in a brook. One particular boy, the son of the Devil's- 
Club, is instructed more in detail in the following way (173). He 
must not wash his body for twelve months. Then he is told to dive 
in a stream twelve times, and every time after doing so he is to go 
back to the village. He is forbidden to get married as long as he wants 
to obtain riches, because, if his wife should not be true to him, he 
would haTe bad luck. As long as he '' counts the days in the months 
and years" (that is to say, as long as he keeps the taboos), his father 
teUs him he will be blessed; but if he should go after women, he will 



BOAS] DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAX 449 

be poor. Without any doubt, the general injunction of sexual 
restraint was binding upon all hunters. 

Taboos of hunters are also referred to on 199, -ffhere we read of the 
brave men who know how to fast in order to catch animals, and who 
have eaten medicine in order to obtam power. 

The hunter should close his eyes when "something bad" passes in 
front of him, lest he lose his eyesight (248). 

During the first salmon-run a great many taboos seem to have been 
enforced. The whole tribe is instructed to keep taboos until the 
spring salmon stop runnmg. Old women are ordered to work on 
salmon nets, but no young woman is allowed to touch the twine. 
The old men are ordered to make new poles for bag nets, and they 
are expected to fast diu-ing this time (199). 

There are a considerable number of special taboos referrmg to 
certain animals. 

It is not allowed to throw stones at wild ducks in winter, lest a 
heavj" snowstorm should set in (2.52). 

The bear taboos are very complicated. The bear himter must live 
by himself and fast for twenty days. During this time he must take 
a bath every second day. After every bath he must lie with liis 
wife, or, if he has no wife, with some other woman. Then he must 
put away the mat on which he has been sleeping and use a new mat. 
During the whole period he must keep away from his wife (280). 
After the bear has been killed and before it is skinned, the hunter 
puts his knife at the bear's chest and sings the bear's mouxning-song. 
When the skin is dried and the heart of the bear is roasted, another 
song is sung. Red ocher is put on the back of the skin, forming a 
line running from the head to the tail, and red ocher is put under the 
arms. It is said that when the sldn of the bear creaks while drying, 
it signifies that the bear feels chiUy and that the people must add 
fuel to the fii-e (283). 

Porcupines must not be smoked out of then- dens in whiter (108). 
After a porcupine has been kdled, the meat must be dried in a good fii-e 
and eaten before winter. The bones must be thrown into the fu-e 
to protect the porcupine agamst sickness. Young people must not 
eat the heads of young porcupines, lest they become forgetful (110). 

The first salmon of the season must be treated in a certain way. 
For the G"its!ala'sEr the following taboos are prescribed: The head 
of the first salmon must be cut first, then the tail. The tail must not 
be broken off, but it must be cut right thi-ough with a mussel-sheU 
knife. No stone or bone blade must be used, lest a thimderstorm 
set in and bring disaster (205). In the same place it is said that the 
first salmon of the season must be eaten fresh (200). Dried spring 
salmon must not be kept more than one season (198). The following 
description of the capture of the first salmon of the season at G'its'.a- 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 29 



450 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. :il 

la'sEr probably also refers to the customary taboos: 'Wlien the first 
salmon has been caught, four old shamans are called to the fisher- 
man's platform. They bring along a new cedar-bark mat, bird's- 
down, rod ocher, and the other paraphernalia belonging to a shaman. 
They spread the cedar-bark mat on the platform; and the shaman 
fisherman puts on his attire, holdmg the rattle in liis right hand, the 
eagle tail in his left. The shamans take up the mat at its four cor- 
ners and carry up the salmon (in the same way as a guest is welcomed) ; 
the fisherman shaman going ahead of them, shaking his rattle and 
swinging his eagle tail. The salmon is carried to the chief's house; 
and all the young people who are considered unclean are ordered to 
leave the house, while all the old people enter in front of the proces- 
sion. All the shamans of the village dress up and come in, following 
the salmon. Inside, the salmon is placed on a large cedar board, 
and the shamans march around it four times. Meanwhile the singers 
sit dowTi in their proper places around the house, and the fisherman 
shaman calls two old shaman women to cut his salmon. They take 
up their mussel-shell knives, wliile all the people keep quiet. They 
call the salmon by its honorary names — Chief Spring Salmon, Quartz 
Nose, Two Gills On Back, Lightning Following One Another, and 
Three Jumps. Then they cut along the lower side of the salmon 
and take out the stomach (201). While this is told as an incidentin 
the capture of the Stxlmon chief, it seems very proba])le that this 
represents one of the customs relating to the captureof the first salmon. 

Particular customs are prescribed for the roasting of the first 
olachcn of the season. A frame must be built of elderberry wood, 
the space between the eldorbony sticks being about three finger- 
widths, the length being that of the fore arm. The olachen is placed 
on this frame. Then the person who roasts the olachen puts on a 
hat of spruce roots and a cedar-bark mat, coat, gloves, and wraps a 
blanket around the knees. A fire is started under the frame, which 
is kept going until the olachen is done on one side. When they are 
turned over, the person must say "Lawn!" Then the other side of 
the fish is exposed to the fire. When one of the fishes bursts, they 
must say, "Oh, oh, some more olachen are coming up!" ' (67). 

Children must not make much noise playing on the street, for 
those who disobeyed this command were taken up to heaven and 
died (126). 

A woman with a newborn child is isolated (156). Adolescent 
girls must live in a hut by themselves (N 96). It seems probable 
that the girl saved in a pit lined with valuable blankets and coppers 
(264) was also isolated because she was adolescent. 

On 305, 306, we learn about the taboos relating to copper. It is 
believed that living copper exists near the head of Skeena River. 

' See also Boas 1, 1888, p. 847. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 451 

It is believed that this copper hves in the form of salmon in the brooks. 
It must be treated in the following manner: It must be caught only 
by descendants of Tsauda's daughter. As soon as the salmon copper 
is caught, it must be thrown into a fire. The fumes of the salmon 
make the people who catch it rich, while they would kill any one who 
does not belong to that particular family. The secret of the salmon 
copper must not be told to any one. Those who catch the salmon 
copper must chew gum of the white-pine bark and rub it over their 
hands and faces before taking the copper. 

Another individual taboo is mentioned on 291. A number of men 
who have been taken down into the house of the supernatm-al being 
Na-gun-a'ks are instructed that they must not touch any live fish. 
They find all the fish they need floatmg dead on the water. When 
they break this taboo, they are killed by the supernatural being. 

A supernatural arrow given to a person is handed over with the 
instruction that it shall be kept in good order and that nobody must 
see it. It must not be kept in the house, but put into a box which 
is to be placed on a tree. The person who owns it must keep away 
from women (311). 

Purification. — Great strength and supernatural power may be 
obtained by boys who bathe in cold water and who are then whipped 
(116). Their strength is then tested by their ability to puU up trees 
(118) or tear out branches of trees (117). Purification for success is 
mentioned at other places (163). In N 197 a supernatural woman 
washes a man in four deep water-holes until clean and beautiful. 
In N 155 it is also said that a boy who has obtained supernatural 
power is very white. A prince tries to gain success by batliing in 
a brook in the woods (308). Children, in order to grow up well, 
should be washed rogularty (58, 61). Another means of purifica- 
tion was the drinking of a decoction of devil's-club, wliich was re- 
sorted to before a potlatch, but also at other times (1.165, N 37). 
The purification of the Wolverene is described (175, 176). The 
Wolverene tries to keep the secret of his purification, and teUs the 
hunter who threatens him, first, that he uses devil's-club bark in 
his bath every morning and that he eats some of it, next that he eats 
roots of floating plants and their leaves, then that he eats a small 
piece of blue hellebore root and rubs it over his body while bathmg 
in the morning. After this, he says that he eats skunk-cabbage 
roots and rubs his body with them while bathing in the morning. 
Finally he tells the man that he is using rotten fern (176). The 
purification for bear hunting is described in some detail (280 et seq.). 

Sacrifices. — In order to obtain success, sacrifices are ofl^ered which 
are supposed to go to the home of the supernatural beings (273). 
The offerings are burned (164, 309). Food, fat, tobacco, bu-d's- 



452 TSIMSHIAN MYTH0L0<;Y [eth. ANN. 31 

down, and red ocher are sacrificed for success (1.139). A sacrifice of 
fat is demanded (245). A man who runs away from his pursuers 
sacrifices by throwing back his off'erings (1.185). Ofl^erings consist 
of fat, eagle down, red ocher, tobacco, food, blue paint, and lime of 
burnt clamshells (163). Red ocher, eagle do^^^l, and elk skms are 
also mentioned (241). Grease, crabapples, cranberries, dried berries, 
elk skins, coppers, garments of sea-otter skins, marten garments, 
abalone shells, canoes, and slaves are sacrificed (273). Coppers, fat 
of mountain goat, tobacco, fish oil, crabapples, cranberries, red ocher, 
and eagle downi arc mentioned as presents to a supernatural being 
(287); and tobacco, fat, and other good things are thrown into the 
water as presents to a supernatural being (1.187). G'ilks-ats!a'ntk, 
the slave of the Killer Whales, is given tobacco (1.181) ; and the same 
personage (called here G'ix'sats'a'ntx'), the slave of the Stars, is given 
tobacco, red paint, and sling-stones (N 90). In 1.177 a crane is given 
a present for making a beak ; food is offered to a supernatural being 
(331). The Mouse Woman always asks for ear-ornaments as a sacri- 
fice. These are thrown into the fire (194; see p. 460). The super- 
natural beings are grateful for sacrifices (273) . 

In some of these cases ofl'erings appear rather in the form of pres- 
ents given at a feast (287) . 

Protection against supernatural bemgs may also be obtained by 
means of objects that act upon them like poison. In 1.173 hellebore 
andurinearementioned, which destroy Killer Whales (1.187). Ghosts 
are also poisoned by "urine and poison and everything that is nasty" 
(326). 

Beating of drums and sticks tends to drive away undesirable spirits 

(353). 

CuERENT Beliefs 

A man dies when an owl flies over his head (250) . A woman chokes 
when looked at while eating (1.161). An absent hunter feels that 
his wife has been killed (1.163). A man whose wife is faithless has 
bad luck (1.193) in himting (318) and in gambling (78). If a person 
lies down in a coffin, he wiU die at once (322). When a raven turns 
over while flying, and utters the cry "Ould'ge gag dze el ban," it is a 
sign of approaching misfortune (71). A dream in which events are 
seen comes true (264). After a misfortune the people desert their 
village (264). 

The contents of the stomach of the porcupine pull porcupine (luills 
out of the skin (110). 

In the same way as supernatural beings have powers not possessed 
by human beings, so human beings and things belonging to men have 
powers not possessed by supernatural people. Human beings are 
invisible to the Salmon people (204). When a man pulls tight the 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 453 

cedar-bark neck-ring of a Salmon Man, the latter does not see Mm, 
but believes that he is suffocating (204). The arrows of a hunter are 
invisible to sea lions, who believe them to be diseases (1.131). The 
chief of the Spring Salmon is sick, because he is kept folded up and 
dried in a box for more than one season. When the salmon is taken 
out and unfolded, the chief gets better (194). The slave, of the 
Killer Whale is vmable to i-epah- his wedges, but a human being who 
visits him puts new points on them (1.179). Bears are led to believe 
that the copper bracelets which a girl tlirows on the ground are her 
excrements (1.151). It may be mentioned here also that the son 
of the Sun is unable to fly up to the sky when a woman whom he 
cari'ies opens her eyes and looks about (1.211), and that a supernatural 
woman when looked at cannot swallow (1.163). 

Actions are repeated four times. Raven asks four times for fish 
(62) ; a prince loses his hat four times (260) ; four times Beaver dines 
with Porcupine (N 76) ; and the Sun tests his son-in-law four times 
(1.89 etseq.). 

By shouting four times supernatural beings may be caused to 
appear. Thus a supernatural being comes up from a lake when a man 
shouts four times (156). A frog is induced to appear in the .same 
manner (129, N 146). Shouting four times brings dow^n the birds 
from heaven (341). Shouting four times produces rain (167). In 
one case geese that fly over a hut are killed by shouting (336). 

Mythical Concepts 

The World. — The world is supported by a man named Am'ala', 
who lies on his back and who carries a pole on which the world 
turns.' It is told how the person who in olden times supported the 
world became tired, and how he called Am'ala', who liad obtained 
supernatural power from a supernatural being, and later on by over- 
coming a mountain. The supernatural being took from his chest 
tlie pole on which the world turns, and moved it over to Am'ala"s. 
chest. Am'ala' is accompanied by his slave, Avho, in order to 
strengthen him, rubs his back once a year with the oil of wild ducks. 
It is said that the oil has nearly been used up, and that as soon as 
Am'ala' dies, the world will come to an end (121). The same story 
is referred to, although obscurely, in N 116. 

The sky is a beautiful open country (1.87). It is reached through 
the hole in the sky (60, N 88), which opens and closes. In order to 
pass through, one has to count four times; and when it opens the 
fourth time, it is possible to fly through the hole rapidly. The sky 
may also be reached by means of a ladder which extends from the 
mountains up to the sky (1.85). Another person reached the sky by 

' It may be that the sky Is meant. 



454 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

means of a chain of arrows. He shot one arrow, whicli hit the edge 
of the hole in the sky; the next arrow liit the nock of the first one; 
and by continuing this way a chain was made, along which he 
ascended (N 88). 

After reaching the sky, the visitor finds himself on a trad which 
leads to the house of the Sun chief (1.87). In this house the Sun 
lives with his daughter. The son of the Sun is also mentioned (218). 
Near the house is a spring (61). The stars are the tribe of the Sun 
chief (1.91), and the various constellations live with him. Among 
these are mentioned the Kite (1.91), the Dipper, Halibut Fishing- 
Line, the Stern-Board in the Canoe, and the Old Bark Box (1.109). 
The Sun's daughter is the Evening Star. On leaving the sky, the 
traveler comes to the edge of a flat prairie, whence he may slide down 
on the rays of the sun, which reach dowTi to our earth (1.109). 

The earth is flat, and, as stated before, turns around on the pole 
supported by Am'ala'.' It is surrounded by the ocean, and on the 
edge of the ocean there is a large whirlpool (N 104). At this whirlpool 
live two men. One of them is named One Leg, who consists of one- 
half of a body; and the other, Hard Instep (N 105). There are 
several countries on the other side of the ocean. In one of these 
lives Evening-Sky Woman, who is said to be very wealthy (N 193). 
Anotlier country on tlie otlier side of the ocean is that of Spring 
Salmon. In the village of the Spring Salmon is the house of the Dan- 
cing Herrings (205). On the way from the country of the Spring 
Salmon to Skeena River there are a number of other towns occupied by 
other kinds of Salmon — the town of the Silver Sahnon, of the Steel- 
head Salmon, of the Humpback Salmon, Cohoes, Trout. The houses 
of the Cohoes are decorated wath designs representing hooked 
noses, those of the Trout with stars (197). Early in the spring 
the Spring Salmon send their scouts to Skeena River and to 
Nass River. The leaves that fall into the water from the cot- 
tonwood trees are the salmon of the Spring Salmon. If the 
scouts return and tell that the salmon (that is to say, the cotton- 
wood leaves) are in the river, the Spring Salmon start. On their way 
to Skeena River they pass the town of the Silver Salmon, whom they 
tell about the arrival of the salmon in the rivers. The Silver Salmon 
promise to follow within a few days. When they go a little farther, 
they meet the Steelhead Salmon coming back from the rivers, 
because their tribe moves very early in spring. After this they pass 
the town of the Humpback Salmon, to whom they also report the 
arrival of the salmon, and they promise to follow a little later. The 
Dog Salmon, who are next notified, promise to leave after the Hump- 
back Salmon have started; while the Cohoes Salmon say that they 

'Seenote, p. 116. 



BOAS] DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 455 

will not start until lato in the fall. Finally the Trout requests the 
Spring Salmon to wait for them, and the Trout go along with them. 
When they reach the rivers, the Salmon separate, each going to his 
own river (197). 

There is also a country beyond the sea inhabited by dwarfs who 
are at war with the birds (N 111). 

The house of the being who supports the world is also described 
as situated on the other side of the ocean, in the southwest (121). 

Another village beyond the confines of our world is the house of 
the Air (309) . On the journey to this place a great number of villages 
must be passed, which are one month's travel apart. The house of 
the Air can be reached only by a person wearing a bird garment; 
which enables him to fly there. The name of the chief of the village 
is Gutginsa'. He owns the live arrow which has the head of a reptile 
and which kills the enemy when the owner lets it go. 

Chief Peace is said to live on an island away out in the ocean. He 
is a powerful supernatural being, and we hear about the man-iage of 
his daughter to a human being (207). 

The Winds live in the four corners of the world. The North Wind 
is highest in rank. He is followed by the South Wind, East Wind, 
and West Wind. North Wind is hated by the others because he 
makes the world pale m winter, while the other winds wish the earth 
to be gi-een. North Wind has twin children. South Wind has four 
sons and one daughter. West Wind and East Wind have each two 
children (12.3). At another ])lace it is said that the Winds all live 
in the city of the Air. The daughters of the Wmds marry a number 
of men of supernatural origin, and the characteristics of the Wmds 
are accounted for by these marriages (131) . The town of South Wind 
is mentioned in a quite diflerent form in another tale, which relates 
Txa'msEm's war with the South Wind (80). At still another place 
the Winds are counted among the beings of the sea (274). 

The Ghosts live in a village of theu" own on the other side of a river, 
which is crossed on a bridge (325). The chief lives in a house in the 
middle of the village, and sits in the rear of the house. The river is 
the Boiling-Oil River; and if a Ghost falls in, he dies a second death 
and becomes a echoes salmon (330) if old, a fisher (326) if young. 
When a person dies, he crosses the river and is led into the house of 
the chief of the Ghosts, who asks the newcomer to sit by his side. 
The Ghosts sometimes make war upon the people, in which case 
they shoot them with nettle arrows (327) and kiU them by taking 
away their breath (338). The people defend themselves by throwing 
poisonous fluid over the Ghosts (326). When Ghosts are called, they 
may appear and attack the people (338) . When the chief of the Ghosts 
is swallowed up by the earth, he dies a second death (327). 



456 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

Somewhere on the outskirts of the world is the house of Chief Pes- 
tilence and his daughter. In the house live maimed persons,' who sit 
on each side of the fire. Persons who are afBicted by disease may go 
to him, and may bo restored by a bath in his bathtub (188). 

At one place the trail to the house of a supernatural being who 
evidently lives on the outskirts of the world is described. His house 
is protected by burning mountains that can not be passed. Under 
the mountain a trail passes, which itself is considered personified, and 
the ends of which are each in charge of a Mouse Woman, who may lead 
the visitor under the mountain to the supernatural being (N 127). 

The origin legends deal largely with the feats of Txa'msEm, the 
Raven, who was born on Queen Charlotte Island (sec p. 468). 

The Animals. — One set of stories, quite different in character from 
the Raven cycle and from other stories that are widely spread among 
the coast tribes, relate to the condition of the world as it was before 
the Deluge, when the Tsimshian lived in Prairie Town at the head 
of Skeena River, before their migration to the seacoast. 

At that time the animals lived also at Prairie Town, and in their 
councils and thi-ough their acts gave to the world the present form. 
Following are the data that may be obtained in regard to animal 
society of that time : 

The Grizzly Bear was tyi-annical and overbearing; the Dogs, imper- 
tinent and stupid; while the Porcupine was the wisest of all the 
animals. The Grizzly Bear maltreated Porcupine, and threw him 
into the fire, therefore the hair on the backs of all porcupines looks 
as though it had been singed (1.239). The Porcupine has power over 
the weather, and by his song can produce a clear sky and cold (1.230). 
In 1.233 his song first produces lightning, then cold. Porcupine's 
playground is a large spruce tree (1.227). Wlien he is angry, he 
strikes the fire with his tail (N 77). The contents of the stomach of 
Porcupine's wife are a remedy that removes porcupine quills from the 
body; and the leaves that ho chews, when rubbed on the face of a 
person, make him beautiful (110). The Porcupine is the best singer 
among all the animals (110). 

Beaver's playground is a lake. TVTien he is happy, he strikes the 
water with his tail (127, N 75) and dives (1.233). 

The animals, and their villages and houses, are also mentioned 
many times in other tales. Renowned hunters are knowni to the 
animals (245). It seems that these live, comparatively speaking, 
near by. On 162 it is said that the houses of the supernatural 
beings are not far away. A trail leads from the Bear village (1.155) 
and from the Snail village (162) to the houses of the people. 

The villages of these beings are situated at the bottom of deep 
valleys with precipitous, impassable sides (102, 141, 145, 164). 

1 Probably homosexual individuals, erroneously called hermaphrodites, are meant. 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 457 

Txii'msEm's present abode is described as situated in a deep valley 
located on a plain. A trail leads downi, and he lives in a hut below. 
He has two monsters for hunting-dogs. Game is plentiful on the 
sides of the valley (102). 

The Ealler Whales have four clans, whose crests are on their dorsal 
fins. The Eagle Clan has a white line in the middle of the dorsal 
fin : the Wolf Clan hiis a dorsal fui long, like a wolf's tail ; the Ganha'da 
have a short one, like a raven's beak; and the GispawadwE'da have 
a flat, short dorsal fin with a round hole in the center (135). On 138 
it appears as though the Ravens themselves formed a Raven Clan. 

On 182 the house of the Robin is described. On one side of the 
house is a large room filled with snow and ice. On the other side is 
a room with, hills full of salmonberries and other kinds of fruit; while 
flowers are budding on the green giass, and the birds are singing. 
Hummingbirds are flying about among the flowers. In the rear of 
the house is a beautiful river filled with ail kinds of salmon. On one 
side of the house is winter: on the other side summer. On p. 180 
we hear about the Sawbill Duck. The daughter of the Sawbill Duck 
chief has braided hair, ornamented with white shells, hanging dowTi 
her back. The house of the White-Squirrel chief and his daughter 
is desciibed in N 211. The house of the Mountain Goats is located 
in the middle of a great plain on top of a mountain. A shaman is 
dancing around the fire, trying to see the futm'e, while the other 
Goats are beating time on planks; one is beatmg the drum in the 
corner of the house, and the shamans are singing. In his dance, 
the Goat jumps over the fire, followed by a little Lamb (1.93). The 
people of a certain village are invited to visit the Moimtain Goats 
(132), whose village they see on a prairie. Thoy are invited to a 
dance, in which the hosts wear headdresses and blankets of mountain- 
goat bait. Then they perform a dance in which a beautiful moimtain 
is made to appear in the middle of the house. A one-horned Moimtain 
Goat appears on the moimtam, jumpmg about. T\'lien the Goat kicks 
the front of the house, the floor breaks down, and the house proves 
to be a great mountain, and the visitors are killed by a landslide, 
except one who sits behind the house post, winch is in reality a 
spruce tree. 

The Bear village is described several times. The men go out to 
get s:dmon (279, 1.153); the women gather driftwood for fuel (1.153) 
and pick berries. When a male Bear's fishing-line or when a female 
Bear's carrying-strap breaks, he or she is killed by a hunter. After 
a few days, however, they return to the village. The old Bears say 
that the lines break because they are not made of cranberry bushes. 
In the fall of the year all the Bears assemble, and each announces in 
which den ho is going to sleep in winter (280). They gather food for 
the winter, and go to their dens when they hear the thunder (281). 



458 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The Otter chief and his village (167); the Mink village (177); the 
house of the old Raccoon Woman and of her granddaughter (127); 
the Mosquito village, the chief of which has a crystal proboscis (143); 
the Snail village, where some of the people appear in the form of 
giant snails warming their backs by the fire (162); the Bear village 
(1.151): the Mouse village (237); the village of the Killer Whales, 
who abduct a woman (1.173 et seq.) — appear in the traditions. 

In 1.129 we hear about a man who has been deserted on a sea-lion 
rock and is taken into the house of the Sea Lions under the rock. 
The Sea Lion sends a Mouse to call him, and he notices it disappearing 
under a bunch of grass. When he pulls out the bunch of grass, he 
sees a ladder stretching down into the ground. He enters, climbmg 
down the ladder, and sees that the Sea Lions whom he had shot are 
sick, the shamans of the Sea Lions being unable to see his arrows. 
He cures them ])y pulling out the arrows, and is then sent back in 
the canoe of the Sea Lion chief — a sea lion's stomach, which is tied 
up, and is drifted to the shore by the wind. After he has used the 
canoe, he tics it up again, and it drifts back to the Sea Lions. 

A visitor to the aninnds may learn from them their tlances and 
songs, and is given instructions how to treat the animals. The dances 
and songs of the Mice are thus acquired by the Haida (237). 

A hunter obtains the good will of the Porcupine by refraining from 
killing it (148). He gains the love of the Bear Woman by touching 
her belly (148) or fallhig against her privates (N 203). 

Of somewhat different type arc other references to supernatural 
animals. Thus the Red Bear who is pursued by a hunter kicks the 
mountain, thus creating a deep gorge (1.85). At another place we 
hear of a Red Bear which runs down the ice, and, being pursued, kicks 
it to pieces, and thus drowns his pursuer (177). The Mountain Sheep 
pursued by a hunter Jumps down from a cliff and produces an earth- 
quake (245). Here may also be mentioned the animals who are 
called in to marry the daughter of a widow, and who describe their 
powers. In 1.199 the Wren shows how he flies about the hunter, 
the Hummingbird picks the hair off people's heads, the Sparrow sings 
at the dawn of day and wakens the sleepers, the Robin brings the 
summer by his song, the Mockingbird brings bad weather by his 
song, the Bluejay foretells good luck to people who go pickhig ber- 
ries, the Eagle picks out the eyes of his enemies, the Squirrel climbs 
trees and scatters pine nuts and thus frightens the people, the Rab- 
bit frightens the people by opening his eyes, the Porcupine strikes 
his enemies with his tail, the Marmot foretells the weather by looking 
into the sun, the Land Otter drowns his enemy by diving with him, 
the Beaver cuts trees and throws them upon his enemies, the Wolf 
kills his enemies with his teeth, the Grizzly Bear tears them with 



BOAS] DESCBIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 459 

his claws (1.199-'_>11). The Bh'd Of Good Luck holps people by his 
song (1.79). 

Animals are also grateful for benefits bestowed upon them. The 
Eagles who have been fed by a boy during the summer give him food 
when he is deserted by his tribe (227, N 172). 

In some cases animals are mentioned that are members of the tribe, 
slaves, or attendants of supernatural beings. The Codfish is the 
slave of an ocean-being (240). The man who tries to recover 
his wife finds at the bottom of the sea a Beaver (1.175), whom he 
helps in cutting trees. In return the Beaver protects him against his 
pursuers. He finds the Blind-Geese Women, whose eyesight he re- 
stores, and who in turn help him by scattering their down, which 
fills the eyes of the hostile Killer Whales. The Goose Woman appears 
as a friendly being in N 2.34, warning a person against dangers. Otter 
and Mink Woman are described as servants of the Killer Whale and 
wives of G ilks-ats!a'ntk, a slave of the KiUer WTiale. They scent 
enemies that visit the KiUer Whale village. The Ci-ane Woman is 
the watchman of the Killer Whale and is bribed by a visitor, whom 
she hides under her wings (1.177). The village of the Killer Whales 
is at the bottom of the ocean. A Killer Whale with three dorsal fins 
is described as a special friend of a person who had benefited him 
(1.187). 

Wlien the Iviller Wliales have stolen a woman, they try to trans- 
form her into a Killer \Miale by fitting a wooden fin on her back 
(1.177). This fui is made of wood cut for the purpose. 

The Owner Of the Lake has Wolverene Woman for his wife (1.161). 
When she eats, she bolts down whole seals; but when she is looked at, 
she chokes. The Wolverene appears also as destroying the traps of 
a hunter, whom she deceives by refusing to tell liim the right kind of 
taboo that she is usLiig (175). 

A supernatural Lake Woman is the subject of a tale (155). She 
gives to a woman the power to make every one rich who sees her; to 
a man, to be always successful in gamblmg. 

The supernatural Wliale that has its house on the bottom of the 
lake near Prairie Towm is described (347). It has gills Hke a fish, 
and four fins in a row along its back hke a IviUer Wliale's. 

A number of times supernatural animals hving in lakes are men- 
tioned. On 272 a Beaver with copper eyes, copper claws, copper 
ears, and copper teeth, is described; and in N 147 we hear about a 
Frog with copper claws and copper eyebrows. Both of these animals 
are caught by the people, who obtam wealth through their help. 
The skin of the frog is removed, and later on worn by the captor, 
who thus acquires the power of the supernatural animal (N 150). 
The skill is not taken to the house, but kept hung up on a tree (N 154)' 



460 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

Filially the boy is unable to remove the skui again, and becomes him- 
self a supernatural frog (N 165). 

Travelers meet a beautiful young woman, who, when they try to 
take her into their canoe, jumps away as a frog (261). Another 
supernatural frog that Hves in a lake is mentioned (129). When 
cedar bark containing the breath of people is pushed into its mouth, 
the people die. In 1.161 it is said that the hce of a supernatural 
being were frogs. 

The Mouse appears a great manj^ times as an old woman who 
warns a human being against the supernatural beings whom he 
visits. The regular form of this warning is that the Mouse Woman 
asks the visitor to throw liis woolen ear-ornaments into the fire. 
She takes them out by magic, and then asks the visitor whether 
he knows where he is (109, 160, 162, 167, 168, 179, 194, 208, 273, 
279,286, 1.129, 1.131, 1.151, 1.1.55, N 87, N 127, N 1.36). The Mouse 
Woman as guardian of a trail and adviser (N 128), and the Mouse as 
messenger of the Sea Lion (1.129), have been referred to before. 

Supernatural Beings and their Feats. — Supernatural beings appear 
very often in the form of a flash of hghtning. The son of the Sky 
is so described (1.211). The arrival of a supernatural being is 
announced by four hghtning flashes and by four claps of thunder 
(347). Lightning proceeds from liis leggings and moccasins (218). 
Sometimes it is merely stated that supernatural beings appear as 
sliining youths (58, 95, 117, 239, 297, 298), or they appear in shining 
light (305). They sliine like the sun (239) or have garments like 
tongues of fire (1.211). There is also mention of a supernatural 
woman shining like light (76). Generally these supernatural beings 
appear for the purpose of marrying a girl. They also appear in 
order to help the ur.fortunate and poor (N 138). Additional instances 
of tliis kind, in which the supernatural being is not described in 
detail, are found in 158, 172, 177, 298, 1.73, 1.77, 1.79. A super- 
natural being who is the personification of devil's-club is said to 
have a skin that burns Hke nettles (172). Another one is described 
as having a hairy body (332). Still another one, the Bear, has rough 
palms (192). The snail has a skin as smooth as glass (161). They 
are jealous, and it is dangerous for a person married to a super- 
natural being to marry again or to have a lover (155). Supernat- 
ural beings who leave mankind after having lived among them are 
apt to be transparent, hke a cloud (213), or they disappear sud- 
denly (309, 1.79, 1.81, 1.115). When their friends are in danger, they 
appear to them (1.105). 

A yoimg woman (besides her grandmother, the only survivor of 
her tribe) has six supernatural children — five boys and one girl. The 
first one originates from her tears (or the mucus of her nose); the 
others, from objects that she puts under her blanket. They are Crab- 



BOAS] DESCEIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 461 

apple Tree, Sloe Bush, and Spruce, who origmate from wedges made 
of these kinds of wood; Mountain, who originates from a whetstone; 
the girl is called Knife, and origmates from a knife (N 96). In their 
contest with the Magical Feather they assume the forms of the objects 
whose names they bear (N 99). In the parallel Tsimshian story these 
cliildren are Mucus, Grindstone, Crabapple Tree, Feather, and the 
girl Knife Hand (125). 

A great many supernatural beings are associated with mountains and 
dangerous rapids. The supernatural beings of mountams in general 
are referred to in 1.1 89; those of a particular rock on 239, of a bay 273. 
The monsters identified with dangerous places in the sea are spoken of 
(222, m 1.189). In former times these upset many canoes, because 
they desu-ed to take the dried berries that were carried in them (274) ; 
but at a feast given by one of their own number they promised to 
desist. In another feast two of the most dangerous ones are asked to 
move out of the canoe passes (276). "VATierever they appear as guests 
in a house, they come on a flood and foam. At the same place it is said 
that this flood covers the whole village exc'ept the houses of their hosts. 
They enter the house, bringing with them a flood of water (287). To 
this class belong also the giant devilfish (1 35), and the monster halibut 
wliich swaUows people (271). Among these may perhaps also be 
counted the Owner Of The Lake, caUed Floating Across (1.157). 

The Was is a monster that is not described in detail. Self-moving 
canoes have a Was head at each end (N 106). In the version Boas 
4.275 the slaves who make Txa'msEm greedy are called Was At Each 
End. He appears also as protector of a shaman (348). 

In early times copper was hangmg on a mountam near Nass River. 
A son of the Smi hit it with a sling-stone and caused one part to go 
north to Alaska, another east to the head waters of Skeena River, 
where it became the live copper (300). Hak!ula'q was fu'st a lake 
woman who married a young man. When their child was taken away 
by another man who deceived her, it killed all the people by plucking 
out their eyes (154). Then the woman wont into the sea and became 
the monster Haklula'c^. A child of Haklula'q was floatmg between 
two islands, and by raising high waves and gales she killed every- 
body who tried to take the child (221). It is not certain whether 
this monster and the woman mentioned befoi'e are the same. 

Among evil beings that live m distant parts of the world, I mention 
the shaman women, referred to in 151 : Ivnife-Hand Woman (N 234) ; 
the Mosquito chief, who has a crystal proboscis, and whose heart, 
which has eyes and mouth, does not die after his body has been killed 
(145) ; and the blind cannibal who catches people in his bag net (127). 

The great slaves of supernatural beings are mentioned, particularly 
Slave Dn-m-Belly, whose stomach is used in place of a drum (X 125). 



462 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

The Killer "Whale and the Stars have a slave called G'llks-atsla'ntk 
(Gix'sats'a'ntx- in the Nass dialect), who has the power of swelling 
up enormously and obstructing the trail (X 90, 1.183). 

Supernatmal beings are able to perform a great many magical feats 
either for benefiting mankind or for doing harm. The Sun, who 
wants to kill his son-in-law, owns a magical tree, the bark of which 
falls down when struck with an ax and kills the people who try to 
fell it (1.101). He tries to bake his son-in-law in an oven (1.103). 
When a supernatmal being kills his enemy by cutting off his head, 
body and head rejoin mitU poison is mixed with the parts of the body 
(1.163). When supernatural beings want to capture a visitor, they 
cause all the openings of their house, smoke hole, and door to close 
(128). When a supernatural being who returns over the ocean to her 
home, or on the rays of the sun to the sky, looks back at her husband, 
who follows her, his support gives way. Hefallsinto theseaor down 
to the ground and is killed (213, 1.113). A monster causes an island 
to roll over (223) and creates whirlpools (224). The supernatural 
being Sleep, by means of his magic power, raises a moimtain and 
transforms his comb into a thicket, which obstructs the fhght of a 
couple that try to escape him (N 235). 

The food of supernatural beings is dangerous (160). The first kind 
of food that they offer to a visitor is poison; the second may be par- 
taken of without danger (167). Salmon that Bears offer first is the 
stomach of a man ; crabapples offered first are decomposed flesh and 
eyes (279). 

On the other hand, supernatural beings have many powers for 
benefiting people. They procure food for those M-hom they prote(^t. 
They appear as providers (172,2.39,242, 1.77, 1.161). A supernatural 
being promises good luck to two women if allowed to marry one of 
them (1.79). He appears to his wife to gi^-e her adviee (173). A 
prmce is successful because he hiis married the daughter of a super- 
natural being (304). A supernatural being tells a man the evil plans 
of his enemy (312). When a pereon has been killed by drowning or 
by fallmg to the ground from a great height, the supernatural being 
opens a hole in the floor of his house and fishes up the bones with his 
bag net, and then proceeds to resuscitate the dead person (214, 1.99). 
The dead are revived by swinging a plume over the hotly (127, 130, 
1.113, N 234). It is said that with the first motion of the plume 
the bones come together (127) : with the second, sinew and flesh come 
to be on the bones; with the third, the skin appears; and with the 
fourth motion the hero asks the four Winds to breathe on the 
bodies and to restoi-e them to life. Others are revived by swinging 
over their bodies the heart of the person who killed them (145, 150, 
1.163); by jumpmg four tunes over them (134, 188, 189, 220); by 
stepping over the body (1.101) after the bones have been laid out in 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 463 

order (1.103); by sprinkling the face with the cold water of life and 
slapping the cheeks (30.5) ; by sprinkling ashes over a skeleton four 
times and fanning it with a shaman's eagle tail (328) ; or by singing 
over the skeleton that has been laid out on a mat and covered with 
another mat that has been painted red (N" 214). The Salmon 
Woman (Bright-Cloud Woman) restores her husband's eyesight by 
washing his eye-socket (77). Persons who are sick may also be cured 
by being boiled in a bathtub imtil their bones are perfectly clean. 
Then the bones are laid out on a mat and revived in the manner just 
described (188, 298). 

A person who has been revived rubs his eyes as though he had slept 
(151). A man who has been resuscitated has a beautiful white skin 
(1 SS). Blindness is cured by a supernatural being by removing blood 
and rubbish from the eyes (248). Animals revive when their flesh 
and skin are burned (N 21.5). The supernatural beings are capable 
of making children grow rapidly by putting their feet on the children's 
feet and pulling the forehead (273, 1.81; see also 173). They flatten 
out mountains so that the hunter may pass them easily (103). Pur- 
suing Snails cause a rock-slide (165). The supernatural beings are 
able to make short the distance from their home to the human villages 
(209). They travel over the smface of the water, following the " belt 
of water," that is, a tide-line (213). A being of supernatural power 
thai is sent out to cut firewood just touches the tree and makes it fall 
into pieces of the right length (1.101). 

Supernatural beings come to marry people, to visit them, or to 
take them home. Here belong the nimierous marriages with super- 
natural beings. When all the people of the Squirrel chief have been 
killed by the himian beings, the Squirrel chief takes into his house 
tlie man who has slain them. The Bear Woman who marries a man 
is the subject of the tale in N 203. She accompanies her husband 
to the village of the people, whom she frightens by gathering berries 
in her stomach instead of using a basket. Marriages of this kind are 
those of the chief who marries the Robin and the Sawbill Duck 
(179 et seq.), and of the princess who marries the Mouse who came to 
her room every night (232). 

It is a charac^teristic trait of many tales of this kind that animals 
that have been insulted send messengers to take the offender (gen- 
erally a girl) to their village, where she must marry a man, the son 
of the chief of the offended animals (see p. 749). Thus a girl is made 
to marry a Snail (162); another one, a Bear (279, 1.151). Wlien 
the woman is taken to the village of the animals, she is left standing 
outside, and the chief asks the ty]iical question, "Did you get what 
you went for?" Then she is taken inside. The same happens to 
a hunter who is taken to the sky. He is induced to pursue the slave 
of the Sky chief, who has taken the form of a white bear by putting 



464 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [fth. ann. 31 

on a bear skin covered with ashes (1.87). In the same manner the 
chief of the Sqvnrrols sends liis ihiuijhter to call a youni^ man who has 
killed all the squirrels, and she leaves him standinj^ outside (N 212). 

The son of the Sun flies up to the sky with his wife and his mother- 
in-law (1.211, N 223). In heaven his wife conceives from the rays 
of the sun, which strike her every morning through a chmk in the 
house (N 224). 

A year in the house of a supernatural being seems to the visitor 
like a day (188). Therefore people who wait for the return of a 
person who has gone to the house of a supernatural being are foimd 
dead. Only their skeletons remain (ISS). In one tale it is said that 
the visitors did not know how long they had been in the house of the 
supernatural being: but probably here also it is meant that they 
thought they had been there one day, while they had been there a 
whole year (287). 

A person who has supernatural power escapes in the form of bird 
down from a woman who causes all the openings of her house to close 
(128). The canoe of the supernatural people comes to take away a 
man (208). 

Magical words enable a man to escape from a mountain. He says, 
"On the thumb," "On the sand," and, repeating these words, gets 
down safely (134). When the Porcupine throws himself down from 
a high tree, he shouts, "Vessel of moss!" and falls on the ground 
without hurting himself. When the Beaver shouts, "Stone!" he 
strikes the ground and almost dies (1.231, N 81). Magi<al words 
addressed to the West Wind and to the East Wind cause those winds 
to blow gently (1.135). A wound closes as the effect of magic words 
(83). 

Supernatural beings also foretell misfortune. They tell travelers 
that they will die at a certain moment (262). A prince who has 
been carried away by the Salmon, and has thus become supernatural, 
tells his friend that he will die after their arrival at home (205). A 
shaman who has taken the shape of an owl dies, and foretells the 
death of the people (329). 

Beings of supernatural power are able to swallow animals whole. 
The Wolverene Woman (1.161) and the GispawadwE'da, who visit 
Na-gun-a'ks, and who have the powers of supernatural beings while 
in his house, swallow seals whole (286); the Cannibal swallows a 
whole body (351). 

Magical Objects. — Among magical objects and places I will mention 
the cave and door that open and close. In order to pass them, one 
has to coujit four times and then jump through (130, 1.99, N 130). 
The hole of the sky opens and closes m the same manner (seep. 453). 
A magical devil's-club tree of enormous size provides medicine for 
a whole lifetime (174). On a pleasant plain on the upper course of 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 465 

Skeena River stands the tree of fragrance, the branches of which are 
constantly moving. When a person goes near it, the tree embraces 
him and presses him imtil he loses consciousness. In order to release 
a person it is necessary to dig up the roots of the tree (304). There 
is a supernatural tree the leaves of which, when used for washing the 
body, jiroduce strength and health (118). 

Supernatural Gifts. — The supernatural people present powerful 
gifts to human bemgs. Asdi-wa'l receives his hunting-tools from his 
supernatural father. These are snowshoes, bow, four arrows, lance, 
hat, mountain staff, raincoat, and basket (1.81). The snowshoes 
enable him to walk up precipitous cliffs (N 227) and to hunt sea Uons 
on a slipper}^ rock (1.125). "VMien his momitain staff is struck into 
a rock, it makes a hole, and gives him a firm hold (245, N 226). His 
lance may be used as a bridge for crossing deep gorges (1 .85) . On the 
Sea-Lion Rock he puts up his lance, fastens his bow and Ms arrows 
to the point, and finally places one arrow crosswise, and saves him- 
self on this seat (1.127). In 1.169 a magic club, a gift of Owner Of 
The Lake, is mentioned. The (dub has the form of an otter; when 
it is throwni into the sea, it comes to life and kills seals. The Sun 
presents his grandson with a small club, which seems so light that 
people believe it is impossible to kill a bird with it; it proves, how- 
ever, a powerful M'eapon (1.217). The Sun also gives his grand- 
children a box, which, when opened, causes the earth to turn over 
(1.215). The live arrow which is obtamed in the village of the Ah- 
has a living head with blinking eyes; and when the owner lets it go, 
it kills his enemies (308). 

Hunters are given the two magic dogs Red and Spots, which are 
of diminutive size when carried about, but become enormous and cor- 
respondingly fierce when put on the ground. When taken up and 
patted, they become small again (150, N 226). When the dogs 
bark, the mountain goats fall down from the motm tains (N 227). Of 
similar nature are Raven's (Txa'msEm's) pups (102). Another 
hunter, named Large Eare, jDuts on his mittens and claps his hands. 
Then the goats fall down the mountain (N 227). 

A supernatural being owns a chamber-vessel and a maul that are 
his watchmen and call him when danger threatens him (N 235). 

Magical canoes are often mentioned. One canoe moves when hit 
with a club (1.157). A self-traveUng canoe appears in N 235. The 
canoe rests four times when crossing the sea (210). The self-traveling 
canoe is generally represented as alive and having a head (210) or a 
mouth (N 106) at each end. It creaks when hungiy (210) and must 
be fed (210, N 107). It travels when the chief or the prince to 
whom it belongs whistles (210). When the owner is attacked, the 
canoe comes to life and kills his enemies (1.159). The canoe of the 
Otter is a log of driftwootl (167), and the self-traveling canoe of a 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 30 



466 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

supernatural boing also a])])oai-s to tho uuiniliatod like a rotten log 
(N 106). The Ivillor Whale (7!)) and the Sea Lion (1.133) lot people 
use their canoes. The canoe taken clown to the house of a super- 
natural being at the bottom of tho soa I'oappears ovorgro'Wii with 
seaweed. It has been transformed into copper and has become very 
fast (289). 

A boy who has to take part in a contest is given a black, white, 
blue, and red sling-stono, with which ho is able to liit an object that 
others can not reach (N 140). Magical shng-stonos are also given to 
a man by his supernatural father (298). 

A romid pebble kept m tho mouth is a protection against ghosts. 
It enables a living pereon to see ghosts, and enables ghosts to see 
li^nng persons (202). 

^Vliales can be dug up from the beach by moans of a magical dig- 
ging-stick (210). At the same place we hear about a large, heavy 
carrying-board, on which a woman who intends to dig up tho whales 
is taken ilown to tho beach. Tho spairow blanket obtauiotl from the 
sparrow, and the hummingbud blanket obtained from the humming- 
bird, enable people to fly (309), while tho blanket of the mountain 
goat enables a person to climb down a steep mountain. lie is re- 
quested to hang the blanket, after using it, on a tree (134). A 
crystal comb used by a supernatural woman for combing her hu.s- 
banil's hair makes it long and beautiful (76, 188). The scabs which a 
supernatural slave-girl takes from her body prove to be abalone 
shells (N 190). A piece of crystal (or ice?) is a protection against 
tho boat of an oven (1.105). A crystal carving is given to a man in 
order to enable him to pass through a door that opens and closes. 
^\itor counting four times, ho passes safely by placing the carving in 
the doorway (N 129). Tho plumo of the Sun's daughter enables her 
to discover her husband's faithlessness. As long as he is true to her, 
tho water that he dips out of the well remains clear when she j)uts 
the plume into it. When he is faithless, the plume, when taken out 
of the basket, is full of slime (213, 1.111). A plume descends from 
the Sky and pulls up people who annoyed the Sky (125, N 94). 
Later on, the same plume carries people across a river, and enables 
them to cut a way through a mountain (N 234). 

Gifts that occupy much space can be reduced in size by shaking 
and squeezing. When a canoe is shaken, its load becomes very small, 
and more may be put in. Later on, when the canoe is to be unloaded, 
it is shaken again, and the load resumes its natural size (211). Fat 
wi-appod aroujid a mountain staff is made small by squeezing (1.93), 
and the contents of a basket are reduced in size in the same manner 
(180, 1.95). A staff and a basket which are filled with meat and fat 
are too heavy to be lifted (104, 1.95). When they are taken off from 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 467 

the staff or out of the basket, they resume then- natural size (104). 
Fat that is thrown down on mats in the house is also caused to 
increase (1.95). Presents that are given to a supernatural being, 
consisting of beads, tobacco, and copper, also increase in size in a 
mii-aculous way (208, 287). Only the recipients of these gifts are 
able to lift the heavy staffs or baskets (1.9.5). 

Ceremonials and the paraphernaha belonging to them appear in one 
tale only, in wliich it is saitl that the Mice give a dancing-feather, 
neck-band, and skin drum to a visitor (237). 

A girl is given ''a garment of wealth." Wlioever meets her or 
hears her child cry, becomes wealthy. A gambler is given cambling- 
sticks that have the power to win (157). 

People are able to put on the skin of an animal and to assume its 
shape. Thus a boy puts on a gull's skin and flics (229), a boy puts 
on a frog's skin and travels about in the water (N 179). 

Fire that falls down ivom heaven is transformed mto valuable 
copper (N 1.37). 

Gravel thrown overboard by a woman is transformed into sand- 
bars, on which she can rest (170); and a stone carried by the Raven 
and dropped into the water becomes a reef, on which he rests (60). 

Pei-sons who want to attain a certain purpose by the help of ani- 
mals may make animals of wood. Generally four different kinds of 
wood are used in the attempt to make the successful form. Killer 
whales that are to kill the enemies of a man are made first of cedar, 
then of other kinds of wood, and finally of yellow cedar. The person 
who made them blackens the backs with charcoal and puts lime on 
the belly. Then he lays his hands on their backs in order to endow 
them with life. At the same time his wife sacrifices to the super- 
natural beings. The killer whales of yellow cedar move like real 
killer whales (1.139). Then they are instructed what to do (1.141). 
Another man makes sea lions for the same pm-pose, first of various 
kinds of wood, finally of a hard wood of red color (N 109). It drags 
the maker's enemy across the ocean (N 110). An eagle which is to 
carry a man into a deep valley is first made of red cedar, then of 
spruce, then of yellow cedar, after that of various kinds of wood; 
and finally the body is made of red cedar, head and tail of white 
pine, legs and beak of yellow cedar, and the claws of mountain-goat 
horn. Then the eagle carries the person down into the valley (164). 
A carved human figure which is to deceive supernatural beings by 
crying is made first of red cedar, then of yellow cedar, which is found 
satisfactory (N 89). A successful canoe is made in a similar way 
after a number of attempts. First a cedar ( ?), then a spruce, next a 
yellow cedar, and last a yew tree, are used (223). The South Wind 
sends a wooden duck as messenger to her father (123). 



468 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Origin Tales. — A numbor of tales refer to the orijjin of the world as 
wo seo it at the present time; and in others incidents occur which 
serve as explanation of the phenomena of nature. 

In the beginning the whole world was dark, the daylight being 
kept in a box in the sky. It was liberated by Kaven, who obtained 
possession of it by having himself born by the daughter of the Heav- 
enly Chief. In this form he carried away the <laylight and hberated 
it on Nass Iliver (60-01). ^\1ien ho opened the box in which the 
dayUght was contained, the north wind began to blow (62). 

A second tale, quite contradictory in character to' the preceding 
one, tells of the origin of sun, moon, and fog. A chief had two sons 
and one daughter. The older son had a mask made of pitch wood, 
which he had lighted. Ho walked along the sky wearing the nuisk, 
and became the sun. Since he walked too fast, his sister was sent 
after him to detain him at midday, and for this reason the sun is said 
to stop for some time in the sky at noon. When asleep in the house 
at night, the sparks from his mask Hew out of the smoke hole and 
became the stars. His brother walked along the sky in the evening 
and became the moon, whUe the sister wont westward to the con- 
fhies of the world, where she soaked her blanket in the ocean, and 
then came back bringing the refreshing fog (Boas 10.797). 

The Raven tale goes on, telhng of the origin of fire, which was 
origmally in the house of Raven's father on Queen Charlotte Islands, 
whence he took it away, assuming the form of a deer. The deer tied 
pitch wood in his long tail, and while dancing put the tail into the 
fire and then ran away. In this way the tail of the deer became short. 
By striking fir trees with the tail he put fu-e into them (63). 

Raven also made the tiiles, which were controlled by an old woman, 
who held the water up by means of the "tide-line." Raven pushed 
her over and threw dust into her eyes and into her mouth, so that 
she let go of the tide-line. He cui-ed her in return for her promise 
to slacken the tide-line twice a da;^ (64) . 

Not quite clear is the tale of Raven obtaining fresh water, which 
in early times was found only at the roots of alder trees (65). 

The olachen were kept in the house of a supernatural being and 
were liberated by Raven, who caused them to go up Nass River (65). 

The salmon were distributed by Raven in the rivers, because when 
he first visited the mainland he scattered salmon-trout roe in all of 
the rivers and creeks. He also scattered fruits all over the land, 
thus creating berries and fruits everywhere. 

The colors of the stars are due to the red, blue, and white paint 
thrown back by a number of people who ran away from the Stars. 
The Stars stopped to take up the pamt, and painted their faces (N 92). 

In another story it is said that the Tsimshian, in the beginning of 
the world, lived in Prairie Town, on the upper Skeena River, until 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 469 

they wore scattered by the Deluge (250, 272, 1.245). It is said that 
on account of some misdeeds of the people it began to rain, and the 
waters were rising for twenty days. The old and poor people and 
many animals were drowned. The water covered the hills, and there 
wore high waves. The poo])lo made tents iii their boats and drifted 
about. Finally, after twenty days, the waters began to subside; but 
some canoes di'ifted to distant countries, where the people became the 
ancestors of the various tribes, not only of the Tsimshian, but also 
of those speaking other languages. Only two people survived among 
the Tsimishian, and these became the ancestors of the recent tribes. 
Up to that time the people had not knowai sea food; but since they 
were starving, a shaman led them down the river and taught them 
how to catch halibut and other sea fish. Only the Ts!Ets!a'ut are 
said to have a different origin. It is said (221) that they are the 
descendants of a woman whose brothers were killed by her jealous 
husband; she was protected by a supernatural being, who caused a 
flash of lightning that destroj^ed the whole village. 

Before the Deluge, while the people were still living in Prairie 
Town, the seasons were instituted in a council of the animals, which 
was held immediately after the sons of the chief had become Sun 
and Moon. The Dogs first suggested a month of forty days; but the 
Porcupine demonstrated the inadvisability of this arrangement, and 
instituted the seasons and months that we have now (115). 

In another tale the origin of the scasoas is accounted for in a council 
of animals in which the Grizzly Bear and other large animals desii-e a 
long and very cold winter, wliile the Porcupine demonstrates that in 
this case not only all the small animals woukl tlie, but that also the 
plants would die, and that the large animals would starve. In this 
whole group of tales the Porcupine appeals as the wise counsellor, to 
whose intelligence the present seasible arrangement of the world is 
due (106). 

There arc many tales explaining the origin of animals. The Owl 
is a woman who had maltreated her blind husband, who in turn shut 
her out of the house. In the bitter cold night when she had staid 
outside she was transformed into a hoot-owl (249). The Blue-Sided 
Codfish is a princess who jumped out of a canoe, and who said to the 
man vnih whom she had quarreled, "I shall be your codfish." 
Because she was a princess, the blue-sided cod is the prettiest of all 
the fishes (302). The Red Cod is her husband, who was cursed by a 
man of supernatural origin whom he had offended. He was told 
that liis head should always be downward, and Iris tail upward, and 
that if he should ever look up, his stomach would come out tlu'ough 
his mouth. This is given as the reason that the red cod, when coming 
up to the surface of the water, has its stomach come out through 
its mouth (302). The Sawbill Duck is a young man who seduced 



470 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

his sister, who then tiod tho skin of a wMte weasel in Ms hair. He 
was tranisformed when liis sist(>r said to him, "Go on anil lly out to 
sea, so that all the people may see you" (224). Old snails that go 
down to the beach when the tide is low stick to the rocks, and become 
chitons (166). Cliitons and various kinds of shellfish also originated 
from the fat of the supernatural snails, that had taken away a princess 
and were killed by the people. Since this happened on Beaver-Tail 
Island, chitons are found there plentifully (165). 

A woman who had been scolded by her husband, and who for tliis 
reason staid in a lake in which she was swamming, became the Beaver. 
Because the woman had brown hair, all the beavers have brown fur. 
The woman's apron became a beaver tail. Since the woman was the 
first beaver, all the lieavers are females (141). 

The Bullhead used to be a well-shaped fish. Once upon a time 
Raven called him, intending to catch him; but since the fish kept at 
a distance from Raven, the latter stretched out his hand and closed 
his fingers in the direction of the fish's tad, saying, "You shall have 
a tliin tad, only your head shall be large and thick." This is the 
reason why the bullhead has its peculiar form (71). 

The Cockle was one uf a war party that accompanied Raven when 

he made war against the South Wind. Since he did not succeed, 

Raven broke him. For this reason cockles are broken and eaten (80). 

Salmon originated when Bright-Cloud Woman, whom Raven had 

married, put her toes into the water (76). 

Mosquitoes originated when the body of the chief of the people of 
the Mosquito village was burned. His ashes were blown about and 
became small mosquitoes (145). 

The Snag is a man who jumped out of a canoe into the sea, saying 
that he intended to become a snag (302). 

Certain peculiarities of animals are also accoimted for in talas. The 
Devilfish is afraid of the Raven. This is accounted for in two different 
ways. When a Raven gave a feast to the sea monsters, he trans- 
formed them into rocks ; but when he uttered the magical words, the 
devilfish jumped into the sea and escaped. For this reason, when the 
people cry "Caw!" like a raven, the devilfish dies at once (100). If 
the people wait imtil the monster is at the surface, the imitation of 
the voice of the raven is of no avail (138). The second explanation 
is based on the story of a war between the Killer "Whales and the 
Giant Devilfish. When the Killer Whales of the Raven Clan attacked 
the Giant Devilfish, they succeeded in killing him, and therefore the 
devilfish of the present time is afraid of the raven (138). 

The animals sleep in dens during the winter, because at the coxmcil 
when the seasons were instituted tho Porcupine told them to do so 
(108). All the animals are afraid of Porcupine, because at the same 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 471 

council he struck thorn with the quills of liis tail when they insulted 
him (108). The Dog is the enemy of the Porcupine, on account of the 
events m the council held by the animals, in which the Dogs wanted 
to have forty days in each month, while the Porcupine showed that 
the Dogs were wrong (115, 116). Porcupine has only four toes, 
because in the counc^il in wliich the seasons were arranged, after he 
had spoken, he bit off liis thumb in his rage on accomat of the stupidity 
of the large annuals (107). The Dog's thumb is dislocated, because, 
in his quarrel with the Porcupme during the council, the Porcupine 
struck it with liis tail. 

The Raven has no intestines, because when hunting one day he 
was misuccessful, and took out part of his owai intestines in order to 
bring them to his children (96). The Gulls have black-tipped wings 
because Raven at one time threw them into the fire (67). The Cor- 
morant is black on account of his adventure with Raven.' The Cor- 
morant can not speak because Raven tore out his tongue when he stole 
his halibut (93). Branches of trees creak because a supernatural 
bemg put his mother-in-law into a tree (1.211). Wolves are afraid of 
human beings because a man that killed a Wolf prince was then 
adopted by the Wolves, married Wolf women, then returned with liis 
children to his own tribe, and sent back his children, the Wolves, to the 
mountains, ordering them not to hurt their relatives (322). The 
Tomtit is the chief of the birds, because, when Raven tried to ol)tain 
sea eggs by means of a sinew rope, the tomtit's sinews proved to be 
strongest (63-64). 

Little Grindstone, one of the sons of the woman who was the sole 
survivor of the people taken up to the sky, ate of the berries growing 
on Skeeiia River, and was transformed into a mountain (N 234). 

Flint originated when the wife of a supernatural being who was in 
gi'eat danger on top of a mountain did not understantl his request to 
sacrifice. She was then told to melt fat and to eat it. After she had 
done so, she lay down across an old log, broke apart, and her body 
was transformed into Ihnt. The supernatural being and his dog 
were transformed into stone, which may still be seen on the mountain 
(246, 1.145). 

The passage to Nass River was openeil by throwing sling-stones 
against an obstructing mountam (300). 

The dangerous whirlpools and tide-rips on canoe passes were 
removed at a festival, in which a chief requested the monsters living 
at those places to change their domicile (276). According to another 
talo, they were removed when Raven transformed all the sea monstei's 
mtorock (100). 

> Probably this is an error; and It ought to be, the raven is black, because he flew away through the 
smoke hole and was blackened by soot (93). 



472 TSIMSUIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann, 31 

A sandbar originated when gravel was thrown out of the eanoe into 
the sea (170). A sandbar with hirge rocks originated when a strong 
man threw down a mountain, breaking it to pieces (120). When a 
raven flew across the sea fi-oni Queen Chark)tte Islands, he threw a 
few stones into the sea, which became resting-places. They still 
exist in the form of large rocks that are way out at sea. The rocks 
near the village Xlen are the sea food which Sawbill-Duck Woman 
brought to her husband, and which by mistake was thrown out of 
the canoes into the sea (185). The rocks on the shore-line on one of 
the islands at the mouth of Nass River originatetl when the Frogs 
that had made fun of the Haven were driven down liver by the wind, 
and were wrecked on the island which they tried to climb. They 
were frozen to death and became stone (62). The I\jller 'WTialos 
that pursued a man whose wife they had carried away, and who had 
recovered her, were transformed into stone when the hero throw 
hellebore and urine into the sea (1.187). 

When a hero moved a supernatural plume against a mountain and 
obstructed the passage, the mountain melted down, and the molten 
rock may still be seen (N 234). A canoe that had been pulled 
ashore and turned upside down was transformed into a hill, and tho 
load in the canoe was transformed into rocks (235). 

In the beginning the fingers of man had eyes and mouth. Because 
Raven scorched his fingers in the house of the Seal, tho fingers have 
assumed their present form. In former times people did not eat with 
their mouths only, but their fingers also ate (91). Cripples exist ho- 
cause at the time when a plume took up the people to heaven and lot 
their bones fall down on the plain, the skeletons were put together in a 
wrong way and revived. For this reason some men have no beards 
because they have women's heads; women have whiskers because 
they have men's heads; and people limp because they have legs 
belonging to different persons (127). 

The different languages originated when the people were scattered 
after the Deluge (1.251). At the same time new chiefs originated in 
all the different towns (1.253). In the beginning canoes would 
always capsize at Cape Fox; but since Raven showed the way, passing 
this place on a driftlog, canoes do not capsize when they cross there 
in stormy weather. It is known that driftwood bm-ns well, because 
Mouse Woman advised the girl who was taken away by the Black 
Bears to use driftwood for fuel (1.155). Because Raven used rotten 
hemlock wood for smoking salmon, it is known that this kind of wood 
is serviceable for this purpose (89). The art of making nets is kno\vn 
because the son of Spider Woman married a girl and taught her 
mother the art (159). 

Girls have no say about their marriage because a girl made fun of 
her cousin, whom she was to have mari-ied. The yoimg man was 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 473 

made beautiful in the house of Chief Pestilence; wjiile the girl was 
maimed by him, and finally died (1S8-191). Girls are not allowed 
to go alone into the wooils, because a jjrincess who did so was carried 
away by an otter (172). Yoimg people are not allowed to go out 
alone, because a number of yoimg jjeople made fun of a ghost and 
were killed by it (3.36 et seq.). Evidently these last two explanations 
are merely a special expression of the idea that young people should 
bo accompanied by older people, who may protect them against 
supernatural beings, strangers, and against their own mclinations to 
act improperly. 

Shamanism 

Shamans may bo initiated ])y various kinds of supernatural beings. 
One shaman is initiated by the Squirrel-;, who take him to their home 
in a tree, where his skeleton is finally found hanging. The body is 
spread on a mat covered with another mat, which is painted red and 
covered with bird's down, sacrifices are brought, while the young 
man's parents leave the house. TMicn the people sing over the body, 
the man revives and becomes a powerful shaman (N 213). Another 
shaman is initiated by a supernatural being that lives in a deep cave 
called the Cave Of Fear, wliich only shamans are able to enter. He is 
let down by means of a cedar-bark rope, and on his way down is 
stimg by great swarms of insects. At the bottom he finds a hairy 
yoimg man, who leads him through a door shining like the sun, into 
a cave where the supernatural being that gives him power is seated. 
From the east side of the house a supernatural being enters, accom- 
panied by attendants. They take their supernatural powers out of 
their mouths, and put them into the mouth of the visitor. Finally 
the cliief of the house lays liis hands on the visitor and rubs his eyes 
(331 et seq.). Still another shaman receives his power by gaining a 
victory over the Ghosts (327). iVnother one is initiated in the 
bottom of the great Lake Of The Begimiing, near Prairie Town. In 
the lake he finds a large house, and a fire burning in it. There 
are four flashes of hghtning accompanied by thunder-claps. Next 
a Grizzly Bear appears, who is transformed mto a carved box; then, 
a Thunderbird, who, at his own request, is put into the box and 
becomes a drum, the red ocher on the drum behig the hghtnhig; 
next a bemg called Living Ice, which is the hail; and finally a large 
animal called Mouth At Each End, and a Codfish, appear. All these 
are put into the box, and the Grizzly Bear gives the shaman his name, 
Mouth At Each End. He has then obtained shamanistic powers. 
This man's brother is waitmg for him on the banks of the lake. 
He dies there of starvation, is eaten by martens, until only the bones 
are left. The shaman restores him to life by rubbing earth with his 
hands over the bones, by putting in new sinews made of roots, and 
rubbing moss over the whole. Then his brother revives, and becomes 



474 TSIMSIIIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. ann. :U 

a shaman, who is called Devoured By Martens. The martens that 
have eaten liim are put into his body, and he receives a vessel of 
blood, which is to be his supernatural power (34S). Another shaman 
is taken away by the supernatural powers. After four days ho is 
found lying on the floor of the house, and wlaistHng is heard around 
the body. When he recovers, he has obtained great power (332, 333). 

The shaman TsEgu'ksk" is taken to the house of a supernatural being 
at the bottom of the sea, called G'it-k-staql. This being gives him a 
song, a club in the shape of a land otter, and a small box, the hd of 
wliich is carved in the shape of a whale. He also gives him a cham- 
ber-vessel made of wood. His club is capable of cutting the ice. 
The box may assume the shape of a killer whale, and also cuts the 
ice (N 231). 

Novices into whom supernatural powers enter faU back in a faint, 
except the strongest ones. Vomitmg of blood is a sign that a person 
has attained supernatural power (332). 

Hostile supernatural powei-s may overcome even strong shamans. 
Thus we hear of two hermaphrodite-shamans overcoming others by 
moans of thoir helper blood (34S). 

There are male as well as f canalo shamans. A hostile female shaman 
is mentioned on 151. She kills people who enter her den by poisoning 
them. A female shaman is said to be most powerful of all the shamans 
of a village (163). 

It is the duty of the shaman to cure the sick, who in return love 
him (333). On 331 we aro told that the shaman heals the sick, 
punishes those who do not believe in him, helps those who pay him 
well, and kills his enemies. He is able to see things that happen in 
the country of supernatural beings. Thus a shaman seas what is 
going on in the house of the Sprmg Salmon. He sees them start on 
their journey up Skeena River, and knows that they will arrive eight 
days after the broaking-up of the ice (199). Shamans are able to 
see the whereabouts of lost persons. A female shaman points out 
the house of a SnaU to which a princess has been taken (163; see also 
169). A great shaman finds a lost prince (198). A dying shaman 
foretells how he will come back to life (329). He is forewarned of 
impending evil by his protecting power (328, 329), and in all his work 
he is helped by the powers (348). The Diseases are afraid of a pow- 
erful shaman (333) , and he is hated by the Ghosts (326) . A practicing 
shaman wears a crown of grizzly-bear daws on his head, a ring set 
with carved bones aroimd his neck, and a dancing-apron. He has a 
rattle in his right hand, and a white eagle tail in the left. His face 
is black with charcoal, and he wears eagle down in his hair (323). 
At another place the description of his attire is the same, but it 
is said that he has red paint on his face (198). Another one wears 
a ring of red-cedar bark (83). The bones of his neck-ring are de- 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 475 

scribed as representing various kinds of animals (333). Another 
shaman is said to wear a bear-skin blanket besides the dancing-apron, 
and it is said that his face is painted red mixed with charcoal. He 
has a rattle in each hand, and eagle down scattered all over his body 
(350). Shamans of the Ghosts use a skull for a rattle, the handle of 
which is the backbone. The dancing-apron is set with the bones of 
the skeleton hung around the bottom like a fringe, and the crowni is 
made of dead men's ribs (327). A powerful shaman has live rattles, 
the crown of gi'izzly beare, and the dancing-apron (332). Live rattles 
are mentioned also on 335 and in N 124. 

The powerful shamans who have live rattles have also birds to beat 
time and smg for them (N 124). The boards for beating time run 
into the house like serpents and lay themselves down on each side 
of the fire. Weasel batons run along behind the boards and beat of 
themselves. The skm drum rims out and beats itself (332). The 
shaman has four attendants (323), and the playmates of a boy who 
becomes a shaman become his attendants (323). 

When curing the patient, the shaman sits at the foot end of the bod 
and looks into the eyes of the sick person (327, 335, N 124). When 
he sits at the head end of a supernatural being that has been shot, he 
sees the arrows that are invisible to all except himself (336). Then 
he runs aroimd the fire four times, followuig the couree of the sim 
(326), and he smgs his song (83, 332). On 323 the body of a person 
who is nearly dead, and who is to be treated, is placed on a ^vide board 
in front of the fire. 

A shaman is called in to treat the sick chiefs and princes (82). A 
shaman who tries to obtain food for the people is placed on a platform 
connecting four canoes. The planks are painted red; and after the 
shaman lies down on them, he is covered with a mat (349). He 
works over a sick person for four days (323). \Miilo he is singhig, he 
performs the dance of his supernatural protector, the dance of the 
SquiiTel (N 213). The shaman of the Mountain Goats also performs 
a dance (1.93; see also 133). He uses the eagle tail to fan the breath 
l)ack mto the body (328). 

Wlien the soul of the ])atient has left the body, the shaman goes to 
recover it (324, 339). He catches the soul in his left hand (324). 

If a person has a wound, the shaman is able to close it by rubbing 
over it (336). For this purpose magic words maj^ be used (S3). The 
skeleton of a dead person may be laid out, and a powerful shaman 
is able to resuscitate it (328, 348). 

Wlien there are many sudden deaths in a tribe, the shamans may 
go to make war on the Ghosts in order to recover the souls of the 
deceased (338). If a shaman is sick, he may be cured by another 
shaman (334). 



476 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

If the shaman disobeys the orders of his protector, he may <lie. 
Thus a number of shamans who, ahhough tliey liave been forbiiUlcn 
to do so, try to cure people who have been dead more than four days 
are taken away by tlie Ghosts (330). 

In order to protect the tribe, the shaman orders them to keep taboos 
(199). He also catches the first salmon and treats it according to the 
CTistomary taboos (200; see p. 449). He also teaches the people who 
are starving how to catch haUbut (349). 

Four shouts of the shaman bring dowoi the birds (341; see also 
p. 453). Wlien an enemy tries to poison him by feeding him on the 
flesh of corpses, he takes flesh out of his left side witliout being 
hiu-med (334). He takes a spring of water along in his bear-skin 
blanket (334). When an enemy tries to ha:-m him, he is fed Avith 
meat put on the end of a staff, which he must bolt down without 
chewing (334). Supernatural beings sometimes try to overcome sha- 
mans. Thus the Ghost chief, whose \aUage becomes depopulated by 
the success of a shaman who cures aU the sick people, pretends to be 
sick, and sends for the shaman in oi'der to overcome him (326). 
The Cannibal dancers, who are hostile to the shaman, try to destroy 
him (334). The sick woodman Bagus calls shamans to his aid, and 
destroys those who are unsuccessful by throwing them into a lake of 
blood. Another urLsuccessful shaman is transformed partly into 
stone by the same supernatural being (336). A human enemy tries 
to poison a shaman with dried human flesh (329) or with other kinds 
of poison (333). He protects himself by j)oisoning those who tried 
to overcome him (333). 

A shaman who has been disobedient is kept in the town of the 
Ghosts (330), and becomes the chief of the Ghost town (330). 

Magical dogs dio after they have killed a powerful shaman (152). 

A renowned shaman is called in by people in need of his services 
(N 123). Three messengers are sent to fetch him (335). \^Tien his 
fame spreads all over the country, ho is traveling about all the time 
with his attendants (333), and the people assemble to witness his 
practices (333). He is sent for when his services are needed in a 
distant country (335). He receives pa3rment for his services, and thus 
becomes wealthy (333). In N 125 a girl is given to him in marriage in 
payment for his services. Before his art is known, ho may offer his 
services. Thus a boy sends his grandmother to offer his shamanistic 
services (N 123). When a person is very ill, the shamans of all the 
tribes are called in to cure him (338) . The shaman may not only heal 
sickness, but he can also put sickness into his enemies (N 122; see 
also 333). The shaman himself becomes sick when his power is put 
into the bones of a body (334), and he dies when he places himself 
in a coffin (329). Corpses are always dangerous to shamans (327). 
Envious rivals may try to kill a powerful shaman (333). 



BOAS] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 477 

An owl imjiersonating a shaman refuses to be caught (329). The 
companion of a shaman becomes shaman in his place (330). 

There are also remarks on the trickery of shamans. One of them 
pretends that the people can escape threatening danger only by 
fleeing, his object bemg to get possession of all their provisions (83). 

Stones are throwTi on the bones of a dead evil shaman (344). 

Witchcraft may be practiced in various ways. Thus weapons, 
tools, and other objects are bewitched by blowmg water on them 
(299) ; but blowing water upon the body also serves as a protective 
device (327). A pereon may be bewitched by catching his breath in 
shredded cedar bark, which is put into the mouth of a frog (129, 
N 219). Pei-sons may also be bewitched by placing part of the cloth- 
ing in a "witch box." A piece of a corpse is in the box. The piece 
of clothing is hung up by means of a string. If the string breaks and 
it falls on the body, the pei-son must die. After the person is dead, 
the witch must walk around the grave of his victim (N 217). 



III. TSmSHIAN SOCIETY 
Social Organization 

Divisions and Clans. — The Tlingit, Ilaida, and Tsimshian have a 
similar social organization. Thej- are divided into exogamic groups. 
Descent is reckoned in the female line; that is, every person belongs 
to his or her mother's group. Since, however, the positions of social 
leadership and manj^ kinds of property are held by men onl}-, it 
follows that among a group of brothers and sisters, position and these 
kinds of property are held by the brothers, and descend by inlierit- 
ance to the sister's sons; in other words, everj' man inherits from 
his maternal uncle. So far as j)roperty of females is concerned, 
every girl inherits from her mother. 

The exogamic groups of all these tribes have names, some of 
which are taken from animals. The groups of the Tlingit are com- 
monly called Raven and Wolf, but the latter group is sometunes 
called Eagle among the northern Tlingit. It does not seem quite 
certain whether these two names are used by the Tlingit themselves 
as names for the two exogamic groups, or whether they have been 
transferred by outsiders from the important crests of the groups to 
the groups themselves. It may even be that the Ravens have no 
group name.' 

One group, theNex'A'di of Sanja, stands outside of the two groups, 
and its members are allowed to intermany \dth members of either.' 
They evidently occupy the same position as the Tjoendji-dhsettset- 
k^oe't, the middle people of the Loucheux, who could intermarry 
with the two other divisions of the tribe — the Etchian-k|Oe't ("the 
people of the right") and the Nattse'in-kjOe't ("the people of the 
left") — while the people of the left must marry the people of the right.' 
The statements made by both Petitot and Swanton are not clear, in 
so far as the third group is either co-ordinate with the others or can 
not be an exogamic group. It is quite impossible that, as Petitot 
states, the two groups last named are bound to intermarry, while 
the third may intermarry with them, since these two statements are 
contradictory. 

Hardisty* gives the following account of the Loucheux organization : 

With reference to the story about caste it is difficult to arrive at a correct solution of 
the matter. The fact, I believe, is that they do not know themselves, for they give 
various accoimts of the origin of the three great divisions of mankind. Some say it 
■was so from the beginning; others that it originated when all fowls, animals, and fish 
were people — the fish were the Chitsah, the birds Tain-gees-aA-tsah, and the animals 
Nat-singh; some that it refers to the coimtry occupied by the three great nations who 

' Swanton 4, p. 407. » Ibid., p. 398. » Petitot, p. 14. < Hardisty, p. 315. 

478 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 479 

are supposed to have composed the whole family of man; while the other, and, I 
thiiik, most correct opinion, is that it refers to color, for the words are applicable. 
Chitsah refers to anything of a pale color — fair people; Nat-singh, from ah-zingh, black, 
dark — that is, dajk people; Tain-gees-ah-tsah, neither fair nor dark, between the two, 
from tain-gees, the half, middle, and ah-tsah, brightish, from tsa, the sun, bright, 
glittering, shining, &c. Another thing, the country of the Na-tsik-koo-chin is called 
Nah-t'aingh to this day, and it is the identical coimtry which the Nat-singh occupied. 
The Na-tsik-koo-chin inhabit the high ridge of land between the Youcon and the 
Arctic sea. They live entirely on the fiesh of the reindeer, and are very dark-skinned 
compared with the Chit-sangh, who live a good deal on fish. All the elderly men fish 
the salmon and salmon trout during the summer, while the young men hunt the 
moose, and have regular white-fish fisheries every autumn besides. Some of the 
Chit-sangh are very fair, indeed, in some instances approaching to white. The 
Tain-gees-ah-tsa live on salmon trout and moose meat, and, taken as a whole, are 
neither so fair as the Chit-sangh nor so dark as the Nah-t'singh. They are half-and- 
half between the two. A Chit-sangh cannot, by their rules, marry a Chit-sangh, 
although the rule is set at naught occasionally ; but when it does take place the persons 
are ridiculed and laughed at. The man is said to have married his sister, even though 
she may be from another tribe and there be not the slightest connection by blood 
between them. The same way with the other two divisions. The children are of the 
same color as their mother. They receive caste from their mother; if a male Chit- 
sangh marry a Nah-taingh woman the children are Nah-taingh, and if a male Nah-tsingh 
many a Chit-sangh woman the children are Chit-sangh, so that the divisions are 
always changing. As the fathers die out the country inhabited by the Chit-sangh 
becomes occupied by the Nah-tsingh, and so on vice versa. They are continually 
changing coimtries, as it were. Latterly, however, these rules are not so strictly 
observed or enforced as formerly, so that there is getting to be a complete amalgama- 
tion of the three great divisions, such a mixture that the difference of color is scarcely 
perceptible, and, no doubt, will soon disappear altogether, except what is produced 
by natural causes. The people who live on the flesh of the reindeer are always darker 
than those who live on fish, or on part fish and part flesh. One good thing proceeded 
from the above arrangement — it prevented war between two tribes who were naturally 
hostile. The ties or obligations of color or caste were stronger than those of blood or 
nationality. In war it was not tribe against tribe, but division against division, and 
as the children were never of the same caste as the father, the children would, of 
course, be against the father and the father against the children, part of one tribe 
against part of another, and part against itself, so that, as may be supposed, there 
would have been a pretty general confusion. This, however, was not likely to occur 
very often, as the worst of parents would have naturally preferred peace to war with 
his own children. 

Evidently these names correspond to Petitot's names : Nat-singh = 
Nattse'in-k^oe't; Tain-gees-ah-tsah = T,oendji-dhaettset-kjoe't; and 
Chitsah probably = Etchian-kpe't. 

The Tinneh above Nulato say that they have three divisions — 
ilcdzihterotana, Touitserotana, Noletsina.' 

In Emmons's notes on the Tahltan^ no mention is made of a tlu-ee- 
fold di\'ision hke the one observed among the Thngit and Loucheux, 
although his description would make it appear that there are three 
distmct groups of inland origin, besides the later immigrants from 
the coast. This may perhaps agree with the information given by 

' Jett^ I, p. 402. 2Enimons4, pp. ISefsfj. 



480 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. a.nn. 31 

Mr. Teit,' who distinguishes tlu-ce old divisions among the Taliltan, one 
of which, according to him, is extinct. Callbreath, however, in his 
superficial notes on the people, mentions only two exogamic groups, 
the Birds and the Beai-s.- I did not Imd any trace of a thhd division 
among the TslEtsla'ut of Portland Inlet.^ Emmons claims that 
there were three, one of which was called Nahta. 

The two groups of the Haida are commonly called Raven and 
Eagle; but the Haida themselves call the Eagle group Git'ma', a 
word of unknown etymology, perhaps of Tsimsliian origin. Swanton 
mentions* that one family occupied an exceptional position: 

The Pitch-Town-People . . . who formerly inhabited the west coast of Moresby 
Island . . . are said to have belonged to the Raven side; but I am not con\-inred that 
they were entirely e.^ogamic. Although their history is slirouded somewhat in fabu- 
lous details, there is no doiibt that such a peoijle actually exi.sted. They are said to 
have been Haida, speaking the same language as the rest, only, in the estimation of 
the other families, they were somewhat uncultivated, and are said to have lacked a 
crest system. 

The four groups of the Tsimsliian are commonly called Eagle, Wolf, 
Raven, Bear; but the Tsimshian themselves call them Lax-ski'°k, 
Lax-kebo', Ganha'da, G'ispawadwE'da. The fu-st and second of 
these names mean "On The Eagle" and " On Tlie Wolf ." The ety- 
mology of the third one is unkno-wTi.^ The last one can not be ana- 
lyzed, except in so far as g'i{d)- means "people;" spa- is a prefix 
designating "a dweUmg-i)lace;" the end is a reduplicated form of the 
stem WEda, the meaning of which is not knowni to me. Mr. Tate 
says at one place that this name means "going to another," and that 
it refers to the migration of Gau'o's grandchildren (see p. 411). 

In intermarriages with the Haida the Ganha'da and Eagle are 
considered members of the Git'ina', the G^ispawadwE'da and Wolf 
as members of the Haida Raven. 

The BellabeUa of Milbank Sound, who speak a dialect of the 
Kwakiutl, are also divided into matrilineal groups, three in number: 
the Qo'ixtlenox or Raven people (crests: raven, starfish, sun, 
gogama'tsle [i. e., the receptacle in which the sun was kept before its 
Uberation]); the Wik Iwaqxt !enox or Eagle people (crests: thunder- 
bird, large dancing-hat); Ha'Lx'aixt!enox or Killer- Whale people 
(crests: killer whale, Qlo'moqlwa," sea Hon). The houses of the 
Raven people are said to have been painted black; the Killer Whale 
people had a huge mouth pamted on the house front, the posts were 

'Teit l,p.348. 

s Dawson 2, p. 197B. 

« Boas 1, 1895, p. 559. Mr. Emmons, in the place just quoted (p. 21), repeats the erroneous statement 
made by Mr. James W. McKay, that the TslEtsla'ut are a recent oflshoot of the Tahltan. He calls them 
"Tsifes Zaons," and gives their native name as Wetalth. I have not l)een able to secure the native name, 
and doubt the present one, because the form of the word looks very much like a Nass River word. I have 
explained in the Tenth Report what the history of the tribe is, and refuted, as 1 Ijelieve, Mr. McKay's 
notions in regard to their origin. 

< Swanton 2, p. 90. 

» Compare the clan name GinA.x'A'di, a Raven clan of the Tlingit. Swanton 4, p. 408. 

• See Boas 5, p. 374. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 481 

killer whales, a fish named mElx'ani'gun was painted on each side of 
the door. Sea hons, whieli are considered the dogs of the sea spirit 
Q!o'moq!wa, were the crossbeams.^ 

According to notes collected by Livingston Farrand ir\ 1897, the 
Bellabella have four exogamic groups, — Eagle, Killer Wliale, AVolf, 
and Raven. They recognize them as corresponding to the gi'oups 
of the northern tribes, but not to those of the tribes of Rivers Inlet 
and Vancouver Island. Part of the children of a couple are assigned, 
accordmg to him, to the mother's group, part to that of tlie father. 
The assignment is arbitrary and made after consultation between 
the parents and their relatives. Preference is given, however, to 
the mother's line. A single child belongs to the maternal group. 
This would seem to imply that the first-born child belongs to the 
maternal group. Xames belonging to other gi-oups might be taken 
by an individual at a great potlatch, but these would not affect his 
position iu the group to which he belonged. 

The following Bellabella tribes have been recorded: 

Trihe Village 

O'^yala-itx Ya'laLe - 

AVI'l !etx Xune's ^ 

He'sta-itx T la'vasiwr * 

No'lo-itx No'lo " 

Farrand and Boas (1, 1890, p. (>()-i) mention another tribe, the 
Qo'qaitx. As I imderstand it, the exogamic groups were present 
iu all these villages. 

Among all these tribes the members of these groups have the privilege 
of using designs rej)resentuig certahi animals or other objects as then* 
crests, and m many cases they clami a supernatural relationship to the 
animals, which may therefore be said to be the totems of these groups, 
iu the nari'ower sense of this tema. It is important, however, to know 
that the priacipal crest animal and the animal from wliich the group 
takes its name are not always the same. Thus the Raven side of the 
Ilaida has as its priucipal crest the killer whale, and on the Eagle side of 
the Haida the beaver is as important a crest as the eagle. Furthermore, 
not all the members of each group have the same crest; but among 
the TJingit and Haida there are a considerable number, among the 
Tsimshian a small number, of subgroups, each of which has a number 
of crest animals of its owii. In a great many cases the acquisition 
of these crest animals can be traced by historical or semiliistorical 
traditions; and we know that iu some cases crests have been obtained 
by gift from friends among foreign tribes or have been acquired in 
war. Often among the Tlmgit and Haida, and also among the 
Tsimshian, their acquisition is explained by a myth which belongs ojdy 

1 The notes on the Bellabella are from Boas 1, 1SS9, p. 825. < Ibid., p. -129, line 3t; p. 422, line 12. 
- See Boas 8, p. 471, line 11; p. 424, line 33. » Ibid., p. 43S, lines 30, 32. 

•Ibid., p. 431, lines 26, 34. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 31 



482 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Teth. ann. 31 

to one of the subdivisions of the laro:cr group. It is therefore evident 
that in such eases the animal name of the grouj), and the erest of the 
subdivision of the group, are not equivalent. 

The subgroups among the Haida and Tlingit are tlu'oughout local 
in chara<'ter. They were evidently at one time village communities 
consisting of blood relatives; that is to say, of a number of people 
related or supposed to be related by maternal descent. Such a group 
of peoj)le have their own local traditions, which in many cases have 
the form of crest traditions. Similar conditions prevailed among the 
Tsimshian, among whom, however, the number of local subgrou]« 
seems to have been rather small. 

Although such a village was the property of a subdivision of one 
group, necessarily a considerable number of individuals of the oppo- 
site group must have lived in the same village as husbands or wives, 
as the case may have been. It is ])robable that in this way the present 
conditions origmated, the recent villages consisting of a number of 
house groups uiliabited by different branches of the groups. 

In the following notes I shall describe the organization of the 
Tsimshian. 

Tsimshian is spoken in tliree princi[)al dialects: 

1. Nlsqa'^, on Nass River. 

2. G'it-ksa'n, on the head waters of Skeena Kiver ( = People of 
Skeena River). 

3. TslEm-sia'n, on Skeena River and including tlie closely related 
cUalects south and west of Skeena River ( = inside of Skeena River) . 

The Tsimshian projser embrace the following tribes: 

1. TslEm-sia'n, on Skeena River. 

2. G"its!Emga'16n, below the canyon of Skeena River. 

3. G'itslala'sEr, on the canyon of Skeena River. 

4. G"it-qxa'ia, on the islands outside of Skeena liiver. 

5. G'it-q!a'°da, on GrenvUle Ciiannel. 

6. G'idEsdzti', northwest of MUlbank Sound. These are considered 
half BeUabella.i ' 

The Tsimshian have nh\o. towns: 

1. G-i-spa-x-la'-'ls 1 ,p , x G. G-it-dzi"'s=' (Raven). 

2. G-itlanda'^ | ^^"^'^^ 7. G-id-wul-g'a'dz | 

3. G-max'ang-i'°k (Bear). 8. G'i-lu-dza'r (Bear). 

4. G-it-la'n (Raven and Wolf). 9. G-inada'°xs^ ■ | 

5. G-idzExla'°l (Raven). 

> Publications of the American Ethnological Society, vol. m, p. 225. 

2 Two additional Eagle towns, G-id-wul-kSE-btt'o and G'i-spa-x*4'l, have become extinct. 

3 Two additional Raven towns, named WutslEn-a'luk and' G-id-gadQ, Jiave become extinct. 

* The list given here is contained in Mr. Tate's version of the Gau'o story (Pubs. Amer. Ethn. Soc, vol. 
m, p. 223) and in the story of the Deluge (ibid., p. 247). It occur? also on p. 275 of the present volume. 
It agrees with the list obtained by me from another person in 1888, except that the latter contains (he 
additional name Gid-wul-ksE-ba'". My list of 1&88 agrees with the one obtained by Aurel Krause in 
1.8S2 (Die TUnkil-Indianer, p. 317). He mentions one tribe that I have not identified, the Kltrau-ai-ijcs 
(G'it-gawa'yiks?). On p. 275 the G-id-wul-ksE-ba'" are mentioned in place of the G'itlandi'. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 483 

The G'itsIala'sEr have two towns: 

1. G'i-lax-ts!a'ks, ou the north side of the river. 

2. G4t-xts!a'x}, on the south side of the river. 

For a long tijiie all the Tsimshian proper assembled in wmter at 
MaxlE-qxa'la CNIetlakahtla), where each gi-oup inliabited its own 
village site. Durmg the fishing-season they lived m their separate 
towiis on Skeena River and on the coast. It seems probable that 
at an earlier time the Tsimshian lived on the ujiper course of Skeena 
Kiver. According to their o\\i\ belief, they lived then in the village 
T!Em-lax-a'm. 

Like the two sides of the Tlmgit and Ilaida, each of the four 
exogamic groups of the Tsimshian is not a homogeneous unit, but is 
comi)Osed of a number of subdivisions, each of which has its own 
traditions ami its own jirerogatives. The Eagle group, Gaiilia'tla 
group, and G'ispawadwE'da group, have each three divisions; the 
Wolf group has no subdivisions. These divisions and their principal 
crests, so far as ascertained, are as follows: 

1. Eagle group. Lax-skl'°k. 

(a) Gun-hu'°t, "runawaj-s" (from Alaska). 

(b) G'it-lax-wl-yl'a (from the upper course of Skeena 

River). 
(f) G-its!6'x (halibut crest; from Bellabella [G-idEsdzu"^]). 

2. Wolf group. Lax-k'ebo (from the Tahltan). 

3. Ganha'da. 

((/) Ganha'da (raven crest; from inland?)- 
(h) TsQnadate (starfish crest; from Alaska?). 

(c) Lax-se'^la, "on the ocean" (bullhead crest; from Cape 

Fox). 

4. G'ispawadwE'da. 

(a) G'it!Em-lax-a'm (grizzly-bear crest: from T!Em-lax-fi'm). 

(b) G'it-na-gun-a'ks (killer-whale crest; from China, Hat 

[G-idEsdzu']). 
(f ) G'it-ksE-dza (fireweed, Epilohium; descendants of Gau'o) . 

Mr. Tate has given me the following information in regard to the 
groups to which the Tsimshian villages belonged: 
G'ispawadwE'da (Bear group). 

Crests: Grizzly bear, killer whale, Lag-adil(?). 
Git-qxa'la. 
G-inax'angi'°k (3).» 
G-iiiada'°xs (9). 
Crests: Grizzly bear, fireweed, mountain sheep. 
G'id-wul-g-a'dz (7). 
G-i-lu-dza'r (S). 



' The numbers here given are those of the Tsimshian villages enumerated on p. 482. The G-it-qxa'la 
do not belong to the Tsimshian proper. The other villages without number are extinct. 



48-i TSIMSHIAN mythology: [eth. iXN. 31 

Lax-ski'°k (Eagle group). 

Crests: Eagle, beaver, luilibut. 

G-i-spa-x-la"'ts (1). 

G-it!anda' (2). 

Gid-wul-ksE-ba'". 

Gi-spa-x'a'l. 
Ganha'da (Raven group). 

Crests: N!a'°gEm-sa-g6lil^ (scalp witli fins), abalone bow. 

G-idzExlii'°l (5). ■ 
Crests: Raven, starfish, abalone bow. 

G-it-dzi'-'s (6). 

WutslEn-a'luk.' 
Crests: Raven, starfish, frog, bullhead. 

G-it-la'n (4). 
Lax-k"ebo' (Wolf group). 

Crests: Wolf, grizzly bear, crane. 

G-it-la'n (4). 

The G'it-la'n are the only village community that include two 
groups, the Raven and the Wolf. 

The organization of the Nass divisions is quite similar to the one 
found among the Tsimshian. According to information collected by 
me in Kinkolith m 1894, the following subdivisions are recognized : = 

1. Eagle group. Lax-skl'°k. 

(a) G'isgaplEna'x. 

(6) Lax-lo'°kst. 

(c) G-its!a'°q. 

((?) Lax-tslEme'lix', "on beaver." 

2. Wolf group. Lax-kcbo'. 

(a) Lax-t!ia'q}. 

(b) G^it-g'ig'e'nix-. 
((■) G-it-wul-nak!e'l. 

3. Ganha'da. 

(a) Gid-x-(i!ad6'q. 

(6) Lax-se'°la, "on the ocean." 

4. G'ispawadwE'da. 

Gisg'aha'st, "gi'ass people." 

These totemic divisions were di.^tributed over four old towns — 
Lax-ci'al-ts!a'p ("on the town"), Andeguale', G'it-wunkse'ik, and 
Git-lax-da'miks. According to my informants, principally Chief 
Mountam, none of the other modern villages of the Nisqa'^ formed a 
recognized division o£ the tribe. The subdivisions of the tribe 
were represented, according to these informants, as follows: 

I There is no information on the crests of the G-id-gadu. 2 Boas 1, 1S9.=>, p. 570. 



BOis] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 485 

Lax-q'al-ts!a'p. 

Ganlia'da jjroup : Ganlia'da, G'id-x'qiado'q. 

Wclf group: Lax-k'ebo'. 

Eiigle group: Lax-skr°k, G'isgaplEna'x. 
Andoguale'. 

Gauha'da group: Lax-se'°la. 

Wolf gi-oup: G'it-gig'e'nix". 
G'it-wuiikse'lk. 

Wolf group: Lax-t!ia'ql. 

Eagle gi'oup: Lax-lo'°kst. 

G'ispawadwE'da group: G'i-g'idia'st. 
Git-lax-da'miks. 

Gauha'da group: Lax-se'°la. 

Wolf group: G"it-wul-nak'!e'l. 

Eagle group: Lax-skr°k, Lax-ts!Eme'lix'. 

It seems to me that these groups, wliich are based entirely on 
information secured in the new village Kinkolith, need corroboration, 
particularly their peculiar distribution and the apparent appearance 
of the same name as a group name and as that of a subdivision. ' It 
is remarkable that only the GispawadwE'da appear here confined 
to one single ■s'illage, Git-wiinkse'ik: that the Eagle group occurs in 
all except Andeguale', the Ganha'da group in all except G'it- 
wunkse'lk, while the Wolf group is common to all of them. 

From the same source I learned that the G'it-wunllvo'l, on the 
upper Skeena River, whose dialect is said to be intermediate between 
the Xass and G'it-ksa'n dialects, are considered a separate tribe, and 
have the Ganha'da and Wolf groups. 

Chief Mountain gave the following, avowedl}- incomplete, list of 
G'it-ksa'n villages and groups: 

Village: Git-wunga' (Doi-sey, Kit-win-gach). 

Ganha'da and Eagle. 
Village: Gidzig'u'kla (Dorsey, Ivitze-gukla). 

Ganha'da and G'isg'aha'st. 
Village: Gispa-yo'ks (Dorsey, Kish-pi-yeoux). 

Ganha'da and Wolf. 
Village: G"it-an-ma'k"s (Doi-sey,- Kit-an-maiksh). 

It appeal's from these data that there are two intercrossing divis- 
ions among the Tsimshian tribes — one a tribal division based essen- 
tially on village communities consisting of clan fdlows; another one 
a subdivision of the exogamic groups according to their provenience. 

Some additional data are available which explain these relations 
among the Tsimshian proper. 

1 Dorsey. p. 279, does not mention the first and second of the Nass villages, but has the following in addi- 
tion: Kit-aix, Lak-ungida, Kit-lak-aous, Kis-themu-welgit, 

- Dorsey, pp. 27S, 279, has, in addition to these, Kish-ga-gass, Kaul-daw, Kit-win-kole, the last identical 
with the tribe Git-wunlkoT. 



48G TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [kth. \x.s. 31 

The Giin-hu'°t of G'itstemgri'lon are considered the descendants of 
Tlingit Eagles, who were vanquished hy Ravens, and emigrated. 
In 1888 I was told m Port Essuigton that this emigration occurred 
six generations ago, that is about 1740, and that it was a consequence 
of continued wars. It was said that these j^oople man-ied a number 
i)f Tsinishian men and women, among whom the names of Gataxa'x 
and Astoe'ne are mentioned. For a considerable time they continued 
to speak Tlingit, but were finally assimilated by the Tsimshian. On 
p. 270 the mythical story of their exodus is told. According to 
this tale, they settled first on Nass River, but later on spread and 
lived among the G'itslEmga'lon, Gi-spa-x-la'^ts, G"it!anui't, and in 
other places. 

The Wolves are said to liave come from vStikine River, and they 
are considered as descentlants of a group of Tahltan who fled from 
their country and settled partly on the coast of Alaska, partly on 
Nass River, and partly on Skeena River. Their story is told on p. 354. 

According to the table given on p. 483, all the members of the 
Eagles are derived partly from the Tlingit, partly from the G'idEsdzu', 
partly from the Athapascan tribes at the head of Stikine River. 
This last statement was not made explicitly by Mr. Tate, but it is 
implied in his remarks about the G'ispawadwE'da. 

The Ganha'da are also all foreigners, — one group derived from the 
interior, a second one from northern Alaska, a third one from Cape 
Fox. Mr. Tate's notes do not make it quite clear whether the sub- 
group Ganha'da originated in the interior. lie simply says "from 
across the mountaiias," which may also mean Nass River. The sub- 
group Tsunadate he describes as coming from Alaska. It is possible, 
however, that the notes in regard to these two groups may have to be 
exchanged. 

Among the GispawadwE'da, the first group. (Mt'.Era-lax-a'm, are 
considered true Tsimshian, while the others are considered descend- 
ants of the G'idEsdzu'. I am not quite clear in regard to the descent 
of the third gi-oup. If they are really considered the descendants of 
Gau'o, they would seem to be a subdivision of the first group. At 
one place Mr. Tate says that the clan took the name G'ispawadwE'da 
(meaning "going to another") from the Gau'o story, that before 
that time they were called "Grizzly Bear." I do not know, how- 
ever, whether I understood his statement rightly. 

Taking this in connection with the oft-repeated statement that the 
people of T!Em-lax-a'm are the original Tsimshian, it might almost 
seem as though, in the opinion of the Indians, the tribe had con- 
sisted originally of this group only, and that the other groups had 
developed by accretion. 

I should like to repeat, however, that Mr. Tate's notes do not 
make it quite clear whether the G'it-lax-wl-yl'a of the Eagle group 
and the Ganha'da of the Raven group are not also by origin Tsimshian. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 487 

Attention may also be called to the similarity of thenameGanha'da 
for the Raven group, and that of the Tlingit Kaven familj-jGanaxA'di, 
to which I have already referred ; and to the name of the subdivision, 
Tsunadate, of the Ganha'da, wliich has undoubtedly the appearance 
of a Tlingit name, and suggests the name of the river Chunah ( = Tcu'- 
nax), which empties into Behm Channel. This derivation might seem 
uncertain, since the d o{ the ending -date, can not be derived from 
tliis name. Similar forms occur, however, in other Tlingit names; 
as, for instance, in the parallel form GanAxte'di for GanaxA'dl. 

It would seem, on the basis of the data here given, either that 
the older form of social organization of the Athapascan, Tsimshian, 
Haida, Tlingit, and perhaps also of the Bellabella, was based on a 
threefold division, or that the first tliree tribes developed a tliird gr( )up, 
that took a somewhat exceptional position. Considering the claim 
of the Tsimshian that the wolf was introduced among the tribe at a 
late date, comparatively speaking, it seems certainly interesting that 
the Wolf group, according to my informant, is missing from the 
B(>llabeUa, although this is contradicted by Professor Farrand. On 
the other hand, the event can not be quite recent, since in most of 
the myths the four exogamic groups are considered as entirely equiva- 
lent. Thus, in the tale of "The Giant Devilfish," ' the four groups 
are spoken of as characteristic of all the Tsimshian as well as of the 
Killer WTiales; and in the Deluge legend 1.250 they are noted. 

Further inquiries among the Tlingit and Loucheux may perhaps 
enable us to answer tliis important question more definitely than 
we can do now. 

Some of the "tribes" are evidently the result of a breaking-up of 
older communities, made necessary by their increase in numbers. 
It is told that when a village became too large, the head chief would 
assign part of his people to his nephew, who would set out and found 
a new village, which would naturally embrace only members of his 
own exogamic group (see p. 509). 

On the precedmg pages I have given a list of the tribal divisions, 
towns, and exogamic gro\ips. These divisions are termed by the 
Tsimshian as follows: 

The people of the whole country are designated by the term gad, 
wliich simply means "people" without any special reference to social 
divisions. Thus we find the expressions nE-g'a'dEsgE K-sia'n (" the 
people of the Skeena") 1.70.2;^ lu-q.'a'gan txan.'l g-at ("it killed off 
all the people") 1.70.21; ns-g-a'dEsga qal-fs.'a'pgE (" the people of the 
town") 1.214.22. 

■No. 13, p. 135. 

" Keferences such as 1.70.2 refer to Tsimshian Texts, J^yblicaliou.'^- o/ flu Amtricari Ethnological Socifly, 
iir. 



488 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. r.l 

The people of one town are culled ts.'ap ("a txibc"): oda txan!l'° 
nE-l-SE)iv-ts.'a'psga ssm'a'g'itga ("then all the tribeswomen of the 
chief") 1.220.21. 

The term "town" is derived from tliis: qal-fs!ap (perhaps "where 
the tribe is located"). The prefix gal- designates here primarily the 
houses as opposed to the peo])le living in them, althoxigh the com- 
pound term is also used quite often to designate the people them- 
selves: Ic'.E'rEltga w^^gal-tsla'pga ("there was a town") 1.242.1; in 
the same way 1.192.1. On the other hand, we have ksfEind'sa 
gal-ts'.Epts'.a'p ("there are nine tribes [or towns]") 1.222.2.3; ada 
wd'°nta txan.'l' gu'''p!Eldaqal-ts!Epts!a'pga° ("then the [people of the] 
two towns obeyed") 1.196.14; nda'vult sagaif-ga'irvnfga SEm'd'g'itga 
nE^wi-ts!a'ptga° ("then the claief called [the peoples of] his great town 
together") 1.198.7. 

The villages are also called wul-dzox ("camping-places") without 
special reference to the social relationships • of the inhabitants : 
ada'wult Tc!ul-g!a-da'ult asga fxan.'l' wul-dzExdzo'gat (" then they went 
about among all the camps") 1.210.18; amet Ja-he'°ldE na^g-a'dsfigat 
Jc.'E'rEltga vul-dzo'itga" ("if the people of a village [camp] refused") 
1.216.20. 

Any kind of a group of people is called wvJ-na-f!d'l ("a company, 
society"). The exogamic groups (1.216.33), the secret societies, the 
families (207.26; 234.7), are designated by this term. 

Collectively the exogamic group is designated by the term pfax: . . . 
ha-dzExdzd'gafdzE da lEp-na'hsgEsga n-lEp-ptd'°xtga° (". . . they are 
ashamed to marry in their own exogamic group") 1.218.19; iF.p-dEda' 
li'°mi mEla-l-.'E'rElda ptd'°xtga° ("every exognmic group has its own 
songs"); nin!i'° wul Jti-SE-tld'tgE wul-na-t.'Elt.'d'la, pta'xdat G'ispavm- 
dwE'da . . . ("this was the beginning of the companies, the exogamic 
group G'ispawadwE 'da" . . . ) 1.214.18. 

The members of tjie exogamic group are relatives, and as such term 
one another wula'isk ("relatives"), plural vmlwula'isk: Nin.'i'gan- 
SEmg'iddd'ixsga wulald'm vmlwula'isgEm . . . ("therefore the law of 
relationship is very sacred") 1.218.28. 

In the translation of the tales I have throughout used the term 
"clan" to translate the Tsimshian term ptd°x. In the present dis- 
cussion of the social organization, in which it seems important to 
avoid all ambiguity, I have used the term "exogamic group" in its 
place. The organization of the Tsimshian as here described does 
not seem to me to make it advisable to use the term "phratry" for 
these divisions. Neither are the subdivisions sufficiently well 
marked to be called "clans" m contrast to the larger exogamic divis- 
ions. In the present discussion I have employed the term "clan" 
only in those cases where the members of a particular family group, 
in then" characteristic quality as a part of the exogamic division, 
are referred to (see p. .500, footnote). 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 489 

Terms of BelationsMp. — The followiiisi' tables illustrate the system 

of relationships : ' 

SELF MALE 

REMOTEST ANCESTOES 

LESS REMOTE ANCESTORS TO SIXTH GENERATION 

ANCESTORS OP FIFTH AND FOURTH GENERATIONS 

GREAT-GRANDPARENTS 

GRANDFATHERS GRANDMOTHERS 



Aunts; one of these may Man's fathers Man's mothirx T'licles; one of these viay 

become mother-in-hiw become father-in-law 

! ' 

Cousins 

Females; one of these ^fales; some of Brothers Self -Vrmhers of fraternUy of 

may become wife; oth- these may become opposite sex 

ers, sisters-in-law l>r"thers-in-law I 



Cllildren Nephevs {or nieces); some 

of these may become 

sons-in-law or clai/ghters- 

in-Iair 

I GRANDCHILDREN | 

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN 

The table for the female is quite analogous, except that tiie terms 
for "woman's father'' and ''woman's mother" must be substituted 
for the terms given before. Owing to the matrihneal descent, the 
table for the generation of the self and her cltildren takes the follow- 
ing form: 

SELF FEMALE 



Cousins Sillers Self Member of f rater n ilij of 



Females; some of these ^lales; one of these 

may become sisters-in- may become hus- 

law band; others, 

1 brothers-in-law 



opposite sex 



Nephews or nieces; Children 

some of these may be- 
come sons-in-law or 
daughters-in-law 

1 The terms in small capitals may belong to one's own or to another exogamic group; those in italics, to 
one's own exogamic group; those in roman, to the exogamic group of the father. Males and females 
imder one brace belong to the same generation. Vertical lines indicate descent. Only descent in llie 
'female line is indicated. 



490 



TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 



[ISTH. ANN. 31 



o 



6 

O 






s 

B5 
M 
Eh 

z 

s 

CO 

a 

c 

< 



,.M.M. a -g- 

V rt idS "b 

' i? S •5' o. 



I S" X 'i 



rt bo 






z 

■ t- 

o 

z 

o 



a 
o 

u 



fi 2 3 5 S 






ft 3 



s 


lenerution: 

)f father's clan 

jf mother's clan 

en of mother's clan . . . 
en of father's clan .... 


^ 

^ 

■? 



2 a o o s 



fe 


p. 


g 


s 


>! 


1 




s 


=^ 




c 


o 






(^ 



2 S 



H 3 



o g 



"w5 -J" 

g c 
SB 

: ±: (-. 









= *' 3 - S £ 



■5 S Si -^ .= S 



2 a 



2 2 



BOAS] 



TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 



191 







1 




1 1 ^ 

o 

1 1 Ih 
P 

CJ 

1 1 


, 


11 


a s 
III 3 


Ij 


^ ~ 1 1 

n „ 1 1 


Cl£. ^ 

^ ^ 1 -^ \ 

&c tm 1 -1^ 1 


1 ^' 1 1 

1 44 1 1 


1 ^ II 
1 ^ - 1 I 


- i '1 


Children's generation: 

Son Jof self or of a mem. of 
Daughterlfratemily of same sex. 
Child of mem. of fratem. of opp. 

sex. 
ChiliUin-liiw 


1 

c 


B 
c 

t 

i 





1§ 



p. 5^ 



«.a 



S ° 


















4= 


*- o ^ 




S <i\ 



s fr^ 



*= .s ^ i: 

£ S 3 5 

■p a s .s 

s >. g - 

O ~. M .2 



492 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. :!1 

I liave omitted the Tsimshian terms Ieoi (''remote ancestor"), 
garv-tsal ("ancestor to the sixth generation"), ts'.Em-ai ("ancestor of 
fom-th and fifth generations"), from the comparati\'e table. I am 
not certain of their exact phonetic form, since they are contained 
only in Mr. Tate's records. 

It is a characteristic feature of the Tsimshian system that all terms 
of consanguinity and affinity in the speaker's own generation are 
reciprocal. In tliis respect it differs fundamentally from all the other 
systems of the North Pacific coast. Among the Haida only tlie 
terms of affinity are reci]3rocal, while an^ong the Tlingit only one of 
these terms is reciprocal. Setting aside the reciprocal terms of 
Tsimshian, there are no tcrn^s that extend over several generations, 
like tlie word for "women of father's clan oi father's and own genera- 
tion" in Haida (sqdn).^ Tlie only terms that embrace individuals of 
different exogamic groups are those for grandparents and grand- 
children, those for more remote generations, and the terms for 
"parent-in-law" {niz, "child-in-law"). The term for "child," wlicn 
used by the man, designates a person of another clan; when used 
by the woman, a person of the same clan. The same is true in tlic 
case of the Haida and TUngit. A woman's "nephew" belongs to 
another clan, while the man calls by the same name a member ot his 
own clan. There is some imcertainty'in regard to these terms, but it 
would seem that in Tlingit and Haida distinctive terms are used l)y 
the man and woman to designate "nephew" and "niece." 

The reciprocal terms of TsiuLshian differ from the reciprocal terms 
of the interior of Biitish Columbia, in so far as they are well developed 
witliin the family group in tlio narrower sense of the term, whde in 
most of the other languages that contain terms of this type they 
express remoter relationsliip. 

The separate ternxs used by the woman for designating "father" 
and "mother" are never used with the tliii-d person pronoun. In 
this case the terms used bj' the man are always employed in reference 
to the woman also. 

Parents collectively are either called dsp nEg' atk ("one's people") 
240.6, or gor-nEg-a'tk 254.8, according to grammatical form; or thej' are 
called dE])-nEgwd'°d ("fathers") 1.54, line 4 from end, and dEp-nd'H 
("mothers") 154.19. 

The contrast between the system of relationship of the three 
northern tribes and tlnit of the Kwakiutl appears clearly from the 
following tables: 

' See pp. 490, 491. 



BOAS] 



TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 



493 



3 



s & 



5^3 






5 S 



03 j3 






":t o 

- ;^ K (B o 









= c 3 -j^ 

0> t! « 



W .- - - 



C3 C C 

S j5 ? 



S § S ^ 






o =- 2 ^ 



-a 
c 



6 g^ =a^i 



p 
"o ^ 



Ji'wTJ'^oajooa;^'^ 



-^ V. S o 



a; 


;3 


^ 








ID 


^-T 


t: 


o 








X 






C 


'OQ 



9 c S c 



j^ >- -c -5 j; -. ^ -■ 
p I ? -"H 1 " "^ 



^ 2 ^ 



03 



CO .:^ m .a 



^ ^.^ ^ w' i^ 



SSfH:^Sp;;,W 



494 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETH. ANN. 31 



J 
H 
P 









2 a 

3 S 



X ~ 



t; « 



-3 ^ 
r.i -^ ■-r "^ ^iT 



•3 g 









•a ^ 

^1 






C3 



R a 



S 



a s 



S a = 5 

"ago 

^ ° ° "S 

o 0) to S 

-^ 32 C3 -^ 



a) " 
2 a) t; 









o -ry 
^ d 
■a 3 

d 



d % 



s. 



to d 

o ^ 



■ CO ;i, ' 



i s s 

■Odd 

C* GJ iS 

rt d o ja 

>- t. ^ =3 

O O S Ph 



a 5 -r- 

^ O ^ X 

' d "3 'Oi 



d rr -t; It!: 



d 



~ -o 

5> 9 

I a i 

d S o 

■^ X 

d -c 2 

rt Q-i It" 

en '^ X" 

s § S = 



& 



3 f= d '^ 

" X fcH X 

f 'a; S -- 

5 s a £ 

o d 

S P 



-^ . ^ o 



- r ^ S 0. 
■< 



a s 

^ i: 

d^ o" 

5* -- 

o cr 

o ^ 



— _i3 


isi 


« -a 




S a^ 


to 


Ph S 





■a " !s 

o .=° -2 

-= a X 

X Cj X 



■--SI 

^ a x ^ ■« ^ 

IH * d -^r- d ;-< 
a 2 W s: M ?: 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 495 

Tlie tables show that Kwakiutl does not distinguish between 
maternal and patei-nal lines. The terms for "father" and "mother," 
and the terms for "aunt's husband," and "uncle's wife," which are 
dei-ived from them/ designate the real father and mother; viz, the 
stepfather and stepmother. The terms for "uncle" and "aunt" 
refer equally to the father's and mother's fraternity. The terms for 
the descendants are analogous. The term for "child" and the 
derived term for "stepchild" designate one's own cliildren, or the 
nephews and nieces after a levirate marriage. The term for ' ' nephew ' ' 
and "niece" embraces all classes of uncle's and aunt's children. 
The use of a separate term for the ' ' member of a fraternity of opposite 
sex" indicates, however, that this relationship is conceived as dis- 
tinct from that of members of the fraternity of the same sex. There 
is, however, no extension of this distinction over the offspring. 

The foUowang passages substantiate the Tsimshian terms: 

dEp n-%a'°tga their father's father 1.214.13; also 242.20 
■n^ia'°l his mother's father 169, line 4 from end 
dze9dz mother's mother 128.21; 234.28 
nEgwd'°d father of boy 156, line 5 fi'om end; also 245.16 

{nEgwd'°dEt, 3d pers. possessive; father of girl 185, line 2 from end; 189.25; 
also nEgu'd'''du my father, said by girl 188.4) 
dbl my father, said by girl 123.18; also 1.88.5, 1.156.26 
iiE-hi'°p uncle of man 116, line 2 from end; 154, line 3 from end 

uncle of woman 185, line 2 from end; 255.9 
nd mother of boy 127.26; 169, line 5 from end 

{ndt, 3d pers. possessive, mother of girl 153.14; 232, line 13 from end) 
nai mother of girl, nai'u 158, line 12 from end ; naii 171.3 
nE-kl.'a father's sister, said by girl 166, line 3 from end 
lams daughtor-in-law 166.9 

mother-in-law 168.8 

son-in-law 1.96.11 

father-in-law 209.20; 1.96.10 
waik man's brother- 116, line 3 from end; 142.29 

the plural e.xpresses the reciprocal relationshi]! of lnolhers 124.22 
Igauk woman's sister 153.24; 259.20 
^£mWl' man's sister 123.22; 124.20; 216, last line 

woman's brother 123.31; 216, line 3 fi-om end 
Ixad' male cousin of woman 166.21; 186.6 

female cousin of man 238.18 

male cousin of male 321.28 
ri ai-s husband 123.5; 139.29 

wife 122, line 2 from end; 131.5 
q!ala'ii man's sister's husband 140.19 

wife's brother 140.18 
dzus husband's sister 157..30; 1 .152.31 
hJdths man's brother's wife 148.22 

wife'ssisler 154.21; 303.10 
sl^s man's sister's son 185, line 14 from end 

man's sister's daughter 222, line 3 from end 
luMfa'en man's grandson 171.13 

man's grandchildren 236.9 

woman's granddaughter 128.4; 234.30 

'0W-, stem oiomp ("lather"); nb-,stcm ot abE'mp ("mother"). 

2 The terms "brother," "sister," "c(5usm," must be tmderstood iu their Tsimshian sense. 



496 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. an.n. 31 

Social Bank. — Among the members of the tribe the chief and tiie 
nobiUty take a jjrominent position. The cliief is called SEm'ag'id, pi. 
SEmg'ig'a'd 116, line 9 from end. This term contains the elements 
SEm- ("real"), g'od ("persons"), and an maknown element -a. The 
plm-al means "the real, the eminent people." The chief tainess is 
calleti sig'idEmna'x, pi. sig'idEmhd'nax, probably from SEin-gid-Ein- 
hana'x ("cliief woman"). The term, on the whole, is used to desig- 
nate the rich man of noble bii-th who is respected by the people, and 
designates high rank. A great chief is called wl-SEm'd'g'id ("great 
chief"), or l!a-sEm'd'g-id ("head chief"); for instance, Ada l-.'a- 
SEm'd'g'it a txan.'i' SEm-g'ig'a'dEin Ts!Emsia'nga° ("He became a 
great chief among all the Tsimsliian") 1.188.2. In his ])osition as 
leader of the people, whose commands must be obeyed, he is called 
mid'n ("master") 224, line 9 from end. In this sense there is only 
one master in a town, while there may be several chiefs (see p. 429). 

Tlie chiefs and then families are of noble birth, and as such are 
called SEmg'ad vml-na-t.'d'H ("chief company") 234.7. More fre- 
quently a person of noble birth, entitled to become a chief and master 
of a town, is called Igu-wd'llcs, pi. k!abE-wd'lks{" nobleman," " prince"), 
and the whole family may be c&Ued wul-rui-t!d'°l IdabE-wd'lTcs ("noble 
company") 234.30. 

Another term is used to designate a person of noble bnth, Igu- 
yd'^ks 1.72.18; 1.114.20. This term is never used for people of the 
very highest rank, but seems to apply rather to chief's relatives who 
are to occupy minor positions in the tribe. The prince's {Igu-^d'lks) 
companions seem to be taken from this group. I have also found 
the term lt:k!ag'a'd used for people of noble birth. 

People without relatives or ancestors are called wa-d'ien {wa- 
diganai 236.24). On accoimt of then lack of comiections they 
can not ordinarily attam to high positions (see 234.31). 

The chief is assisted in his social obUgations by the attendants 
(sEl-wa'lJcs) 188.15; 208, line 3 from end; 217, line 9 from end; 
233.14. The literal translation of this term is "prince companions." 
At other places these are called d"lks 1.132.18. The warriors are 
called aZx ("braves") or wvl-do'g'itk ("warriors") 266. 

The chief's attendants were the men of liigh rank, and theu' posi- 
tions were hereditary. The four exogamic groups were represented 
among the attendants of a great chief. This may possibly be a more 
i-ecent development wliich occurred after the time when different exo- 
gamic groups began to be rejjresented in the same village. The old 
men of the group of attendants were the chief's advisers or coun- 
selors.' They staid much of the time in the house of the head chief, 

1 .\ccording to older informatiou which I obtained in 1888, and which expresses the same facts as those 
stated above, nobody who does not bear a high name, or who is not a member of a secret society, is allowed 
to participate in the deliberations of the coimcil. The mother's brother represents his nephews, who have 
not yet obtained high names. Women are admitted only when they are heads of noble families. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 497 

and deliberated with him upon matters of pubUc interest. Before a 
pothitch the chief had to obtain the consent of these counselors, who 
had to assist him by contributing to the outlay- Loans of this kind 
were refunded to them at the proper time. The nephews of the 
counselors work for the chief. The}' go hunting and perform house- 
hold duties, as described on p. 429. 

The warriors were also men of high rank. There were generally a 
few head warriors of liigh position, such as the chief's nephews or the 
nephews of the head attendants. In case of war the warriore would 
twit one another on accoimt of their rank, and a warrior of high rank 
might demand that he fight with a person of equal rank. It would 
have been a reproach if no adversary of ec^ually high position could 
be found. Great warriors were humble m theu" bearing toward their 
own tribe, and were loved by everybody. 

The companions of the prince and princess (that is, of the son and 
daughter of the head chief), who are mentioned so often in tales 
(see p. 432), were nephews and nieces of the principal attendants. 
They always belonged to the same exogamic group to which the 
prince or princess belonged. It was the custom to assign to a 
head cliief's son or daughter four noble comjianions of the same 
sex, and, besides, a slave-boy or a slave-gu-1. These companions, or, 
as they are often called, "friends," were slightly older than the prince 
or the princess. Tlie boys would accompany the chief's sou on 
hunting-expeditions, at feasts, and whenever he left the house. The 
companions of the princess had to teach her to make baskets; one 
would comb her hair, wash her face, and pamt her; another one 
would be in charge of her clothmg; and they had to accompany 
her whenever she went out. The slaves assigned to them had to 
do all the menial work, or, as Mr. Tate expresses it, " they had to 
assist the companions." 

In the conditions foimd in Tsimshian villages in later times, the 
distinction of rank between the head chief, nobdity, and people of 
low rank, was obviously very great. The head chiefs selected among 
their nephews the one who was to succeed them; or the head chief 
of one exogamic group would select among his sons one whose rank 
he would raise by the proper means to such an extent that he 
would occupy the head position in another one (see p. 356). 
The nephews and nieces of the head chief, and the descend- 
ants of the whole group of women belonging to this gi'oup, 
formed the nobihty. Among these also a difference of rank 
may be observetl, dej^endent upon the renown of the name held 
by the individuals. The rank of the name was determined by 
the deeds of valor or ostentatious display of wealth of the last 
few bearers of the name. The name and position might also lose 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 32 



498 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

its standing by defeat in war or display. Xn example of this is con- 
tained in the story of the war between the Gi-spa-x-la'°ts and the 
G-it-dzI'°s (pp. 355 et seq.). In this account it is told that the Eagle 
group discarded the name of their head chief, Nes-balas, when the 
last head cliief of that name was killed and his head kept in the 
house of the Ganha'da; while the Ganha'da discarded the name 
Txa-dzi'^ik for the same reason. The former substituted the name 
LEge'°x; the latter, the name Haimas. The expression used here 
is that the name was discarded because "it was in the house of 
another exogamic group." 

Willie the lines between the highest nobility and the lower members 
of nobihty are well fixed at any given moment, it is quite evident 
that a. certain amount of change must always have taken place. By 
right the descent was always determined by blood relationship in 
the maternal line; but, owing to warlike deeds and newly acquired 
wealth, individuals that belonged to the nobility but liad the position 
of attendants evidently ])ushed forwai-d into the head ranks from 
time to time; and it seems also plausible that some of the people of 
low ancestry may have pushed theu" way into the higher ranks. It 
appeai-s, however, also very clearly that when cliiefs became poor, 
their noble descent was remembered for a long time, aiid that, on the 
other hand, common people who assumed high positions were con- 
sidered as intruders. The social advancement of poor boys is an 
ever-recurring theme in Tsimshian tales. 

I am under the impression that the rigidity with which primogeni- 
ture is regarded, at least theoretically, among the Kwakiutl, does not 
exist among the Tsimshian. Among the Kwakiutl on Vancouver 
Island a sharp distinction is made between the line of first-born 
. children and the lines of later-born children, and in theory oidy the 
former are entitled to high positions. The same phenomenon may 
be observed among the Kwakiutl, liowever, as we found among 
the Tsimshian; namely, the tendency for people of younger lines, or 
even for those whose relationship to the nobiUty is not known, t6 
push their way into liigh and important positions. This is facilitated 
among the Kwakiutl by the custom of acquiring position from the 
father-in-law, so that a person of lower rank may obtain a high 
position by marrying a woman of loigh rank. 

Among the Tsimshian, class prejudice was very strong; and 
Ml-. Tate repeats over and over again that chiefs' nephews must not 
marry the nieces of attendants, and that the nephews of attendants 
of high rank must not marry the nieces of common jjeople. In short, 
all marriages must take place among members of the same social 
rank. In some passages Mr. Tate even goes so far as to state that 
princes must not speak to common people. Those who are kind to 
the common people are praised for their humihty. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 499 

The chief seems to have been able to wield almost autocratic power, 
provided his personality was strong enough. He always decided 
when the trbe were to move, and when to begm fishing and other 
operations in which the whole tribe were concerned. 

The cliief has to carry out the decisions of the council; more par- 
ticularly, he has to declare peace and war. His opinion must be 
asked by the tribe in all important events. He decides when the 
winter village is to be left, when the fishhig begins, etc. The first 
fish, the firet berries, etc., are given to him. It is his duty to begin 
all dances. He must be invited to all festivities; and when the first 
whistles are blown in winter, indicating the beginning of the dancing- 
season, he receives a certain tribute. People of low rank must not 
step up directly to the chief, whose seat is in the rear of the house, 
but must approach him going along the walls of the house. 

Captives taken m war became slaves, who stood entirely outside of 
native societj'. They were the absolute property of their masters, 
who were allowed to kill them, sell them, or to give them their libert}-. 
Children of slave-women were also slaves. It seems that members 
of one of the exogamic groups would not keep as slaves members of 
another tribe belongmgto their own group (or to one considered as 
identical with it), but this is not certain. 

Wlien a chief dies, the chieftaincy devolves upon his younger 
brother, then upon his eldest nephew, and, if there is none, upon his 
niece. The chief's four counselors become the counselors of his 
successor. Wlien a woman becomes a chief's successor, she also takes 
his name. This happened quite recently when a girl sixteen years old 
assumed the name of the highest chief among the Tsimshian, LEg-g'^x. 
When she died childless, her younger brother took her place. If a 
chief's family dies oiit, the noblest man of the subdivision of the 
exogamic group concerned becomes chief, provided he can raise his 
rank sufficiently by attaining wealth and by his largess <o chiefs of 
his own and of other tribes. 

Property — embracing a man's hunting-groimd, fisliing-gi-ound, his 
house, canoes, slaves, etc., as well as liis name, the dancing-privLl(>gcs, 
traditions, songs that belong to the same — is inherited first by the 
nephews; if there are none, then by the deceased's mother or aunt. 
A woman's property is inherited by her children. When a man dies, 
lus widow keeps her chilch"en and her own personal property; while 
the personal property, as well as the family property of the deceased, 
goes to his own family. 

On pp. 426 and 427 I have stated that the evidence of Tsimshian 
mytholog}' shows that children grew up in the houses of their parents, 
and that the newly married couple lived with the young husband's 
parents. For this reason the children in a village that was the 

I See also pp. 429 el seg. 



500 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

property of one clan' would have belonged t-n another village, and 
chiefs' sons had to move away to the village of the uncle whom they 
succeeded. Instances of this wiU be found in the war story on pp. 355, 
356. Thus the married woman and her children would, in case of 
cousin marriages, return to her own father's village, an incident that 
occure with great frequency in tales. 

When a woman dies, her children n^ay be brought up in their 
father's house; but when they are grown up, they return to their 
own relatives, i. e., their mother's family. 

Parents did everything for their children that might advance their 
social standing. By appropriate ceremonies, to be described later, 
they gave the names that expressed their advancing standing, they 
perforated their ears and the septum of the nose. Girls were given 
the labret. They also let the child take a position in the ceremonial 
societies which would entitle them to a position in the higher social 
ranks of the tribe. 

Wlicn a family is likely to die out, the fallicr is allowed to adopt 
one of his daughtei-s, who then receives a name belonging to his crest. 
On this occasion a great festival is given. A man can not adopt more 
than one child at a time. Thus Mr. Tate adopted his daughter, 
who thus attained the legal status of his sister, and to whom he gave 
his mother's name, X-ts!Em-m^ks n!exln!e'xl ("^Yl^te In Center Of 
Killer Wtales"). His own mother's father adopted him, and gave 
him the legal status of a sister's son, transmitting his name to him. 
While he is by birth a member of the Eagle group, he became then 
a member of the GispawadwE'da, and henceforth could marry onlj* 
a woman of the Wolf or Ganha'da groups. 

Crests and OtJitr Clan^ Property. — The clans have crests like those 
of the Haida and Tlingit. These are called SFMlai'duks (that is, 
"symbols," "marks," "signs") 135, line 4 from end; but the proper 
term for a crest is dzaplc. 

When explaining the crests, Mr. Tate says, "Wliatever the clans 
saw on their early migrations, when they escaped from their enemies 
and endured the gi-eatest hardships, — the strange animals they saw, 
the birds, heavenly bodies, monsters, supernatural beings of the 
mountains and of the sea, anything that seemed important and 
unusual, — that they took for their crests." A discussion relatmg to 
the origin of crests has been given on pp. 411 et seq. Connected with 
these crests were crest-gongs, mouining-songs, lullabies or cradle- 
songs, songs for clan festivals (potlatches), songs of victory, and 
special songs belongmg to chiefs and princes.^ Mayne ^ states, 

' " Clan " is here used in the sense that it may designate either an undivided exogamic group or one of 
its subdivisions that is characterized by the same crest and other property, and is assumed to be 
descended from one ancestral group. 

2 Canoe-songs, some dancing-songs, love-songs, and songs sung after the killing of animals, were not clan 
property. 

> Mayne, p. 258. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 501 

according to Duncan, that it is forbidden to kill the crest animal. 
He says, "The Indian will never kill the animal which he ha-s adopted 
for liLs crest, or which belongs to him by birthright. If he sees 
another do it, he will hide his face in shame, and afterwards demand 
compensation for the act. The offense is not kilhng the animal, but 
doing go before one whose crest it is." Frazer,' who quotes this 
passage, comments on it, stating that no other writer refers to it, and 
seems to imply that it may have been overlooked by others. I have 
never been able to got evidence from the Indians regarding this point. ^ 
In our tales there is no indication that any animal was taboo for 
certain persons, excepting the reference to the G'it-na-gun-a'ks tale, in 
which the men were forbidden to kill fish (see p. 451). On the con- 
trary, the implication in many cases is that the animals slain may 
become commemorative crests. I sent a copy of Mayne's statement 
printed above to Mr. Tate, with the request for information. His 
reply shows that the idea was so far from his mind that he did not 
even understand its meaning. On account of the importance of the 
subject, I give here his reply: 

"As to your question about crest animals, yes, some animals are 
not eaten. Meat and tallow of the grizzly bear are eaten, and its skin 
is used. Wolves are not eaten because they eat corpses; eagles are 
not eaten, but their down is used; ravens are not eaten, for they eat 
unclean things. Most of the crests, are not eaten, but some are used 
for food; but when a hunter's days are fuLfiUed [i. e., after his fasting], 
he mast kill the first animal he sees in order to become successful. 
In olden times, people were not allowed to make fun of any animal, 
large or small, bird, beast, fish, or creeping animals." ^ 

It is quite obvious that the thought that an animal could be taboo 
because it is a crest animal did not even occur to Mr. Tate. At 
another place he reverts to my question, which evidently troubled 
him, and he says: 

"Some animals are not eaten by the people: 

"Grizzly bears are not much eaten, because they kill people. 

" Wolves are not eaten, for they eat corpses. 

" Iviller whales are not eaten, for they eat people. 

"Frogs are not eaten, for they were people before the daylight 

was liberated (see p. 62). 
" BulUieads are not eaten, for they were touched by Txa'msEm 

(see p. 71). 
"Starfish are not eaten, for they have no meat. 
"Dogfish are not eaten, for they are of no use, only their eggs 

are good. 
"Cormorants are not eaten, for they are dumb. 
"Ravens are not eaten, for they eat eyes of corpses. 

' Totemism and Exogamy, m, p. 311. - See Boas 1, 1889, p. 819. = See p. 445. 



502 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. a.\.\. 31 

"Eagles are not eaten, for they eat corpses. 

"Supernatural devilfish are not eaten, for they eat unclean 

things. 
" Fish with head at each end are not eaten, for they are terrible 
' monsters. 
"Lizards are not eaten, for they are ugly. 
"Cranes are not eaten, for they eat unclean things. 
"Weasels are not eaten, for they eat mice. 
"Supernatural halibut are not eaten, for they ate princes of 

the Eagle group (see p. 271). 
"Jellyfish are not eaten, for they are poisonous. 
"Monster crayfish are not eaten, for they sting. 
"This is all I remember about crests that are not eaten.'' 

I conclude from these remarks that these taboos have nothing to 
do with the idea of respect to be paid to the totem animal. 

Leonhard Adam ' interprets the present lack of respect shown to 
the totem as a decline of totemism since Maj-ne's time. This view 
is quite untenable, since neither the tales nor the views surviving 
among the older generation give it any siipport. ' 

It seems to me fairly clear, from all the evidence that has been 
given, that the crests are primarih' symbols without any deep religious 
significance. 

Furthermore, most of the crests are not species of animals, plants 
or heavenly bodies, but higlily specialized forms in which these beings 
are used as crests. This is expressed in the lists that m ill lie found 
below, in which M'e find, for instance, "the beaver," ])ut also "the 
food of the copper beaver." Nothing shows the correctness of this 
view more clearly than the fact that crests of this kind may be taken 
away from a clan in war. Mr. Tate tells the following incident of 
tliis kind: 

"Dzeba'sa, the head chief of the G'ispawadwE'da of G'it-qxa'la, 
owmed the crest 'scalp with fins' (n!a'°gEm sa-go'lik), which was 
worn as a cap. In a war Chief Nes-l6'°s of the Ganha'da killed one of 
the Git-qxa'la chiefs and cut off his head, keeping the scalp on it. 
With it he obtained the war-song belonging to it; and since that time 
both have been the property of Nes-lo'°s. 

"The crests were not the property of the whole clan, but the 
head chiefs had the right to use all the crests of the whole exo- 
gamic group. These head chiefs were Dzeba'sa of the G'it-qxa'la 
(GispawadwE'da), LEg"e'°x of the Gi-spa-x-la'°ts (Eagle group), 
Nes-h6'°t of the G idzExla'°l (Ganha'da), and Nes-Iagunus of the 
Git-la'n (Wolf group)." 

If a su])ordinate chief used a crest name or other clan property 
without the consent of the head cliief, trouble arose. The offense 

' Leonhard Adam, p. 209. 



POAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 503 

led either to war or to a potlatcli contest. ^Ir. Tate mentioned that 
at one time the Chief Saxsa'°xt of the G'id-wid-g'a'dz (seep. 509), a 
G'ispawadwE'da, and younger brother of Dzeba'sa, had taken the 
name Nes-qaihim bfilha ("abalone on heart of grizzh* bear") without 
asking his elder brother's permission. He used the name in a pot- 
latcli. Dzeba'sa came to the Gid-wul-g'a'dz village accompanied 
by his people, and cast away three coppers from his canoes. Then 
Chief Saxsa'"xt's people shouted. A man dressed in the skin of a 
grizzly hear came out of his house; the bear stood on its hind legs. 
On its chest was seen an ornament of abalone. It walked down to 
the beach, took. up in its mouth a large copper that had been placed 
in the water, then walked up a large slanting pole, and threw the 
copper down to the canoes of Dzeba'sa. 

Mr. Tate says that at the present time there are onlj^ a few old 
women who remember the crests, and from these the following lists 
have been obtained : ' 

Crests of th e Eagle Grmip 

1. Eagle (x-skl'°k). 

2. Beaver (sts!a°l). 

3. Halibut (txa'o). 

4. Devilfish Gia-tsla'lt). 

5. Hawk (x-sk'a'msEm). 

6. Dog-fish fins (n!a'°gEmq!a°t). 

7. Tree gnawed by beaver (gam-nagagask). 

8. Weasel garment (gus-mi'ksll). 

9. Cormorant hat (galk-hauts). 

10. Glittering garment (gus-lEklfi'°k). 

11. Monster cra^vfish (gibE'rElk). 

12. Whale's body (txa-gatk). 

13. Standing beaver (lie'tgEm stslal). 

14. Over ten eagles (maxlE-kpI'°lEm x-skl°k). 

15. Food of copper beaver (wuna'im mEsI"'n stslal). 

16. Half beaver, half grizzly bear (xbi-sts!al-mEdT'°k). 

17. Sea grizzl}' bear (niEdi'^gEm ts!Em-a'ks). 

18. Supernatural spring salmon (nExno'gEm ban). 

19. Dzila'^gans's cane (q!a°ts Dzila'°gans). 

20. Stone carving of eagle (x-skI'°gEm lab). 

21. Whirlpool(n-tgu-le'lbEksk). 

22. Four-tailed haUbut (xgan?). 

23. Burning ground (}eqwn-y6'°b). 

24. Woodpecker (sEm-gl'^k). 

25. Sliding people (lam g'ad). 

26. Summer without care (neskw6i-sii°nt). 

1 1 have queried here those Tsimshian words that are unfamiliar to me. 



504 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [BTH. a.nx. :!1 

27. Drinking in the dark (ala-aks). 

28. Eagle's nest (n-lu'^lgEm x-skl'°k). 

29. Hauhau head (t!Em-ga'usa hauliau). 

30. Eagle's claw (la'xsEm x-ski'°k). 

31. Two-headed monster (lagax-wa°s) . 

Houses of the Eagle Group 

1. Eagle house (x-skI'°gErQ walb). 

2. Raised foundation (ha-l!i-t!a'm walb). 

3. Squirrel den (spE-da'sx). 

4. Beaver house (gauda sts'.al). 

5. Lake house (wil'lbEra ts!Em-t!a°). 

6. Nest of woodpecker (n-lu'lgEm sEm-gI'°k). 

(Note. — In a list written about seven years ago Mr. Tate men- 
tions eagle, beaver, haUbut, frog, devilfish, weasel, whale, as crests of 
the Eagle group. In the recent list the frog is not mentioned at all. 
The weasel appears as a weasel garment; the whale, as whale body.) 

Crests of the Wolf Group 

1. Wolf (giba'u). 

2. Crane (gasga's). 

3. Grizzly bear of snow (Nvil-ma'dEmtk mEdl'^k). 

4. Standing bear (he'tgEm sa'me). 

5. Deer-hoof garment (gus-na°q). 

6. Wolf hat (qla'idEm giba'u). 

7. Wolf-tail helmet (dalEm tslu^b? giba'u). 

8. Bear hat (qla'idEm sa'me"). 

9. Victorious arrow (hawa'lEm gulda'na). 
1(). Crystal nose (tslagaxla ?). 

11. Flying monster (gigum wax ?). 

12. Running from ? (galksi-wu°t ?). 

(Note. — A list written about seven years ago contains the follow- 
ing: wolf, crane, white grizzly bear, dripping snow. The last of these 
is not mentioned in the new list.) 

Crests of the Ganha'da 

1. Raven (ga,°q). 

2. Bullhead (q!aye'°t). 

3. Frog (gana'u). 

4. Stai-flsh (gama'ts). 

5. SeaUon (tli'^bEn). 

C. Abalone bow (bElha'°m ha-k"da'k). 
7. Fins of buUhead (lialopsEin q!aye'°t). 
S. Raven spread out (wU-ba'lga ga°q). 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 505 

9. Scalp \vith fiiis (u!a'°gEm sa-go'lik). 

10. Dog of heaven (ha'°sEin lax-lia'). 

11. Lizard (ksPlk). 

12. Fat of bullhead (ye'°Em qlaye'^t). 

13. (A bii-d) (asi-vva'1-g'ad). 

14. Supernatural starfish (nExno'gEni gama'ts). 

15. Joining sea lions (ua-gogo'°t t!r°bEn). 

16. Jellyfish garment (gus-wagawa'x). 

17. Bird dog (ha'°sEm asi-wa'1-gad). 

18. Weasel helmet (dalEm mi'ksil). 

19. Spring-of-heaven (n-lgaqa). 

20. Long-nosed giant grizzly bear (nahe'ngan). 

21. Copper canoe (xsam mEsi'n). 

22. White bear (mEs-6'1). 

23. BulUiead hat (qIa'idEm q!aye'°t). 

24. Spring-of-heaven hat (q!a'idEm n-lgaqa). 

25. Canoe boards (ktsa°ks). 

(Note. — ^A list written about seven years ago contains the follow- 
ing: raven, starfish, sea lion, bullhead, frog, shark, scalp with fins, 
abalone bow. The shark is not mentioned in the new hst.) 

Crests of the GispawadwE'da 

1. Grizzly bear (mEdi'^k). 

2. Killer whale (n!axl). 

3. Sun or Moon (gamk). 

4. Rainbow (ma'xi). 

5. Fireweed (has). 

6. Red evening sky (bi'°ltsEk). 

7. Star (bia'ls). 

8. "Flying children" (hadaaha?). 

9. "Horn cover" (txa-tgu-n!a°xs = fins all over). , 

10. A sea monster (wil-mls). 

11. Mountain-sheep hat (galk-ma'ti). 

12. Red leggings (mEsa pla'xs). 

13. Forked man (q!aedEk-gad). 

14. Green seaweed garment (gus-dadzit). 

15. Scalp with fins (n!a'°gEra sa-go'lik). 

16. Abalone chest (mEsxa'tem bElha')- 

17. Cahn (tek'Sn). 

18. Ladder of revolving slabs (gan-na'xsEm dl°). 

19. Killer whiiles joining (nagogo'°t n!a°xl). 

20. Ti-ee of ktslEm'a'us (gauEm kts!Em-aus). 

21. Thunder (ga-libU'bEm lax-ha'). 

22. A monster bird (asi-wa'1-gad). 

23. Turning head, a wooden figure (hgi-di'l). 



506 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [kth. anx. 31 

24. Grouse (mExme'x). 

25. Caterpillar (xtsena'su). 

26. Mouse in stomach (lu-wuts!e'°n). 

27. Tree with moving raven on top (sgan-hagu'ha). 

28. Grizzly-bear hat (galk-mEdi'°k). 

29. Burning olachen oil (lag\va-q!;1'wutse). 

30. Browu-headcd duck (nii°k). 

31. Grease of precipice ? (raagazxgan?). 

Houses of the O'lspawaduu/da 

1. Copper going up the river (wil-nl'siltk ha'yatsk). 

2. Ashamed to walk to the rear (na-wusEn-dzox). 

3. Ancient liouse in tlie bottom of the sea (wa'lp al tslalaks?). 

4. Spring of water in heaven (ksa-n-lgaqa). 

5. Bow-wood platform (dagEm sa-hakda'k?). 

6. Raven in the bottom of the sea (ga'gEm tslEm-a'ks). 

f 

(XoTE. — A list \vritten about seven years ago contains the following: 
grizzly bear, killer whale, sun, moon, stars, rainbow, snow, grouse, 
raven in water, red evening sky, mountain goat, mountain sheep, 
wild fuchsia. Among these, snow and mountain goat do not appear 
in the new list.) 

The various groups had also names for their canoes, coppers, the 
cluef's large wooden spoons, stone pots, war-knives, and for the dishes 
used by the chief tainess. None of these have been recorded. 

The crests were used on the houses, house poles, etc., particularly 
also as tattooing, facial painting, and for various kinds of head- 
ornaments, helmets, and armor. On plates 1 and 2 reproductions 
of two old views of houses at Port Simpson are given, which will 
show the appearance of tlie carved poles about the middle of the 
nineteenth century.^ Plate 3 represents a number of poles of the 
G«its!ala'sEr, after Emmons 3. 

In feasts the Eagle group would wear carved headdresses repre- 
senting the eagle or beaver. Their facial paintings represented eagle 
nests or eagle wings. 

The Wolf group would wear wolf-tail hats or hats representing the 
crane or winter grizzly bear. They used for their facial painting the 
crane nest and the wolf's-ear hat. 

The Ganha'da used carved hats represent mg a sea lion, bullhead, 
and a scalp with fins attached to it. They painted their faces with 
designs representing the starfish, the spread bullhead, frog, and the 
spread raven. 

' I am indebted to Mr. G. T. Emmons for calling my attention to the fact that these plates were pub- 
lished in the Coast Pilot of Alaska (flrst part), 1869. by George Davidson. The originals in my possession 
bear, however, the date 1854, which ha.s been removed from the lithographed issue in the Coast I'Uot. 



•:p^ 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



THIRTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 3 




(Altrr I ;. T. Kiinnou*;) 



HOUSE-POSTS AT GITS!ALA'SER 



BOis] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 507 

The G'ispawadwE'dii used hats representing bear and killer whale. 
They pamted iheh- faces with designs representing the rainbow, sun, 
and moon. 

In war, members of the Eagle group would wear an eagle lielmet 
and a beaver armor, or a weasel helmet and halibut armor. Mem- 
bers of the Wolf group would wear a crane helmet and dripping-snow 
armor, or a grizzly-bear or wolf-tail helmet and a white she-bear 
armor. Members of the Ganha'da used a raven helmet and stai-fish 
armor, or a frog helmet and bullhead armor. Members of the 
GispawadwE'da would wear a grizzly-bear helmet and killer-whale 
armor, or a mountain-goat helmet and moon or snow armor.' 

The groups had each their own traditions, from which they derived 
the right to use their crests, and other privileges. A li^t of these has 
been given on p. 411. 

Names were the strict property of these groups, and ordmarily a 
boy would be given the name of his mother's mother's brother (mean- 
ing by " brother" a male of the same family and of the grandmother's 
generation); a girl, that of her maternal grandmother (meaning by 
this term all the females of that generation and family). The names 
used by the group difl'er according to the group to which an individ- 
ual's father belongs, and are descriptive of some of the character- 
istics of the crests of the father's group, although tlie names are the 
property of the mother's group. This would mean that in each 
group there is a separate set of names used in cases of intermarriage 
with any particular one of the oilier three groups. I tried to 
obtain a corroboration of this statement from Mr. Tate with new 
examples; but he merely rephed to my query that the statement 
is correct. In the available names I can not readily recognize ref- 
erences to the father's clan.- Mi'. Adam-' has misunderstood my 
statement, if he assumes that the name belongs to the father's 
clan. What I have been told is that each clan owns names, that 
these refer to other exogamic groups, and that a name oivnrd by the 
mother's clan, and referring in its meaning to the father's exogamic 
group, is selected. I have collected the following names: 

1. Names belonghig to Eagle group: 

(a) Father belonging to Wolf group: 

DEm-de-ma'ksk (will be white). Female. 
(h) Father belonging to Ganha'da: 

Wa-n-lo'°tk (without nest), ifale. 

1 In the description of headdreases, helmets, and armor, I have enumerated only those mentioned by 
ray informant, Mr. Tate. There were obviously others in use. 
• See footnote 1, p. 500. 
' Adam, p. 207. 



508 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. a.nn. 31 

1. Names belonging to Eagle group— Continued. 

(c) Father belonging to G'ispawadwE'da: 

Xbi-ye'lk (said to be contracted from Xhi-lil-haTduWq, 

half-hairy sea monster). Male. 
HatslEks-nle'^x (dreadful fin). (The prince of this 

name is always the successor to LEg^e'"^.) 
Wi-bo' (great noise [of killer whales]). Female. 
Wi-n!e'°x (great fin). Female. 
LEg"e'°x (chief of mountains ?) Head chief of G"i-spa- 

x-ia.'°ts. 
Gan-dE-ma'xI (ascending a mountam with a costly 

copper). Female chief. 
Maxs. Female. 

2. Names belonging to Wolf group: 

(a) Father belonging to Eagle group: 

Sagait-gaga'i (having wings of one color). Female chief. 

3. Names belongmg to Ganha'da: 

(a) Father belonging to Eagle group: 

Nes-yu-la"'ps (grandfather havmg stones). Male. 
Nes-wa-ksi-na'°lk (grandfather without breath). Male 

chief. 
Lax-lp6'n (on the whale). Female. 
Ndze°dz-t la'loks (grandmother?). Female chief . 
Ndze°dz-le'°lks (grandmother watching). Female 

chief. 
L!i-t!am lax-da'u (sitting on ice). Female chief. 

(b) Father belonging to G'ispawadwE'da: 

Haimas. 

Wl-gwina'°t. 

WutlE-da'u (great pieces of ice Ifloating at Kuw&'k]). 

Male. 
Wi-ha'° (great air) male (said to mean " copper sucked 

down into water"). 
Na-bo' (making noise at each other). Female. 
Dzagam-txa-n !e'°x (all along fins) . Female. 

4. Names belonging to G'ispawadwE'da: 

(a) Father belonging to Ganha'da: 

Bayuk (said to be contracted from Sio'p TcHba'yuk, 
flying in front of house early in the morning). Fe- 
male chief. 
(6) Father belonging to Eagle group. 

Hail (many in beaver's house?). Male, head chief. 
KsEm-ga'mk (sun or moon woman). Female chief. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 609 

The follo\fing names of chiefs were given to me by Mr. Tate. They 
are arranged in each tribe according to their rank. 

Eagle group: 

G"i-spa-x-la'°ts (1) : LEge'^x, Nes-wa-max, Nes-bahis. 
G'it!anda'(2): Saga-gwait (man) and SEm'a'gidEm hana'x 

( = chief woman). 
G'id-wul-ksE-ba'": Gul-cia'q (man) and Ndze°dz-gwe'dz (wo- 
man). 
G'i-spa-x'a'l: Gap-ligi-atda'l (man) and Wi-nle'^q (woman). 

It is said that one LEg-g'^x, when the Eagle group had In- 
creased in numbers, divided his tribe and gave the names of 
his three nephews and of three of his sisters, as stated here, 
to the chiefs of the three other towns which were then estab- 
lished as equal units, although they remained under the head 
chief, LEge'°x. 

Wolf group: 

G'it-la'n (4): Nes-lagunus (said to be a Taldtan name), 
Leguni'sk. 

These two chiefs are given as first and third in rank, the 
second and fourth positions in Git-la'n behig held by Raven 
chiefs. 

Ganha'da: 

GidzExla'"! (5): Nes-ho°t, Nes-l6'°s, Ylaga-giuiu'sk. 

G-it-dzi'°s (6): Nes-y!aga-ne't, Galksak, Wa-magwatk. 

Wuts!En-a'luk: Nes-y!aga-ne't, Haimas, Wi-ha'°. 

G-it-la'n (4): Nes-wa-ksi-na'^lk, Wals.^ 
GispawadwE'da : 

Git-qxa'la: Dzeba'sa, Sa'°ks, Xes-waxs. 

Ginax'ang-i'°k (3): Sa°ks, Txa-gaxs, Ala'lEm lax-ha'. 

G-inada'°x3 (9): Nes-waxs, Sa°ks. 

Gid-wid-g-a'dz (7): Saxsa''^t, Las, Nes-daux. 

Gi-lu-dza'r (SU Nes-nawa, Nes-lgu-nak, T!Em-naq. 

These names corroborate what was stated before; nameh", that the 
first three of these villages belong together, and that the last two 
form a separate group. 

As mentioned before and indicated in this list, certaii: names are 
considered as belonging to the highest chiefs only, in whose families 
they were hereditary. Thus the highest in rank among all the Tsun- 
shianchiefswasLEg-e'°x,thechiefof theEaglegroupofGi-spa-x-la'°ts. 
His family alone had the right to perform certain ceremonials corre- 
sponding to the highest secret societies of the Kwakiutl. Tradition 
says — and it is undoubtedly correct — that an Eagle woman of the 
G'i-spa-x-la'°ts tribe eloped with a G"it lama't chief (the tribe of 

1 See above, under Wolf group. 



510 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Kwakiutl afEnity inhabiting Gardner Channel), whose family as- 
sumed membership in the highest ceremonial society. After her 
return to Skeena River, the woman was given the name Gan-dE-ma'xI 
("ascending the mountain with a costly copper"). From her the 
privilege descended in her family. The name LEg-e'°x is said to be 
a G-itlama't name (perhaps from la "to go," -eg-a "bohmd" ?1. The 
chief of the tribe took it after the previous hereditary chief's name, 
Nes-balas, had lost its standing, because the bearer had been killed 
by a chief of a Raven clan and his head put up in the house of the 
latter (see p. 362). 

The LEge'°x family intermarries with' the head chief's family of the 
G'ispawadwE'da. LEg'e'°x marries the head chief's sister named 
KsEm-g-a'mk. The head chief of the G'ispawadwE'da, whose 
name is Hail, on the other hand, marries LEg-e'°x's sister Gan-dE- 
ma'xl. Their son, before assuming the name LEg-e'°x, has the name 
Hats!Eks-n!e'°x. The head chief's family must therefore have 
mbrcd for a long time. 

'TheGit landa' chiefs arcsaid to be relatives of thoseofGi-spa-x-lii'°ts, 
to share their privileges, and bear the same names, the one LEg'e'°x 
excepted. I have also been told that the G"i-spa-x-la'°ts had tlie 
privilege of trade with the G'it-ksa'n, which they maintained suc- 
cessfully against the Hudson Bay Company until the latter purchased 
it m 1866. 

The Git-cixa'la are considered higher in rank than any of the 
tribes of the Tsunshian pi'oper. They have the same secret societies 
as the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts and G"it!anda' have. They acquired them 
through intermarriage from the Git-la'"p and Bellabdla. Still jnore 
recently the Haida acquired them from the Git-qxa'la. 

The LEg'e'°x who ruled about one hundred and fifty years ago 
(the sixth back from the year ISSS) had his figure painted on a 
vertical j^recipice on Nass River, a series of coppers standing under 
his figure. Since that time the place is called Wtl-gilEks-txal-t!a'mtk 
("where s''lf on written"). 

Seven generations ago Nes-wl-ba'sk ("grandfather great wind"), a 
chief at Metlakahtia, had his figure carved on a rock on an island near 
that village. He lay down, had his outline marked, and the carving 
completed in a single night. 

The Git-q!a'°da of Grenvillo Channel are said to be subjects of the 
chief of the Gid-wul-ga'dz. They have to pay a tribute of fish, oil, 
berries, and skms every year. The G"it-la'°p are said to be subjects 
of the chief of the G'it-qxa'la. 

Although names have a definite rank, the social standing of a name 
might increase or decrease according to the vu-tues of its bearers. 

Each person had different names as his social position was advanced 
in the course of his life. The clnld would have insignificant names; 
while a successful elderly man would have a liigh name belonging to 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 511 

his exogamic group and family, iirovitled ho was entitled to such 
a name bj' descent. 

Names were bestowed in the following manner: A few days after 
the birth of a child, or even before the child was born, its father or 
maternal uncle would gather property and food for a potlatch' and 
feast. Property was distributed. During the feast the father took 
the child to the house of his wife's uncle. There the father would 
call on one of his own uncles or liis owm brother to proclaim the child's 
name. This person took the child in lus arms, and said, "Call his 
name So and So" {0. dEtn am-dyas gina-gvndu) . Then the father 
gave a valuable piesent to his own maternal uncle or brother who had 
proclaimed the name, — a slave, a large canoe, or a costly garment. 

When the child was about two years old, its father or uncle would 
give another feast and potlatch, during wliich the father took the 
child to his wife's uncle. The boy's hair was tied on the crown of 
his head with the skin of one of the crest animals belonging to the 
child's maternal uncle. At one place Mr. Tate mentions that for a 
child of the Eagle group a weasel skin was used. Then the father of 
the child called again upon one of liis own relatives to proclaim the 
child's new name. For this sei"vice another valuable present was 
given. 

When the boy came to be a youth, a similar performance was gone 
through, and he received some more crests, such as a hat, and a new 
name. The method of bestowal of crest and name is the same as in 
the preceding ceremonies. 

Wlien the youth came to be a man, his father or uncle gave another 
great feast to all the Tsimshian. This is called potlatch (yd°]c). Now 
the father of the young man put a painted garment on his boy w"hich 
had the crest of the boy's mother's clan. His body is painted red. 
He carries in his hands a paddle carved Mitli his father's crest. A 
story explains the painted garment, and a song belongs to it. After 
the story of the painted garment had been told, they sang the songs. 
After two or three songs, one of the father's relatives was called 
up. He put his hand between the young man's shoulders and pro- 
nounced his name. Then the young man was promoted to a position 
near a chief, which was called sa-dzihaa. 

Later on the wide of the young man might give another great 
feast. Wliile the guests of the prince's maternal uncle were assembled 
in the house, the prince came in by himself, wearing his crests, and 
brought in all the goods which he had — slaves, canoes, elk skins, 
costly coppers — and he was now promoted to the next higher position. 

Wlien a man finally wants to take a chief's name, and if his father 
is dead, he requests a relative of his late father to announce his new 
name. This service is paid in the same way as before, and the 
amount is paid at a feast given to the whole tribe or to several tribes. 

' See p. 537. 



512 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY I eth. anx. .".i 

At this time an elk skin, painted red on botli sides, is spread ont 
while the new name is announced. 

It will be noticed here that the father's group always proclamis the 
new name of a person. There are other services which the father's 
relatives have to render: 

They tattoo hands or body. 

They carve the masks and other parajdiernalia for use in the 
potlatch. 

They support the dancer. 

The women of the father's group wash I he body < if a deceased person 
and wail for him. 

The men of the father's group prepare the coffin and the grave. 

Among special customs relating to the support of dancers, I 
learned about the following from ^Ir. Tate: Wlien Chief LEge'°x of 
the Eagles of the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts, in a festival, wore the Frog hat 
(see p. 267), and the cane with one frog on top, two others on the 
sides, two of his father's relatives stood by his side and held the hat 
on his head. When he wore a Beaver hat (see p. 272), one man of 
each of the four exogamic groups would help hold it , to show that 
LEg'e'°x was the highest in rank among all the clans. 

Every important event in life was celebrated by a feast and pot- 
latch, and all gifts made according to custom were paid by presents. 

When a child eats fresh berries for the first time, its mother gives 
presents to the father's relatives. 

When a man makes a small canoe or a bow for his maternal uncle's 
son, his uncle pays him well. 

Wlien a man's wife receives provisions from his female relatives, 
she pays them. 

Those who attend to the funeral of a person are paid by both 
father and mother of the deceased. 

Wlien a man gives to his sister's son or daughter one of the lullabies 
of the clan, he is well paid for it. 

Children are educated with great care, and particularly the children 
of chiefs are guarded jealously. Chiefs' sons are taught to be proud of 
their descent, to be active in acquiring wealth as a means of maintain- 
ing theu- social position, to be lavish in their distribution of food and 
property, to observe scrupulously all the prescribed taboos, and to 
refrain from unseemly noise. 

Chiefs' daughters were brought up with a number of gud com- 
panions (p. 432). Chastity was one of the prime virtues of girls. 
In order to protect their daughters, the parents would let them 
sleep in a bedroom over their own bed, the only access to which was 
by means of a ladder leadmg up from their own bedroom (p. 427). 
As an additional precaution, a slave-woman might be made to sleep 
right at the foot of the ladder. The girl must not go out when 
there were any young men on the street, and never alone, but only 
accompanied by her girl friends. 



BOAS I 



TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 



513 



In order to gain strength and puritj^, young people, particularly 
boys, had to bathe in cold water. 

Wlien a young man advanced in social standing, the time would 
come for him to acquii'e supernatural helpers. These were also 
hereditary in the various exogamic groups, and belonged to certain 
families, not to the group as a whole. 

Every person who had supernatural helpers had several names — 
one common name, and sacred names belonging to his various helpers. 
The latter were used in ceremonials in which the helpers appeared.' 
Mr. Tate has recorded the following names: 



Chief's name 
Dzeba'sa (Ganha'da; Git-qxa'la) . 

LEg-e'^x (Eagle; G-i-spa-x-ia,'°ts). 

Sa°ks (Q-ispawadwE'da; G'iua- 
x'ang-I'°k). 



Nes-ho'^t (Ganha'da; G'idzEx- 

la'°l). 
Nes-y!aga-ue't (Ganha'da; G'it- 

dzi'os). 

Saga-gwait (Eagle; G'itlanda'). 



Nes-lagunus (Wolf; Gnt-la'n). 

Sax s a ' " X t (G ' i s p a w a d \v E'd a ; 
Gid-wul-g"ii'dz). 



Nes-nawa (G'ispawadwE'da; G'i- 

lu-dza'r). 
Nes-waxs (G ' i s j) a w a d w e ' d a ; 

G-mada'°xs). 



Sacred names 

Dilogil (Boilmg Words), SEm- 
nExno'x (Great Supernatural 
Being), Hadagusa, Haialilaqs. 

Txa-g"a'xsEm lax-ha' (Heaven 
Body), Hanatana, Ga-guliks- 
gax. 

Man-ks-ga'gum lax-ha' (Who 
Was the Fh^t To Go Up To 
Heaven), AlalEm lax-ha', 
Dzagum-ax . 

Nahengan (a monster), Gulgum 
lax-lia', Wax-ha-l!i-sa'. 

LEks-ts!uwa'nEm lax-ha' (Alone 
Top Of Heaven), Wa-ts!Em- 
mo' (Without Ears), Gasq. 

Uks-ya'l g&mk (Went Out To 
Sun), Gam-wi-na-wa'xs, Gul- 
danu'n. 

Ale'st (Lazy), N-Igo'lgul gaimk, 
KsEm-gasgo'us. 

LEgEl-gulagum lax-ha' (Crack 
Of Heaven), Lu-na-gisEm gad 
(Changmg Mind), Hunting-Ca- 
noe. 

Mala (Moving Quickly), Gwila- 
gaxsdo'x, Wi-g'a'd (Giant). 

Txa-la'ksgum lax-ha' (All The 
Lights Of Heaven), Txal-ks- 
ga'gum lax-ha' (Fhst Of Heav- 
en), Lgu-wa'lksgum n!e°xl 
Prince of Killer Wliales). 



50633°— 31 ETH— IC 



-33 



1 See pp. 546 £t seq.. 



514 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [i:th. an.n. 31 

Every individual had to acquire every supernatural helper 
through an initiation. With the acquisition of the helper, the 
individual was supposed to have attained also certain powers, which 
could be "thrown" upon or into other people. The helpers and 
powers were represented by carvings — the helpers, by masks, some- 
times with attached blankets; the powers, by small mechanical 
figures that could be closed, and, when thus carried, hidden away. 
By pullmg a string or pressuig a peg, the figure would open and 
appear as a bird or other figure, accordmg to the form the power 
was supposed to have. Then it was "thrown;" that is, it was 
closed and hidden agaui, and the spectators were made to believe 
that it had flown away from the hands of its owner and was exerting 
its powers. Masks and carvmgs were kept strictly hidden from 
those who were not entitled to use them. They were only exhibited 
at ceremonies. 

There is apparently a curious anomaly in the use of these hereditary 
powers; for, according to Mr. Tate's notes written at intervals several 
years apart, it would seem that the chief did not initiate his nephew, 
but that he might initiate his son, or even young people that do not 
belong to his own family. The matter is not. by any means clear, 
and I will quote here ^Ii\ Tate's own statements in English. The 
following notes were written in reply to my questions relating to this 
subject: 

Dilogil was the chief supernatural helper of Dzeba'sa. Wlien any chief made a 
great potlatch, and the people were assembled in his house on the evening preceding a 
great distribution of property, this helper of Dzeba'sa was called to initiate a candidate. 
The mask would appear, and the people would sing its song. At the end of this song 
it would disappear again, and Dzeba'sa, dressed with his head-mask, the puffin-beak 
apron, puffin-beak leggings, and with a ceremonial blanket, came forth. The song- 
leader started the dancing-song, and the chief danced, jerking his head with the 
beats of the wooden drum, so that the eagle down would fly out of the hollow recep- 
tacle formed by the top of the headdress. He accompanied his dance with the rattle. 
Before the end of the dancing-song, the chief caught his supernatural power above his 
head and closed his hands over it. Then the people clapped their hands, beat the 
drum, and shouted. When they stopped, Dzeba'sa shouted, "Ohi!" to which the 
Tpeo^Aeieplied, " Houstst!" Thiswas repeated four times. Then Dzeba'sa walked up 
to one side of the door, where the children of the chief's family (that is, the nephews 
and nieces of the host) were sitting, and threw his siipernatural power on one of the 
children. At once the whistle of Dilogil was heard among the children. Then the 
chief's nephews ' paid Dzeba'sa for his dance, saying, '' Your supernatural power walked 
over these costly things, sir, " This speech was repeated four times. 

Then the people would call for Txa-g-a'ksEm lax-ha', the supernatural helper of 
LEg^e'^x, to initiate several of the young people. This helper was used only for youths 
of high rank. 

. When LEg'e'°x gave a great potlatch among the Tsimshian, his people would call for 
the supernatural power Man-ks-ga'gum lax-ha', who belonged to Chief Sa°ks, to 
initiate the young people, 

> I believe the host's nephews are meant. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 515 

A number of years ago, when describing the use of the chief's rattle, 
Mr. Tate wrote about this subject as follows: 

This rattle is used in the " throwing-<:lance, " in the house of some other chief, and 
after each dance he received pay. It was also used in a dance in the house of a 
member of his own tribe. 

In describing the potlatch, he says : 

On the fourth night all the different chiefs are assembled in the house of the head 
chief to perform what is called the throwing-dance. Then each chief of each tribe 
dances by himself with his own mask. The first chief, after the dance of his own 
mask, will dance with his dancing-garment and his carved headdress inlaid with 
abalone, wearing his dancing-apron with the bills of beautiful puffins, leggings of the 
same kind, and carrying the welcome rattle. Then, while the chief's own people are 
singing, and while he is dancing, he catches his supernatural power in the air and goes 
towards the child of the chief, holding the supernatural power between the palms of 
his hands, and throws it into the chief's chilil or into his niece or nephew. Then all 
the chiefs who are guests have each one night for their own tlirowing-dance. Each 
has the name of a supernatural power, besides his own chief's name. So, when they 
call one of these chiefs to dance, they call him by his sacred name. The dances end 
when it is nearly daylight, and then all the princes and princesses have supematiu-al 
powers and have become dancers. Therefore after four days have passed and all the 
children have dances, their father kills some slave or gives away much property or 
breaks a costly copper. The head chief pays each chief who performed the throwing- 
dance with three or four elk skins. If there are seven or ten children in a chief's 
family, then each of the visiting chiefs performs his dance seven or ten times, once 
for each of the children. (See also pp. 54G et seq.) 

Comparative Notes on the Social Organization of the 

TsiMSHIAN 

In the numerous cUscussions of totemism published during the last 
few years much has been said about the 'American theor3"" of 
totemism, — a theory for which I have been held responsible conjointly 
^vith iliss Alice C. Fletcher and Mr. Charles Hill-Tout. This theory 
is based on the idea that the clan totem has developed from the 
individual manitou by extension over a kmship group. It is true 
that I have pointed out the analogy between totem legend and the 
guardian-spirit tale among the Kwakiutl. and that I have suggested 
that among this tribe there is a likehhood that under the presstu'e of 
totemistic ideas the guardian-spirit concept has taken this particidar 
line of development.' Later on ilr. Hill-Tout - took up my sugges- 
tion and based on it a theory of totemism by generaUzing the specific 
phenomena of British Columbia. In a similar way Jliss Fletcher ^ 
has given a wider interpretation to her observations among the 

c 

1 Bastian- Festschrift, Berlin, 1896, p. 439; Report on the North- Western Tribesof Canada (Sri&i j4s.5o- 
ciationfor the Admricement of Science, 189S, Reprint p. 48); see also Report on the North- Western Tribes of 
Canada, 1.889, Reprint pp. 24 et seq.: "The Social Organization and the Secret Societies of the ZwakiutI 
Indians" (Report U. S. National Museum for 1S95, Washington, 1S97, pp. 332, 336, 662). 

2 Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 1901-02, vol. vn. sec. II, pp. 6et seq. 

' Tlie Import of the Totem, a Study from the Omaha Tribe (Salem, Mass., 1897). 



516 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. :u 

Omaha. Mr. J. G. Frazer ' and Eniilo Dui'klioiin - both discuss my 
argimients from this point of view. Their iiitorprotatiou of my 
remarks is undoubtedly founded on their method of research, which 
has for its object an exhaustive interpretation of ethnic phenomena 
as the residt of a single psychic process. 

My own point of view — and I should lilce to state this wnth some 
emphasis — is a quite different ono.^ I do behevo in the existence of 
analogous psychical processes among all races wherever analogous 
social conditions prevail; but I do not believe that ethnic phenomena 
are simply expressions of these psychok)gical laws. On the contrary, 
it seems to my mind that the actual jjrocesses are immensely diversi- 
fied, and that similar types of ethnic thought may develop in quite 
different ways. Therefore it is entirely t)pposcd to the methodological 
principles to which I hold to generalize from the phenomenon found 
among the Kwakiutl and to interpret by its means all totemic 
phenomena. 

There are two reasons that determine me to take this position. 
The first is that the ethnic phenomena which we compare are seldom 
really aUke. I agree with the view of Doctor Goldenweiser,^ who 
holds that the specific contents of totemism aio quite distinct in 
character in difterejit totemic areas. Common to totemism in the 
narrower sense of tlie term is the view that sections of a tribal unit 
composed of relatives or supposed relatives possess each certain 
defuiite customs which differ in content from those of other similar 
sections of the same tribal unit, but agree with them in form or pat- 
tern. These customs may refer to taboos, naming, symbols, or 
religious practices of various kinds, and are in their special forms 
quite distinctive for differertt totemic areas. There is no proof that 
all these customs belong together and are necessary elements of what 
Doctor Goldenweiser calls a '"totemic complex.'' Since the contents 
of totemism as found in various parts of the world show such impor- 
tant differences, I do not believe that all totemic phenomena can be 
derived from the same psychological or historical sources. Totemism 
is an artificial unit, not a natural one. 

I am inclined to go a step farther than Doctor Goldenweiser does 
in his later publications. I consider it inadvisalde to draw a rigid 
line between totemic phenomena in a still more limited sense, — namely, 
in so far as the characteristics of tribal exogamic sections deal with the 
relations of man to animals and plants, — but believe that we shcndd 



> Totemism and Exogamy, iv, p. 48. • 
2 Les formes SliSmentaires de la vie religieiise, pp. 246 et seq. 

> "Tlie Origin of Totemism" (Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxin, p. 392); "Some Traits of Primi- 
tive Culture" (ibid., xvn, 1904, p. 2.')1); Psychological Problems in Anthropology, Lectures and 
•\ddresses delivered before the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy in celebration of the Twentieth 
-Xjmiversary of Clark University, Worcester, 1910, pp. 125 et seq.; see also The Mind of Primitive Man, 
pp. 174 et seq. 

* " Totemism, an Analytical .Stnily " (.hmrnal of A mcrican Folk-Lore, xxm. 1910, pp. 179 el seq.). 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 517 

study all the customs connectedly, in their weaker form as well as 
in their most marked totemic forms. 

The second reason that seems to me to forbid generalization is that 
certain mental conditions may bring about the development of 
analogous forms arising fi-om distinct sources. Tlius I do not feel 
convince* I that the substratum of Haida, Tlingit, and TsLmshian 
totemism must have been the same. On the contrary, there seems 
to be evidence showing that their beginnings may have been quite 
diilerent. Still, historical contact, and the effect of the idea of 
privilege attached to position, seem to have molded the totemic 
customs of these tribes and of their southern neighbors, so that they 
have a-ssumed similar forms. We call this development from distinct 
sources "convergence," no matter whether the assimilation is brought 
about by psycliic or by historical causes. 

In order to state my position in regard to the theoretical problem 
definitely, I have to add a tliird point. Wundt ■ and Durkheim ^ use 
the term ''totemic viewpoint" in a sense quite different from the one 
that I am accustomed to connect with it. While they do not dis- 
regard the connection between social group and totemic ideas, they 
lay stress upon the identification of man and animals; that is, a 
characterLstic feature of totemism in the most restricted sense of the 
term. This idea occurs in many other aspects of the mental life of 
man, — in his magic, art, etc. Neither is this view an essential part of 
the totemic complex in its widest sense. It seems to me that if we 
call tliis the basis of totemic phenomena, one trait is singled out quite 
arbitrarily, and undue stress is laid upon its totemic association. It 
appears to me, therefore, an entirely different problem that is treated 
by these authors, — a problem interesting and important in itself, but 
one which has little bearing upon the question of totemism as a social 
institution. Their problem deals with the development of the con- 
cepts referring to the relation of man to nature, which is obvioasly 
quite distinct from that of the characterization of kinship groups. 
The only connection between the two problems is that the concepts 
referring to the relation of man to nature are apphed for the purpose 
of characterizing social, more praticularly kinship groups. 

I am hiclined to look at tlie totemic problem as defined before in a 
quite different manner. Its essential feature appears to me the 
association between certain types of ethnic activities and kinship 
groups (in the widest sense of the term), in other cases also a similar 
association with groups embracing members of the same generation 
or of the same locality. Since, furthermore, exogamy is characteristic 
of kinship groups, endogamy of generation groups or local groups, such 
essential feature comes to be the association of varying ty]3es of ethnic 



1 Volkerpsychologie, vol. n, part 2 (ISOtJ). pp. 2:i8 tt scq.: Elcmente der \'olkeipsy(liolOi;ie, 1912, pp. llii 
ft scq. 
- I.es formesel^raentalrcs de la vie religieuse. 



» 



518 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY | kth. axn. HI 

activities with exogamy or endogamj-. Tlie problem is how this con- 
dition arose. 

Tlie recognition of kinship groups, ancl with it of exogamy, is a 
imiversal phenomenon. Totemism is not. It is admissible to judge 
the antiquity of an ethnic phenomenon by its universality. The use 
of stone, lire, language, is exceedingly old, and it is now universal. 
On this basis it is justifiable to assume that exogamy also is very old. 
The alternative assumption, that a phenomenon of universal occur- 
rence is due to a psychic necessity that leads to it regularly, can be 
made for the kmship group, not for the other cases. 

When exogamy existed in a small community, certain conditions 
must have arisen with the enlargement of tlie group. The size of the 
incest group may either have expanded with the enlargement of the 
group, or individuals may have passed out of it, so that the group 
itself remained small. In those cases in which, perhaps owing to t!ie 
ever-recurring breaking-up of the tribes into smaller units, cohesion 
was very slight, the exogaiuic group may always have remained 
restricted to the kinship group in tlie narrow sense of the term, so that 
there must always have been a large number of small co-ordinate 
independent family groups. A contlition of this type, wliich is 
exemplified by the Eskimo, could never leail to totemism. 

On the other hand, when the tribe had greater cohesion, the 
consciousness of blood relationship may well have extended over a 
longer period; and if the idea of incest remained associated mth tlie 
whole group, a certain pressure must soon have residted from the 
desire to recognize at once an individual as belonging to the incest 
group. This may be accomplished by the extension of the significance 
of temis of relatiousldp, by means of which the membere of tlie incest 
group may be distinguished from the rest of the tribe. Many systems 
of relationship include such a classification of relatives; but \vith 
mcreasing size of habitat or tribe, this form must also lead to tlie 
passing of individuals of unknown relationship out of the incest group. 

The assignment of an individual to the incest group is easiest when 
the whole group is given some mark of recognition. As soon as this 
existed, it became possible to retain the incest or exogamic group, 
even when the family relationsliip of each individual was no longer 
traceable. It is not necessary that such an assignment should be 
made by naming the group. Common characteristics, Hke a ritual or 
symbols belonging to the whole group, would serve the same piu-pose. 

It will readily be seen that here the elements of totemic organizatioiT 
are given. Wherever miilateral descent prevails, either paternal or 
maternal, it must also follow that the number of distinct exogamic 
groups woidd be small, since the extinction of lines of male or female 
descent brings it about that there is a continual reduction of distinct 
units, unless this tendency is counteracted by new accessions or by 



a 



B04S] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 519 

subdi\'ision into new lines. In small social units the reduction would 
continue until only two exogamic units are left.' Among the data 
on the laws of exogamy, all these lines of development are represented. 

If the theory outlined here is correct, we must expect to find a great 
variety of devices used for the purpose of cliaracterizing exogamic 
groups, wliich must develop according to the general cidtural type to 
wliich the people belong. It is obvious that in such cases, when the 
chai'acteiization of the group is due to the tendency to develop a 
distinguishing mark, all these marks must be of the same type, but 
different in contents. It does not seem plausible that distinguishing 
traits should belong to entirely distinct domains of thought; that one 
group might be recognized by a name, another one by a ritual, a tliird 
one by crests or emblems. The fundamental principle of classifica- 
tion as manifested in the mental hfe of man shows that the basis of 
classification must always be foimded on the same fundamental con- 
cepts. We may conclude, convei-sely, that the homologj' of distin- 
guisliing marks of social ch\-isions of a tribe is a proof that they are 
due to a classificatory tendency. 

From these general remarks let us turn to a consideration of the 
totemic systems of the Northwest coast. 

. The terms expressing the system of relationship of the Tsimshian 
differ in some important points from those of the Haida and Tlingit 
(see pp. 489 et seq.). It is particularly noticeable that among the 
Tsimshian even more than among many other tribes with dan^ organi- 
zation certain terms are not coirfined to the mem])ers of one clan. 
This is true particidarly of all generations from the grandfather up and 
from the grandchild down, and also for the terms for parents-in-law. 
The two terms "child" and "nephew," when used by the two sexes, 
designate members of different clans. The mother using the term 
"child," and the father usmg the term "nephew," designate a member 
of his or her own clan. The father iising the term "cliild," and the 
mother using the term "nephew," mean a member of another clan. 
Sinular conditions prevail in other tribes with clan organization, as 
among the Iroquois. Tliis indicates the importance of the family luiit 
quite aside from the clan relationship of individuals, and corroborates 
the observations made before in regard to the pereonal relations be- 
tween fa^^lier and child. 

In order to understand the development of the modern social 
system of the North Pacific coast, it is necessary to determine the 
relations between the systems of the Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlingit. 

When we compare the list of Tsimshian crests with those of Haida 
and Tlingit crests, the G ispawadwE'da appear clearly as the equiva- 
lent of the Haida Ravens and of the Tlingit Wolves, as incUcated by 
the following hst of the more important crests : 

1 Fahlbeck, Der Adel Schwedens. 
^In the sense of the "vrhole exog.imic group, but including therefore its subdivisions. 



520 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



fETH. ANN. :U 



Tsivisliian ( G-ispawadwK'da) 

1. Grizzly bear I 
28. Grizzly-bear hatj 

2. Killer whale I 
19. Killer whales joining/ 
46. Raven in bottom of sea 
21. Thunder 

4. Rainbow 

3. Moon 
7. Star 

Mountain goat 



Haida (Ravens) 
Grizzly bear 

Killer whale 

Ts !Emas 

Thunderbird 

Rainbow 

Moon 

Star 

Mountain goal 



Tlingit ( Wolves) 
Grizzly bear 

linier whale 
Thunder 



Mountain goat 



There is also a close con-espondence between certain Tsimshian and 
Haida Eagle crests and the Tlingit Raven crests. 



Tsimshian (Eagle ft) 

1. Eagle 

House 1. Eagle house 

14. Over ten eagles 

20. Stone carving of eagle 
28. Eagle's nest 
30. Eagle claws 

2. Beaver 

13. Standing beaver 

15. Food of copper beaver 
7. Tree gnawed by beaver 
House 4. Beaver house 
House 5. Lake house 

12. Whale's body 

3. Halibut 
9. Cormorant hat 



Haida (Eagles) Tlingit (Ravens) 



Eagle 



Beaver 



Whale 

Halibut 

Cormorant 



Beaver 



Whale 



For the other two exogamic groups the correspondences are not so 
clear. Some of the Tsimshian Raven crests correspond to Haida 
Eagle crests. 



Tsimshian (Ganha 


'da) 


Haida (Eagles) 


Tlingit (Ravens) 


I. Raven 


Raven 


Raven 


2. Bullhead 








7. Fins of bullhead 
12. Fat of bullhead 




Sculpin 




23. Bullhead hat 








4. Starfish 
14. Supernatural starfish 


Starfish 




3. Frog 
Sea. lion 




Frog 


Frog 
Sea hon 



BOAS] 



TSIMSHIAN SOCIETi' 



521 



The sea lion, devilfish, and probably the white sea bear of the 
Tsimshian Ganha'da belong to the Haida Ravens. 

WoK and bear of the Tsimshian Wolves belong to the Haida Ravens, 
and the former to the Tlingit Wolves. 

The follo\ving table contains a summary of the distribution of 
crests among the three northern tribes. The asterisk indicates pres- 
ence of the crest. 





Tsimshian 


Haida 


Tlingit 




Gisp. 


Wolf 


Eagle 


r.an. 


Raven 


Eagle 


Wolf 


Raven 


Nex. 


Grizzly bear 


* 


_ 


— 


^ 


* 




* 






Killer whale 


« 


_ 


_ 


_ 


* 


_ 


* 





_ 


Thunder 


* 


- 


- 


- 


if. 


- 


* 


— 


— 


Mountain goat 


* 


— 


_ 


_ 


* 


_ 


* 








Raven in sea 


* 


_ 


— 


— 


* 


_ 


(*') 








Rainbow 


* 


— 


— 





» 











Moon 


* 


— 


— 


_ 


* 


— 








Star •. 


* 


_ 




— 


* 


— 


(*). 


(*) 




Flicker 










* 




<*) 




— 


Wolf 


_ 


* 


_ 


_ 


* 




* 






Black bear 





* 


- 


- 


* , 


- 








Eagle 




- 







- 




C*) 


— 


* 


Beaver 
















, 


_ 


* 


_ 


Whale 


— 


_ 




— 


_ 


^ 





* 




Hawk 


_ 


_ 




— 


— 


(*?) , 





* 





Halibut 





— 




— 


_ 







* 





Weasel 


_ 


_ 




(*) 













Cormorant 


- 


- 




- 


— 










Raven 








_ 


* 


* 






* 




Frog 


— 


— 


— 


* 


_ 




— 


* 




Sculpio 


— 


— 


_ 


* 


_ 




— 


(*2) 




Starfish 


— 


— 


— 


* 










(*2) 





Sea lion 











* 


* 





—^ 


* 


_ 


Sea bear (7) 


— 


— 


— 


* 


* 


_ 








Evening sky 


* 


— 


_ 






* 








Devilfish 


— 


_ 


* 




_ 








Shark 


— 


— 


— 


* 


' 1 


* 


— ■ 


— 



1 Gonaqade't; I am not certain of the identity of this crest and of the raven in sea. 

2 Occurring as a house name. 

It appears here clearly that we may distinguish five groups of 
correspondences. 



Tsimshian 
G'ispawadwE'da 
Wolf 



Eagle (Gun-hu 

Eagle 

Raven 



'o 



■t) 



Haida 

Raven 

Raven 

Eagle 

Eagle 

Eagle 



Tlingit 
Wolf 
Wolf 
Nex'A'di 
Raven 
Raven 



522 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. axx. :U 

The crests of irregiilar distribution are few as compared to the 
typical series. Much of the confusion in the treatment by the three 
tribes of clans characterized by certain crests is due to the fact that 
the Tsimsliian Raven corresponds to the Haida Eagle, and that the 
Haida Eagle and Tlingit Raven correspond to both the Ganha'da 
(Ravens) and Eagles of the Tsimshian.' 

Accordingly the Tsimshian Eagles and Ganha'da are considered 
as Haida Eagles, and in most cases as Tlingit Ravens; the Tsimshian 
G'ispawadwE'da and Wolves, as Haida Ravens and THngit Wolves; ^ 
the Tlingit Nex'A'di correspond to Tsimshian Eagles. If we may rely 
on tradition and on the evidence of the crests, we shall have to con- 
clude that the Gun-hu'°t division of the Tsimshian Eagles were 
Tlingit Nex'A'di. The Tsimshian tradition tells of a war between a 
Ganha'da and an Eagle village on Copper River, Alaska. Since these 
two clans correspond to the Thngit Nex'A'di and Ravens, only these 
two clans can be meant. Furthermore, the Gun-hu'°t are said to have 
possessed only the Eagle crest at the time when they started from 
Alaslca, while they acquired the characteristic Eagle crests of the 
Tsimshian — beaver and hahbut -during their travels. The crests 
which they acquired during this time are property of the Tlingit 
Ravens. 

The Haida and Tsimshian Eagles have much in common. Even 
one of their clan stories, called in our series " Asdildah and Omen," by 
the Haida "The story of the town of DjI'gua," is found among both 
tribes. Both stories begin with tlie destruction of the Eagle town 
of Dji'gua (Dzi'g^va) on Queen Charlotte Islands by Djila'quns 
(Dzila'gans) and the rescue of a i)rincess. They lead to her marriage 
to a Tsimshian chief. The Tsimshian version tells that the man was 
a chief of the G'id-wul-g'a'dz (GispawadwE'da), and reports the 
return of some of her children, including a girl, to Queen Charlotte 
Islands, while another girl staid among the Tsimshian. According 
to the Haida version, the chiefs of the G'i-spa-x-la'°ts and of the 
Gitlanda' (namely, LEg'e'°x and Saga-gwait) are the descendants 
of tliis woman among the Tsimshian.^ The statement made by the 
Skidegate and Masset, to the effect that two of the Eagle crests of the 
Haida (namely, beaver and weasel) were obtained from the Tsimshian, 
corroborates the contents of our story. 

The Wolf story, p. 354, agrees with the original tale of the Kake 
division of the Tlingit. Swanton ascribes the tale particularly to 
the Raven family Qa'tcAcli, while, according to the correspondence 
of clans, it should belong to the Wolf families. 

1 T^!Ets!a'ut Wolves correspond to the Sanya Wolf family Te'qoedi; their Eagles should therefore 
correspond to the Nex'A'di, although they might possibly correspond to the KIksA'dl. 

2 See Swanton 2, p. 06. 

^ During the past century the sister of each LEg'e'ox married Dzeba'sa, a G'ispawadwE'da, and chief of 
'he Git-qxa'la. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 523 

The Ijax-se"la divisi(jn of the Ganlia'diX M'ould correspond to the 
ICilcsA'di of Sanya. The two divisions have the sculpin crest. 

The subdivision Ganha'da may perhaps correspond to the Tongass 
GanAx^'k.'di. 

It is also interesting to note that the Haida Raven crests -gi-izzly 
beai", mountain goat, raven in sea, and moon — are said to be of Tsim- 
shian origin. Thus a native origin is assigned to all the important 
crests of the Haida Raven side, so far as thej' are not based on sea ani- 
mals. The Tsimshian GuspawadwE 'da fall clearly into two groups, — 
an inland group mth land-animal crests, and a coast group vdih sea- 
animal crests. It would seem likel}'. tlierefore, that the Haida Ravens 
corresponded, first of all, to the seacoast group, and that the identifi- 
cation with the inland groups de\"e)oped later. The fact that a 
definite group of the Haida Ravens lack the gi-izzly-bear crest is also 
in favor of this theory. If the Tsimshian are right in their opinion 
that their ancestors, more particiilarly the G"ispawadwE'da, lived 
inland in the ancient to^vn of T!Em-lax-a'm, then the sea-animal 
crests must necessarily be more recent than the land-animal crests, 
and the G'it-na-gun-a'ks group woidd represent a comparatively 
speaking late development among the Tsimshian. 

Swanton has suggested that the Haida Ravens may be the ancient 
Haida, and that the exogamic groups may have developed owing to 
the unmigi'ation of a foreign element, who formed the Eagle group.' 
In regard to the Tlingit he suggests a similar theoiy, and thinks that 
the Ravens may lie a foreign element among the Tlingit.- It might 
seem that the Tsimshian tales give countenance to the view that one 
of the exogamic groups represents the central body ai-ound which 
the newcomers clustered as new units. 

In our discussion of the division of the exogamic groups (]>. 486) 
it has been pointed out, that, according to tradition, part of the 
G^ispawadwE'da are apparently the only di^^sion of the tribe that 
constituted the ancient Tsimshian. 

The question arises whether we shall adopt a euhemeristic explana- 
tion, and consider the legendary history of the clans as reflecting 
historical facts. I believe the data do represent actual occurrences. 
I am very doubtful, however, whether the facts would justify us in 
assiuning that the coming-together of these different groups led to the 
formation of the exogamic groups. The stories themselves do not 

1 Swanton 2, p. 104. 

2 Swanton 4, p. 407; .see also John R. Swanton. "The Development of the Clan System and of .Secret 
Societies among the Northwestern Tribes" (American Anthropologist. JJ. s.. vi. 1904. pp. 477 it seq.). 
incidentally I would say that I do not consider Swanton's hypothesis of the splitting-ofl of the 
Bellacoola from an Interior Salish tribe as likely. The Bellacoola dialect is closely associated with the coast 
dialects of Salish stock. To mention only two points, it shares with them the development of grammatical 
gender, which is absent in the dialects of the mterior. and it has in common with them certain terms relathig 
to the sea. Linguistically it is quite necessary to assume a close i«lation between Bellacoola and the 
other coast dialects. 



524 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. A^i.N. rsi 

prove this point. During the warlike past of the people some of the 
old, native divisions, which the strangers joined, may very well have 
disappeared. Furthennore, it does not follow from the tales that there 
may not have been other accessions to the tribe which are not recorded 
in legendaiy history, because thei-e were no chiefs of Hgh' standing 
among the arrivals. The absence of old Tsimshian groiips among the 
Ganha'da, Eagles, and Wolves, may therefore be due to the accident 
that the native divisions became extinct. It is certainly worth while 
to know that in some of the tales it is implied that the cxogamic 
group to which the newcomers belong was present among the 
Tsimshian. In the tale of the Wolf group it is explicitly stated that 
the fleeing Tahltan joined the Wolf group on N"ass River. On the 
other hand, it may be said that the appearance of exogamic groups 
in these tales may simply be due to an anachronistic introduction of 
modern conditions into ancient times. 

The most definite statement of the origin of the exogamic groups 
is contained in the Gau'6 story 1.214.18-21. On account of the 
importance of the subject. I will =^ve here a literal translation of the 
passage: 

Nin.'i''' wulM-SE-t!a'tgE wulnor-t'E It.'a'la pta'xdat;^ G-ispavmtwa'da 

That being the beginning the companies exogamic groups; the G-ispawadwE'da 

lax-Tia' vmla wa'tglga"; dil glk lEMa'xs ptaxt, G'ispaivutwa'da, 

the sky where they came from; and abo the various exogamic groups, the GispawadwE'da, 

dil Lax-x-ski'°lc, garil Ganha'da, ada Lax-g'ihu'°t. 

and the Eagle group, aud the Ganha'da, also the Wolf group. 

That means: "This (namely, the coming-down of the four houses 
of the four heavenly brothers and of their two sisters) was the begin- 
ning of the exogamic companies; the G'ispawadwE'da come from 
the sky, also the various exogamic groups, — the G'ispawadwE'da 
and the Eagles, and the Ganha'da and also the Wolves." 

Later on it is said that the brothers traveled about "to make the 
exogamic groups" {asga dEmt dzabE ptcfxt) in evex-y village 1.216.19, 
and "they tried to make the exogamic groups" (ada g'ikt hd'°l dEmt 
sar-na-pta'°xtga°) 1.216.22. 

It is also stated expressly ^ that the four groups existed in TlEm- 
lax-a'm before the Deluge 1.250. In this passage the four groups, 
which are mentioned by name, are called "crests" (dzapk); and the 
members of each are called "relatives" (vmlvmla'isk) . 

The uncertainties of an euhemeristic explanation are brought out 
very clearly by the attempt to reconsti-uct the history of the Xorth- 
west coast tribes solely on the basis of their traditions. Swanton has 
shown that the Haida tales indicate a native origin of the Raven 
side. The most important c^haracteristic of these tales is the sys- 

' The punctuation given here is better than that adopted in the original. ' See p. 411. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 525 

tematic way in which all the Raven families have been brought into 
one genealogical series. The Haida Eagles, on the other hand, show 
much more obscure relationships, and there are many cases among 
them that refer to an influx of foreign elements. From this Swanton 
concludes that the Eagles may be by origin a foreign tribe that 
became an exogamic unit. In support of this view he points out that 
most of the supernatural beings are considered as Ravens, although 
supernatural beings of the Eagle side occur near all Eagle villages, 
and also that most of the important ancient villages of the Haida are 
Raven villages. 

For the Tlingit, Swanton finds a preponderance of tales accounting 
for the origin of all their famUies in the south. This decides him to 
place the ancient habitat of the Tlingit east of Queen Charlotte 
Islands, at the mouth of Skeena River. 

If we treat the traditions of the Tsimshian in the same manner, we 
have to conclude that the main body of the G'ispawadwE'da are by 
origin an inland people, that the Eagles came from Queen Charlotte 
Islands and Alaska, the Wolves from the Taliltan, the Ravens from 
the TUngit, and part of the G'ispawadwE'da from the islands north 
of Bellabella. 

Excepting the inland origin of the G'ispawadwE'da, these data 
contradict the conclusions drawn from the Haida and Tlingit evidence. 
The Tsimshian view of the inland origin of some of the ancestors is to 
a certain extent supported by the internal evidence of their my- 
thology. In fact, many years before I knew that the Tsimshian held 
any such belief, I had expressed the conclusion that the Tsimshian 
must have been an inland tribe.' 

Most of the Tsimshian subgroups derive their origin from Tlingit 
subgroups and from the Tahltan. They place these tribes in the 
north. Therefore we shoidd have to conclude that the Tlingit 
occupied the whole northern coast at the time when these subgroups 
were established among the Tsunshian. The Eagles, who, according 
to Swanton's data, were foreigners among the Haida, would also be 
foreigners among the Tsimsluan; and the Raven side (viz, their 
Tsimshian equivalent), that represents the ancient Haida, would also 
represent the ancient Tsimshian. 

The only definite conclusion that can be drawn is that the exo- 
gamic groups have grown up by accessions, and that perhaps one or 
another may have been added to the ancient Tsimshian groups. For 
linguistic reasons this seems plausible for theGanha'da of the Tsim- 
shian, because the name of the group itself is not of Tsimshian origin. 

The tales relating to the origin of these divisions impress me as a 
projection into the past of modem experiences regarding the accession 

' Boas 4, p. 347. 



526 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ans. 31 

of new elements to old exogamic groups. There is no convincing 
proof of the existence of a period without clearly defined exogamic 
units. I think the data discussed before (pp. 486 et seq.) are rather 
in favor of the assumption that the twofold division of the Ilaida and 
the apparently twofold division of the Thngit are of recent origin, and 
that in former times there were at least three well-defined exogamic 
groups among them. 

A detailed comparison of the three trihes brings out a few new points 
that may be useful for a better understanding of the historical develop- 
ment of the "sides" and nf their subdivisions. The crest legends in 
our Tsimshian collection do not give any indication of the view that 
the members of an exogamic group are considered as descendants of 
a single ancestor. On the contrary, the multiple origin of the groups 
is always dwelt upon. The Tlingit crest legends have the same 
character. The crests themselves have been obtained by a variety 
of incidents, and there is no attempt to derive the subdivisions of each 
side from a common ancestor. Only among the Ilaida Ravens do 
we find a marked tendencj' to weave together into one genealogy all 
the branches of the side. jVinong the Eagles this tendency is present, 
but not so marked. There are a number of stories relating to the 
origin of Eagle families that stand entirely outside of the genealogical 
series to which the othei-s belong. The systematic development of 
the Haida genealogies is the more remarkable, since it presents a 
curious contrast to present conditions, in which each division of the 
exogamic groups is quite independent of all the others; while among 
the Tsimshian, who have no tradition of a genealogical connection, 
the privileges of the whole group are concentrated in the hands of a 
single ?hief regardless of its division into subgroups. • 

I think the difference in the treatment of the crest legends should 
be explained as due to a dift'erent direction that poetic imagination 
took among these three tribes. Possibly the idea of a single origin 
may be an old underlying Haida idea, that later on shaped the crest 
tales. It may also be a new tendencj^ based on the presence and 
social importance of the two opposite sides that were considered as 
two groups of relatives. Since the contents of the crest mythology 
are very much ahke among the thi-ee tribes, I am inclined to consider 
the modem Haida forms as due to a change in the arrangement of 
the tales, and can not recognize in it a safe proof of an origin of Haida 
exogamy by a combination of two distinct tribes. 

The significance of subdivisions of the tribe becomes mtich clearer 
when we compare the Tsimshian conditions with those prevailing 
among the other tribes. In one respect there is great similarity 
between the principles of division prevailing among the Haida and 

' See p. 527. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 527 

those prevailing among the Tsimshian. A famih^ bearing a certain 
name, characterized as a section of an exogamic group, and owning 
certain crests, occurs in several villages. The family is therefore a 
division of the exogamic group that intercrosses the division of the 
tribe into village communities. Groups like the Gun-hu'°t, Lax- 
se'°la, etc. (see p. 483), correspond to the Haida families, while the 
villages (see p. 482) correspond to the village communities. From 
the Tsunsliian we have also some definite information showing how 
new villages have sprung up. Thus the Eagle chief is said to have 
subdivided his tribe because the village became too large. The 
Raven families of Haimas of the G'it-dzl'°s founded the viUa<re 
WutslEn-a'luk because they had quarreled with all the rest of the 
people (see p. 360), but not all the G'it-dzr°s followed him (see 
pp. 360, 366). There is no information availal)le showing in what 
villages the divisions of the tribe, like the Gun-hu'°t, which were 
mentioned on p. 483, reside; but it is implied that some are found 
in several towns. 

The pecuharities of the Tsimshian system are due primarily to the 
small number of recognized villages and of distinct families and to 
the strict division of the whole people into a few tribal groups. The 
Haida, particularly the Haida Ravens, dwell on the common descent 
of all the meiTibers of each side, which is accounted for in mythological 
history. In their actual modern conditions the Haida families are 
independent units. Among the Tsimshian proper (that is, among 
the villages of lower Skeena River) the exogamic group represented a 
much more highly developed pohtical unit. The head chief of each 
of the four groups possessed all the prerogatives of the whole group 
and was its highest representative. Among the Haida his functions 
did not extend beyond that part of the family represented in the 
village community. 

Owing to the greater independence of the Haida families, each has 
its own set of crests. Among these a few are common to many of 
them. The majority occurs only once or twice as the propei'ty of a 
certain family. According to the ji.vailal)le information, isolated 
crests are not prominent among the Tsimshian. It seems rather that 
two or three subdivisions of an exogamic group ma^ have slightly dif- 
ferent crests, and that an individual belonging to one of the subgroups 
is free to acquire by a potlateh the right to use an}" of the crests of 
his subgroup except the highest ones, that are reserved for the chief. 
Owing to the small number of the subgroups and the similarity of 
their crests, there are only a few crests that ai-e not common property 
of the whole exogamic group. 

Among the Thngit the number of crests belonging to each fainily is 
small.' 



' Swanton 4, p. 415. 



528 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 3t 

When we disregard the isolated crests of the Haida, there z'emain 
a very few that are commoa to most famihes of each side. These 
may be considered the oldest crests.' 

Among the Tsimshian the most highly specialized crests — such as 
the scalp with fins, abalone bow, etc. — may be considered as of recent 
origin. Their names indicate that they are ornaments, and show that 
they can be nothing but crests. 

In the tales accounting for the acquisition of crests the modern 
rules of herecUtary transmission are not regarded. Leonhard Adam 
has already called attention to this fact.^ I am inclined to see the 
explanation of this condition in the circumstance that crests are new, 
and may therefore be used as presents to be given by the chief of one 
exogamic group to another. In the same way as in historical times 
Chief Dzeba'sa of G'it-qxa'la presented his Haida friends with new 
crests, thus showing his greatness, so the supernatural beings gave 
their crests to their sons or to their daughtere' sons. I beheve we 
should see in this simply an expression of tlie interest of the father in 
the welfare of his son or grandson, not an indication of the develop- 
ment of paternal succession. 

Combining the whole evidence here pr&sented, I think we must say 
that no safe proof of the origin of exogamy by the junction of two 
tribes can be given; that the probabilities are rather in favor of a 
reduction of the number of exogamic units. Historical events have 
led to a twofold subdivision: on the one hand, the exogamic groups 
developed by the accession of bodies of outsiders which continued 
to retain their names; on the other hand, the exogamic groups, in- 
cluding these subdivisions, tended to spht up into several \'illage 
communities when the number of inhabitants of the old village 
became too large, so that the same group with its subdivisions was 
found in several villages. The sets of names for the two kinds of 
subdivisions are different among the Tsimshian, so that the two prin- 
ciples of division can readily bo recognized. Among the Thngit and 
Haida, on the other hand, both groups seem to have been designated 
by terms of the same kind, with the result that the sets of names de- 
veloping by accretion can not readily be recognized. The character 
of the groups, however, is revealed in part at least by then- crests and 
by the crest myths. 

Dr. Swanton, in discussing his theory of the native origin of 
the Raven group of the Haida as opposed to the foreign origin of the 
Eagle group, calls attention to the fact that the supernatural beings 
of the Haida belonged almost exclusively to the Raven side. I 
think this may be explained in a different manner. Most of them 

' L. Adam (p. 188) misunderstands me ithe thinks that my remark that these reflect the ancient organiza- 
tion means that they represent each one exogamic imit. What I mean is that each side had these as its 
oldest crests,— the G'it'i'ns, eagle and beaver; the Raven, killer whale and grizzly bear. 

2 Adam, p. 193. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 529 

are pei-soiiified dangers of the sea. These are almost all associated 
with the Raven side, because the killer whalo is their symbol and at 
the same time the most prominent crest of the Ravens. 

There is one point in the organization of all these tribes that deserves 
further mention . The villages are generally described as belonging to a 
certain exogamic group. This would mean that all the houses were the 
property of members of one group, and probably also of one of its sub- 
divisions. In describing the organization of the family (p. 426) I have 
stated that married sons generally live with their fathers, and later on 
return with their wives to her parents, which, in the case of cross-cousin 
marriage, would locate the young man in his uncle's village. It must 
therefore be recognized, that, even if in early times the houses were the 
property of members of one exogamic group oidy, nevertheless a great 
many famiUes of other groups must have Uved in the same village. 
Furthermore, Haida stories refer frequently to the relations between 
uncle and nephew in such a maimer that the two must be supposed 
to live in the same village. Nevertheless there is ample evidence 
showing that the young married people Uved with the young man's 
parents. I have also pointed out that in a few cases at least the 
chief's house in the Tsimshian village stood in the middle, and the 
houses of his brothers-in-law on both sides. It seems quite certain, 
that, even if villages were the property of a single exogamic group, 
vUlages of different groups stood very near together, sometimes on 
opposite sides of a river. It seems to me likely that the conditions 
may have been the same as among the Kwakiutl, where a continuous 
\illage site is di'saded into sections, each being the property of a sub- 
division of the tribe. Under present social conditions, an absolute 
separation of the exogamic groups in distinct villages would seem to 
be almost inipossible. 

Finally a few words on the question whether the modern crests are 
degenerate forms of totems. In this connection we must remember 
that none of these tribes possesses any authentic well-recorded tale 
that accoxmts for the origin of the exogamic groups, excepting the 
obscinre remarks in the Tsimshian Gau'6 tale which I quoted on p. 524. 
There is no tale of descent from the eponymic annual, where such an 
animal exists. To the Indian the exogamic group and its name are 
units that have always been in existence. Swanton quotes a remark 
made bj' a Masset Indian, that Raven was the grandfather of the 
Raven side;' and that Raven and Eagle are considered as grand- 
fathers of the two sides, - but no myth is on record that wiU allow us 
to interpret these statements. 

I pointed out in 1898 ^ that there is a marked difference in this 
respect between the three northern tribes and the Kwakiutl, in so 

1 Swanton 2, p. Ill, 'Ibid., p. 104. ' Boas 1, 1898, p. 67-t. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 34 



530 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. :<! 

far as some of the ^nE''ine'mut. (that is, kinship groups forming sub- 
divisions of tribes) are considered as descendants of an ancestor who 
appeared in animal form, hke the thunderbird which flew down from 
the sky and became the ancestor of the G"i'g"ilgam of the Nimkish 
tribe.* In fact, in many cases these groups derive their descent from 
an ancestor who came do^vn from heaven. Sometmies it is stated 
exphcitly that he took off his mask and became an ordinary person. 
Besides these, other tales are found in which the characteristics of 
the ^nE^me'mut are described as duo to encounters of some of their 
ancestors with supernatural beings or annuals, -events that are of 
the order of the acquisition of guardian spirits.^ The crests of the 
northern tribas are, so far as wo have dofmitc information regarding 
then significance, throughout connnemorative,- -either commemora- 
tive of experiences of a whole tribe, like that of the TUngit Nanyaa'yl^ 
or that of the Tsimshian Eagles,^ or, more frequently, commemorative 
of events in the hfe of a single ancestor. 

I have discussed the types of the Tsimshian crest stories on ])p. 4 1 1 
et seq. Lengthy details in which the crests are given as presents by 
the supernatural powers are rather prominent. Tliese tales are 
similar to those describing the initiation of shamans (see p. 473) and 
of members of secret societies of the Kwakiutl. My impression is 
that these types of crest talcs are not as common among the llaida 
and Tlingit as they are among the Tsimshian. All of these partake 
distinctly of the religious quality- of the tales describing the acquisi- 
tion of a guardian spirit. I still adhere to my opinion expressed at a 
previous time (see p. 515), that the origin of these crests is due to a 
sociahzation of the guardian-spirit idea. The more important and 
sacred the detail of the acquisition of the crest in the social life of the 
group, the more strongly marked is also the religious attitude towards 
it. So far as I understand the point of view of the Northwest coast 
Indians, rehgious respect is not shown to the crest, but refers entirely 
to the supernatural being that bestowed the crest. 

Birth, Marriage, and Death 

A woman who is with child is not allowed to eat tails of salmon, 
otherTOse the confinement would be hard. She must rise early in 
the morning, and leave the house before any of the other occupants 
leave it. Before the child is born, the father must stay outside his 
house, and must wear ragged clothing. After the child is born, he 
must abstain from eating any fat food, particularly porcupine, seal, 

1 Boas 12, p. S2. 

- 1 collected information on these subjects in the yeai' 1900 in connection with the work of the Jesup North 
Pacific Expedition; but up to this time, owing to causes over which I have no control, it has been impossible 
to publish the data. 

3 Swanton 5, p. 231. 

' Present publication, p. 270. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 531 

and whale. The mother is coafined in a small house or in a separate 
room. 

Numerous ceremonies must be observed when girls reach maturity. 
When about tliirteen or fourteen years old, they begin to practice 
fasting, eating in the afternoon only, as a very severe fasting is pre- 
scribed at the time when they reach maturity. It is believed that 
if they have any food in their stomachs at this time, they will have 
bad luck in all the future. They must remain alone and unseen in 
their room or in a hut for ten days, and abstain from food and drink. 
For fom* days they are not even allowed a drop of water. For a 
fortnight the girl is not permitted to chew her own food. If she 
desires to have two or three boys when married, two or three men 
chew her food for her; in the other case, two or tliree women. At 
the end of tliis fasting they are covered with mats and held over a 
fire. It is believed that by this ceremony her children are made to be 
healthy; if it were omitted, they would die, even if they should grow 
up to be a few years old. The girl is not allowed to look at fresh 
salmon and olachen for a whole year, and has to abstain from eating it. 
Her head is always covered mth a small mat, and she must not look 
at men. She must not lie down, but always sit propped up between 
boxes and mats. Her mother's family give a great feast and many 
presents to her father's family. At this feast her ears are perforated, 
and she is given ear-ornaments. Wlien a chief's daughter reaches 
maturity, she is given a jade pebble, which she must bite until her 
teeth are completely worn down in the middle. Wlien the festival 
was held, slaves were often given away or killed. 

The perforation of the ears is repeated on later occasions; and every 
time a new hole is made, a new festival is celebrated. 

In 1894 the marriage ceremonies of the Nisqa'^ were described to 
me as follows: Wlien a young man desires a young girl for his wife, 
he sends a certain amount of property as purchase price (hana'qs) 
to her parents. If the suitor and the amount of property are accepta- 
ble to them, they send word to hmi, stating that they accept his suit. 
Then the young man takes a number of slaves, who accompany liim. 
They are called lu-t!a'mxsgut ("always close to liim"). They ami 
themselves, and the young man embarks with them in a canoe and pad- 
dles to the bride's house. As soon as her clan relatives see them coming, 
they arm themselves with <'lubs and stone hammers, and rush dowii 
to the landing-place. They break the canoe, and try to drive off the 
companions of the young man. They fight seriously, and sometimes 
one of the lu-Ha'mxsgut is killefl. This foretells that the couple will 
never part. After the fight is over, the bridegroom and liis com- 
panions are carried into the bride's house. Then her friends strew 
on the companions of the bridegroom eagle down, which is kept in a 
bag made of sea lion's intestines. Her father puts on his headdress 



532 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [i:th. anx. SI 

and dances, while her friends sing. Then a feast is given, during 
which the young man pays the remainder of the purchase money. 
In the evening the girl's clan relatives give a considerable amount of 
property to the bridegroom (lu-lcHnd'm) , which he distributes among 
his own clan relatives according to the amount which they have con- 
tributed to the purchase money. Her father and brothers give the 
groom a new canoe in place of the one which was broken in the 
morning. Then the bride is carried down to the canoe, and she de- 
parts mth her husband to his village, where they live. If the groom 
belongs to the same ^dllage, the couple often stay with the girl's 
parents. 

A woman, when drinking for the first time after marriage, must 
turn her cup four times in the direction in which the sun moves, and 
think very little only. 

Mr. Tate describes the marriage customs as follows: 

"A head chief of the G-it-q!a'°da,' who lived at the time before the 
tribes were dispersed after the Deluge, made the law that if any of the 
young people wanted to marry, they should not know about it until 
their parents had agreed among themselves. The mother of the young 
man would go to the mother of the young woman and tell her that 
her son wanted to many her daughter. Then the mother of the 
young girl would reply that she would consider it; and the young 
man's aunts would go to the young woman's aunts and tell them that 
their brother's son wanted to marry their brother's daughter: and 
the young woman's aunts answered that they would consider it for 
a while. The cousins of the young man would go to the cousins of 
the young woman and tell them that their cousin wanted to marry 
their cousin; and the sisters of the young man would go to the sisters 
of the young woman and tell them that their brother wanted to marry 
their sister; and they answered that they would consider it. Then 
the father of the young man went and told the father of the young 
gu-1 that his son wanted to marry his daughter; and the father of the 
gu-1 said that he would consider it. Last of all the uncle of the young 
man went and spoke to the uncle of the girl, saying, 'My nephew 
■wishes to many your niece.' Then the uncle of the girl said, 
'Yes, I understand it.' 

"Nevertheless the two young people did not Icnow what they 
wanted them to do. Now the relatives of the girl met and talked 
over the matter; and when aU were agreed, her uncle sent word to the 
imcle of the young man, and said, 'Your nephew shall marry my 
niece.' Then the girl's relatives would appoint a day for the marriage. 

"Now the mother of the young man called all the women of her 
family to prepare a present for the mother of the young woman ; and 

1 See p. 2.')0. 



noAs] TSIMSIIIAN SOCIETY 533 

the uncle of the young inuu railed together all lii.s relatives and gave 
a present from them to the relatives or uncles of the young woman;, 
and the father of the young man took a present to the father of the 
woman and gave him valuable presents — a large canoe, slaves, costly 
coppers, also boxes of crabapples mixed with grease, boxes of cran- 
berries, and boxes of dried berries mixed with grease, and all kinds 
of food. Then the marriage was celebrated. The relatives of the 
young man assembled and took a large elk skin by its four corners. 
They went to the house of the father of the girl, spread the elk skin, 
and the young woman sat do\vn on it. Then the four strong young 
men hfted it up and carried her to the house of the young man's 
father, where the young man was seated in the rear of the house. 
They set her down on his left side. This was the first time that thoy 
saw each other. 

"The young woman put on her head a band of soft white raccoon 
skin. She wore large abalone shells in her ears and in her nose. 
She wore garments of marten skin, and had her hat pulled right down 
over her eyes and over her cheeks to keep herself from looldng around, 
lest she laugh during the wedding. The young man also put on liis 
helmet set with abalone shells, and pulled it right down over liis eyes 
to keep himself from looking around until the end of the marriage 
ceremony. The father of the young man invited the relatives of 
his son. He told them how many elk skins, how many boxes of grease, 
crabapples, cranberries, and bundles of dried berries, he needed. Then 
all the relatives of the young man agreed to have a great wedding 
celebration to be given to the people of the village. On the following 
day they made a great feast. The bridal couple remained seated in 
front of the large fire and kept their eyes on the fire. They did not. 
speak a single word as long as the guests were in the house. The 
guests looked at the bridal couple while the festival was going on. 
As soon as the meal was ended, the cliicf said, 'Now, my people, I 
wish all of you to have a good time and to enjoy yourselves. Try 
to make the bridal couple laugh. You may try them for three days.' 

"Then all the guests came forth with their wooden dishes filled with 
three kinds of food, wliich they carried to their own houses. Then 
they came back to the bridegroom's house and did all they could 
trying to make the couple laugh, but they kept their eyes on the fire. 
Tliis has been the marriage custom through all generations. If the 
bride or bridegroom move their eyes from the fire or smile when 
they see the young people dancing or when they hear them 
laugh and shout for joy, somebody beats the drum; and every one 
would laugh if a woman or man should move the eyes or smile. Many 
old people kept watch of the faces of the couple to see if their eyes 
moved or if thev smiled. 



534 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. SI 

"The marriage of those who do not move their eyes or smile wliile 
the people are playing will last until their lives end. 

" When the thi'ee days were almost ended, the cliief ordered liis serv- 
ants to bring water in a large bucket. The servant took the bucket to 
the brook behind the village and took water from it. He brought it to 
the chief, and the chief asked tlie young woman to open her mouth 
and drink all the water out of tlio bucket before the whole assembly. 
If she did as the chief told her, and di'ank aU the water out of the 
bucket, the chief would say, 'Go away, and wander about away from 
my house! You are not fit to be married to any one!' This brook 
is still running, and no single man or single woman should drink of 
it, else they will not marry until the end of their fives. It is said 
that the lake at the head of the brook is full of all kinds of frogs, scor- 
pions, fizards, and locusts. Therefore nobody drinks out of that 
stream up to this day." 

Burial 

After a death has occurred, the relatives of the deceased have their 
hair cut short and their faces blackened. They cover their heads 
with ragged and soiled mats, and go four times around the body, 
singing mourning-songs. They must speak but little, confining them- 
selves to answering questions, as it is believed that otherwise they 
will become talkative. Until the body is buried they must fast, 
eating only a verj^ little at night. Women of the exogamic groups 
to which the deceased did not belong — particularly of his father's 
group — act as wailers, and are paid for their work, the whole group 
of the deceased contributing to the payment. In waifing, the women 
must keep their eyes closed. The body lies in state for a number of 
days. It is washed immediately after death, placed upright, and 
painted with the crest of the clan. His dancing-ornaments and 
weapons are placed by his side. Then the body is put into a box, 
wliich is tied up with lines made of elk skins. These are furnished 
by the group of the deceased, and kept as a payment by his father's 
group. According to information given to me in 1888 at Port Essing- 
ton, the bodies, except those of shamans, were burned. The box is 
placed on the funeral pile, the fines of elk skin are taken off and kept 
by the father's group. A hole is cut in the bottom of the box, and the 
P3Te is fighted. Before aU is burned, the heart is taken out of the 
body and buried. It is beUeved that if it were bm-ned, aU relatives 
of the deceased woidd die. The father's group, besides receiving the 
lines, are paid with marmot skins and blankets. 

According to Mr. Tate, the inner organs of chiefs were removed 
from the body and cremated, while the body was preserved for some 
time before being deposited in the grave-box, which was placed on a 
tree. On the whole, this statement seems more plausible, because 
it agrees with the statement contained in traditions. 



BOAsl TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 535 

Mayne (p. 272) writes on this subject as follows: 

At Fort Simpson it appears to he the regiilai' custom to 1)iirn the dead, but tliis is 
departed from in some cases; for Mr. Duncan mentions witnessing a funeral there from 
the Fort Gallery. He says: "The deceased was a cliief's daughter, who had died sud- 
denly. Contrary to the custom of the Indians here (who alwaj's burn their dead), 
the chief begged permission to inter her remains in the Fort Garden, alongside her 
mother, who was liuried a short time ago, and was the first Indian thus privileged. 
The corpse was placed in a rude box, and borne on the shoulders of four men. About 
twenty Indians, principally women, accompanied the old chief (whose heart seemed 
ready to burst) to the grave. A bitter wailing was kept up for three-quarters of an 
hour, during which time about seven or eight men. after a good deal of clamor (which 
strangely contrasted ■nnththe apparent grief of the mourners), fixed up a pole at the head 
of the gi'ave, on which was suspended an Indian garment. At the head of the mother's 
grave several drinking-vessels were attached, as well as a garment." 

He also says (p. 272): 

In the case of a chief it is also customary to paint or carve his crest on the box in 
which his bones lie, or to affix it on a large sign board upon a pole or neighboring 
tree. Mr. Duncan says that if the crest of the deceased happens to be an eagle or a 
raven, it is usual among the Northern Indians to carve it in the act of flying — the bird 
being affixed to the edge of the box with its wings spread , so that it appears to a passer-by 
as if just aliout to leave the coffin: and he (Mr. Duncan) very naturally asks whether 
this may come of any knowledge of a resurrection of the dead among the Indians. 

On page 294 the following description is given: 

When a person dies, except in the case of a slave, very great lamentation is made by 
surviving friends. Their mourning lasts for several days. A few days ago, I saw a 
poor woman in the bush, at some distance behind the camp. She was sittmg with 
her face toward the stump of a tree, and continued her bitter wailing for a long time. 
This is the second instance I have seen of tliis kind. Occasionally, mourners may be 
seen going about the beach. Only lately I saw a woman coming away from a house 
of death. She proceeded along the Ijeach to where another tribe is settled, and con- 
tinued her woeful cry all the way. Persons whom she passed took no notice whatever 
of her; it seemed nothing strange to them. 

Soon after death the corpse is conveyed away in a canoe to a distant part of the 
beach, and there burned to ashes. Mourners accompany it, and they make the air 
to ring with their piercing cries all the time the body is consuming. The ashes are 
collected and placed in a little house appointed to receive them. 

A slave, after death, is at once placed in a canoe and thrown into the harbor, without 
any sorrow being expressed. 

The nearest relatives mom'u for a whole year. Some time after 
the burial a memorial post is erected and a memorial festival cele- 
brated.' If many niembei"s of one family cUe in quick succession, the 
survivors lay their fourth fingers on the edge of the box in wliich the 
corpse is deposited, and cut off thefu-st joint, "to cut off the deaths" 
ig'idi-q.'o'dz). The bodies of shamans are buried in caves or in the 
woods. 

A widow or a widower must not marry again until four years have 
passed after the death of the consort. 



I Compare Boas 1, 189.5, pp. oi\9 ft. scq. 



536 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ANN. 31 

I was given the following information regarding burial customs 
of the Nass tribe:' 

The burial is attended to by members of the exogamic group of the father of the 
deceased, who are paid for their services. Four or five men bend the head of the body 
down and his knees up. Thus he is placed in a box. Chiefs lie in state for some 
days, while others are buried without delay. The people burn food and clothing for 
the deceased, saying that it is intended for him; else the ghost would trouble them. 
Then they cut wood for a pyre; the box is put on top of it and it is burnt. The body 
is poked with long poles in order to facilitate combustion. When it bursts and gas 
escapes, they belieVe they hear the voice of the ghost. Men and women sit around 
the pyre and sing all the cradle-songs of the clan which are contained in their legends. 
The remains are put into a small box and placed on a tree. Cottonwood trees are 
often selected for this purpose. The body of the shaman is also burnt. 

Some time after the burial the son or nephew of the deceased erects a column in 
his memory (ptsan). 

Wau 

War customs of the Tsimshian are well illustrated by the war 
stories given on pp. 355 et seq. Attention may be called particularly 
to the building of stockades (p. 371), the treatment of prisoners 
(p. 364), to the position of the chief who owned weapons for all his 
warriors (p. 365), and to the methods of makmg peace (pp. 377 et 
seq^.), which are evidently the same as those of the Tliugit.^ 

I wiU append here a few notes on war customs recorded by Mr. Tate : 

When the enemies saw among those killed in battle people of their 
own clan, who were recognized by the crests they used, they would take 
off helmet and armor and put the body in good order; or if a woman 
or children were taken captive, those who took them would know that 
they were the relatives by the crests tattooed on their chests or on 
their hands, and they bought them from those who had taken them 
captive and sent them back by canoe with some slave to their own 
native home. 

If in battle one side won a victory over their foes, they cut off all 
the heads of those killed and took them away and left the bodies 
where they were; and when they camped at some place, they took 
off the scalps from the heads and left the skulls on a fallen tree. 
When their own people came and saw all those killed lying on the 
ground, they gathered the bodies, and every man knew liis own 
relative's body by the crest on the tattooed hands; and each exogamic 
group piled up its own relatives' bodies and burned them all ; and 
when they retm-ned to their own home, each group assembled in their 
own house, and they sang their mourning-songs on the same evemng 
when they retiu-ned from burning the bodies. 

Another custom is this: If a man wanted his son to be a powerful 
warrior, as soon as the child was born, the father took it, and slcinned 

' Boas 1, 1895, p. 573. 2 See Swanton 4, p. 451; 5, p. 128. 



i-OAsJ TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 537 

an otter and put the infant into the otter skin, and tied each end of 
the skin, so that no water could enter it. Tlien he put the otter sldn 
into the sea on the beach. When the father saw the cliild struggUng 
in the otter skin, he went out to the water, took it, and untied it. 
Then lie took the child out. When the child was four years old, the 
father would kiU a wolf and take out the heart. He gave it to the 
boy to eat raw. The father would also kill a wolverene, take out 
the heart, and give it to the child to eat raw. Then he took a boe 
and let him eat it whole. He also killed a porcupine, took out the 
heart, and gave it to the cliild to eat raw. Wlien the child had grown 
up to be a man, he would not fear any one; and he would be brave 
in battle, like the grizzly bear or some other terrible animal, and he 
would not die early. 

The Potlatch 

In the preceding remarks I have had to refer repeatedly to the 
potlatch, the ceremonial distribution of property, which plays a 
most important part in the hfe of the Northwest coast Indians. i\ji 
essential feature of the Tsimshian potlatch and of that of the tribes 
farther to the south is the opportunity it gives for the pubUc announce- 
ment of events that are important for the social standing of the indi- 
vidual. The public announcement gives the legal claim to the social 
advance made at the time; and the higher the honor claimed, the 
wider must be the circle of witnesses or the degree of publicity. 
The first naming of cliildren, and the first steps in their social prefer- 
ment, are therefore confined to the mother's relatives; or, when 
services have been rendered to the individual by the father's familj^, 
the father's relatives are also invited. At this time the services in 
question are pubUcly rendered and publicly paid for. At the same 
time the recipients of payment are feasted. At more important 
events all the people of the village are invited; on still greater occasions, 
all the nine Tsimshian tribes; and on the most important occasions, 
also members of outside groups, even those of alien speech. In a 
stricter sense of the term, onl}- the great festivals to which outsiders 
are invited are called potlatches (yd°l-). 

By means of a potlatch, particularly by the destruction of property 
during a potlatch, a loss of prestige, owing to untoward accidents or 
to objectionable actions, could be made good. Mayne says in regard 
to this (p. 295): 

It is astonishing what they will do nr suffer in order to establish or maintain dignity. 
Yesterday a yoimg man fell down and cut himself a little witli an ax. On arriving 
home, his father immediately announced his intention to destroy some property, 
which was to save his son from any disgrace attached to the accident. When a few 
people or friends were collected to witness the brave act, the father would carry out 
his vow, with no small show of vanity. 



538 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

Also (pp. 284-285): 

Sometimes slaves have to be sacrificed to satiate the vanity of their owners, or take 
away reproach. Only the other day we were called upon to witness a terrible scene of 
this kind. An old chief, in cool blood, ordered a slave to be dragged to the beach, 
murdered, and thrown into the water. His orders were quickly obeyed. The victim 
was a poor woman. Two or three reasons are assigned for this foul act: one is. that it 
is to take away the disgrace attached to his daughter, who has been suffering some 
time from a ball wound in the arm. Another report is, that he does not expect liis 
daughter to recover, so he has killed his slave in order that she may prepare for the 
coming of his daughter into the unseen world. I tliink the former reascm is the most 
probable. 

These great potlatches required much preparation, since they 
occupied much time, and the host had to collect vast quantities of 
food and much property. In this he was assisted by his whole tribe, 
who went hunting and fishing for him, and who gave to the chief and 
to his wife property that they either owed him or which he repaid to 
them later on. All such advances were repaid with liigh interest. 

It seems that a great potlatch was announced three years in ad- 
vance, and that messengers were sent each year to extend invitations 
and to aimounce the time when the guests were expected. The 
messengers who carried the invitations seem to have been sent out 
after a smaller feast and potlatch given by the chief. Mr. Tate says: 

"When the chief's counselors agreed that a great potlatch should 
be given, the young attendants invited the chief's tribe to a feast, in 
the course of which he announced his intention. The tribe gave 
their consent. Then the chief counselor, and after him the other 
counselors, promised the chief to assist him. Duruig the first year 
they provided him with tlie means to give feasts. During the second 
year they contributed food for feasts of still greater importance. In 
the tlurd year the guests invited from foreign tribes arrived. Tlie 
chief counted his property, —hundreds of elk sidns, coppers, slaves, 
and canoes. His messengers and attendants stood on the property, 
which was piled up in the house. Then the chief called liis first 
attendant by name. He came in with his whole family, -maternal 
uncles, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.' They carried in 
all kinds of property. The attendant himself would stand at the 
door, wearing his most important crest. Then he counted his prop- 
erty, and gave one-half of it to the chief, while he kept the rest to be 
distributed. Then the next attendant was called in tltc same way, 
and the same procedure was repeated. At this time the attendants 
might also brmg in their own children and use the opportunity to 
give them liigher names. After all the chief's attendants had brought 
in their property, they distributed tlie one-half that tliey retained 
among the attendants of the visitmg chiefs. 



' Perhaps this ought to read, "nephews and nieces," because it is stated arterward that sons and 
daughters might be ad%'anced in position at this time. 



boas] 



TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 



539 



"On the following day the attendants of the host invited the 
attendants of the visitmg chiefs to a feast to be given on the beach. 
They carried down boxes of oil, crabapples, cranberries, and other 
kinds of food. Each man took a large wooden ladle which was filled 
with food, and these were distributed among the tribes that were 
sitting according to their rank on the beach. The guests received 
tlie food m very long narrow dishes (nearly two meters long, about 
half a meter wide, and five to ten centimeters deep). They carried 
the food home." 

A few year.s ago Mr. Tate wrote about the same subject as follows: 
"In the thii-dyear, at the appointed time, all the guests would come. 
Some tribes would come in five or six canoes, and ten or eleven tribes 
were invited. Some of the larger tribes even had from ten to tliirteen 
canoes. They all arrived at one time in front of the house of the 
great chief; and before the canoes reached 
the shore the princesses and the chieftain- 
ess would dance down from the chief's 
house toward the canoes. Then the leader 
of the dancers took his supernatural power 
and tkrew it toward the guests in the ca- 
noes. Then all the people in the canoes 
began to dance, and some one among them 
caught the supernatural power that made 
them dance, and tlu'ew it back toward the 
shore. The dancere on the shore caught it 
and went back to the chief's house. Then 
all the guests came ashore, and the chief be- 
gan to dance. He used various kinds of 
masks (fig. 22). Each mask had a song 
for itseK; and after each dance the clown 
would make a speech. The singers staid until the next morning, 
when the chief's dances ended. Then they had a great feast. The 
people of the head chief took a large wooden spoon filled with oil 
and handed it to the people of each tribe, who had to eat all the 
oil that was in the wooden spoon. On the following day another 
great feast was held, which was given to all the \dsiting tribes; and 
each tribe was seated according to rank, by itself, on the beach. 
The people of the head chief would fill a canoe seven or eight fathoms 
long with dried berries which were soaked, or with red berries mixed 
with grease. Some rich families had two large canoes filled right up, 
and so on. On the fourth night of the gathering, the head chief gave 
a dance called the throwing-dance. Then each cliief of the visiting 
tribe danced with his own mask. He danced with his dancing-gar- 
ment, his carved headdress hilaid with abalone shell and set with sea- 




FiG. 22. Mask inlaid with haliotis 
shell. 



540 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETH. ANN. 31 



lion bristles (fig. 23), the welcome rattle (fig. 24), and the dancing- 
apron set with the bills of the pufiin (fig. 18, p. 56), and with leg-orna- 
ments. Dming the dance each chief caught his supernatural power in 
the air, went to the chief's son, holding the power in the palms of his 
hands, and threw it into the chief's child or his niece or nephew. All 
the invited chiefs threw their supernatirral powers in the same evening. 
When the chiefs were called, they were called by 
then- supernatural Qames (see p. 513). 

"The dances did not end until it was nearly 
daylight, and all the prmces and princesses had 
received supernatural powers and become dan- 
cers. Therefore after fom" days had passed, the 
chilchen all had dances; and while they were 
dancing, the father would kill a slave or give 
away much property, or some would break a 
costlj- copper. When the thi'owing-dance was 
ended, the head chief paid each of the dancers 
three or four elk skins. If there were seven or 
ten children among a chief's clan relatives, then 
each chief would have his dance seven or ten 
times, once for every one of these princes or 
princesses. 

" On the following day all the invited chiefs 
went into the house of the head chief, accom- 
panied by their wives and then* tribes and by 
the chief's children. 

"At this time the cliicf called in the head man 
of each clan of his tribe, who would come 
with all his clan relatives and with much prop- 
erty, such as coppers, slaves, canoes, or elk skins, 
which he would give to the chiefs. Each exo- 
gamic group (or clan '() was thus called singly. 
After all the property had been assembled, the 
counselors and the chief would determine how 
much each of the invited chiefs was to receive. 

" When all the guests had assembled, the head 
chief brought out first his expensive coppers, and 
all the property was coimted in the following 
form: '32 slaves, come forth! 103 canoes, come forth! 34 elk skins, 
come forth! 28 score and 5 large bags of berries and boxes of oil 
come forth ! 4 score and 6 carved trinkets, come forth! ' 

"During tliis time the head chief wore on his head his highest crest 
hat, and he proclaimed to his guests that nobody else should wear 
this hat except himself; and during the time while the presents were 
counted they sang the mournmg-song belonging to the crest. 




Fig. 23. Head-mask attached 
to frame sol with sea-lion 
bristles, and with trailer or- 
namented with wcaselskins. 



BOAS] 



TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 



541 



"On the following chiy all the property was given away by tlie chief 
to his guests. Then the sister or the mother of the head chief gave 
presents to the women of the tribes — marten-skin garments, aba- 
lone ear-ornaments, scores of carved maple dishes, scores of large 
horn spoons, and many other things besides. This was to help her 
brother wearing the crest hat. For this reason the crest hats were 
called a certain amount (^f property, according to the amount given 
away at the potlatch." 

In potlatches the valuable "coppers" were also bought and sold, 
or broken to express the chief's lavish disregard of the distinction of 
values. For the same reason slaves were kiUed and canoes broken. 

In feasts a fixed order of procedure was adhered to. The people sat 
in regular order. The hosts would sit on the right-hand side of the 
house or m the middle of the house; the guests, on the sides. Women 




Fig. 24. Chiefs latUe. 

sang, accompanjTiig the dancers. They were seated m rows on a 
platform in the rear of the house. Mr. Tate continues: 

"The women were dressed in beautiful garments, with earrings of 
costly abalone shells, and faces painted red and black, with eagle 
down on their heads. The prmcesses of the chief tainess would sit 
on the floor; and one particidarly capable man, who was the time- 
keeper, stood in front of the women, his face toward the singers, with 
his baton in his hand. The women would move in swiiiging motions 
hke the waves roUing on the sea. The people who came m would do 
all they could to try to make the women on the platform laugh. They 
kept up the dancing until midnight, and on the followmg morning 
food was given to the guests. On the follou-ing day only the men 
would dance, and afterwards women only would dance." * 

Great potlatches are also given after the death of a chief or other 
persons of high rank. "Wlien a great chief or a chief's mother dies," 
says Mr. Tate, "the members of his exogamic group from all the 
tribes gather and help to pay the expenses. They bring coppers and 
other property to honor their dead relative." 

1 See also pp. 355 ft seq., pi>. 377 ct scq. 



542 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Mayne (pp. 263-265) tlescribes the ceremonies of a lesser feast 

according to Duncan : 

They are very particular about whom they invite to their feasts, and, on great 
occasions, men and women feast separately, the women always taking the precedence. 
Vocal miisic and dancing have great prominence in their proceedings. Wlien a person 
is going to give a great feast, he sends, on the first day, the females of his household 
round the camp to invite all his female friends. The next day a party of men is sent 
round to call the male guests together. The other day a party of eight or ton females, 
dressed in their best, with their faces newly painted, came into the fort yard, formed 
themselves into a semicircle ; then the one in the center, with a loud but clear and 
musical voice, delivered the invitation, declaring what should be given to the guests, 
and what they should enjoy. In this case the invitation was for three women in the 
fort who are related to chiefs. On the following day a band of men came and delivered 
a gimilar message, inviting the captain in charge. 

These feasts are generally connected with the giving away of property. As an 
instance I will relate the last occurrence of the kind. The person who sent the afore- 
mentioned invitations is a chief who has just completed building a house. After 
feasting, I heard he was to give away property to the amount of 480 blankets (worth 
as many pounds to him), of which 180 were his own property and the .300 were to be 
subscribed by his people. On the first day of the feast as much as possible of the 
property to be given him was exhibited in the camp. Hundreds of yards of cotton 
were flapping in the breeze, hung from house to house, or on lines put up for the 
occasion. Furs, too, were nailed up on the fronts of houses. Those who were going 
to give away blankets or elk skins managed to get a bearer for every one, and exhibited 
them by making the persons walk in single file to the house of the chief. On the 
next day the cotton which Imd been hung out was now brought on the beach, at a 
good distance from the chief's house, and then run out at full length, and a number 
of bearers, about three yards apart, bore it triumphantly away from the giver to the 
receiver. I suppose that about (iOO to 800 yards were thus disposed of. 

After all the property the chief is to receive lias thus been openly handed to him, a 
day or two is taken up in apportioning it for fresh owners. When this [sic] done, 
all the chiefs and their families are called together, and each receives according to 
his or her portion. If, however, a chief's wife is not descended fi-om a chief, she has 
no share in this distribution, nor is she ever invited to the same feasts with her hus- 
band. Thus do the chiefs and their people go on reducing themselves to poverty. 
In the case of the chiefs, however, this poverty lasts but a short time; they are soon 
repleni.shed from the next giving away, but the people only gi'ow rich again according 
to their industry. One can not but pity them, while one laments their folly. 

All the pleasure these poor Indians seem to have in their property is in hoarding 
it up for such an occasion as I have described. They never think of appropriating 
what they gather to enhance their comforts, but are satisfied if they can make a display 
like tliis now and then; so that the man possessing but one blanket seems to be as 
well off as the one who possesses twenty; and. thus it is that there is a vast amount 
of dead stock accumulated in the camp doomed never to be used, but only now and 
then to be transfen-ed from hand to hand for the mere vanity of the thing. 

There is another way, however, in which property is disposed of even more foolishly. 
If a person be insiilted, meet with an accident, or in any way suffer an injury, real or 
supposed, either of mind or body, property must at once be sacrificed to avoid dis- 
grace. A number of blankets, shirts, or cotton, according to the rank of the person, 
is torn into small pieces and earned oft. 



boas] tsimshiax society 543 

Religion 

In the religious beliefs of the Tsimshiaii, Heaven plays an important 
r6le. He watches the acts of mankuid, and sends down helpers 
called riExno'x. Practically any natural object may be a riExno'x, 
but in tales the most important ones are shining youths, strokes of 
lightning, and animals. The term UExno'x designates anything 
mysterious. It is the supernatural helper as well as the whistle used 
in dances. It is the being prayed to for help, as well as the sleight- 
of-hand trick of the dancer. 

Heaven rules the destinies of mankind; has taught man to distin- 
guish between good and bad, and given religious laws and institutions. 
Heaven is gi-atified by the mere existence of man. He is worehiped 
by offerings and prayer, the smoke rising from fires being especially 
agreeable to him. Murderers, adulterers, and those who behave 
foolishly, talking to no purpose, and makmg noise at night, are espe- 
cially hateful to him. He loves those who take pity upon the poor, 
who do not try to become rich by selling at high prices what others 
want. His messengers, particularly Sun and Moon, must be treated 
with respect. Man makes himself agreeable to the deity by cleanli- 
ness. Therefore the people must bathe and wash their whole bodies 
before praymg. For the same reason they take a vomitive when 
they wish to please the deity well. The juice of the devil's-club 
{FaUia liorrida) is particularly effective. They fast, and abstain 
from touching their wives, if they desire their prayers to be successful. 
They offer everything that is considered valuable — eagle down, red 
paint, red-cedar bark, food, elk skin, lines, etc. The offering is burnt. 

The Tsimshian do not always pray to Heaven directly, but far 
more frecjuently to the helpers. Thus they pray in a general way 
to the nExno'x — 

Nexuo'x, UExno'x, SEin'a'gid, SEm'd'g-id, gam-gd'dEn! A'yEn fin 
xs-payd'usTcsEnlE'rEnt. NExn6'x,gam-gd'den! ("NExno'x, hexuo'x! 
Chief, chief! have pity upon us! else there will be nobody to smoke 
under you! Nexiio'x, have pity upon us!") 

Or, praying for fair weather, they say — 

Nexuo'x, riExnd'x, SEm'd'g'ixl, SEm'd'g'id, gam-gd'dEn! tgi-ne'" wal 
lE'rETitnE-SE-g'a'dEnt. Man-sd'ha si'^nt, ada mE-t!d ts.'dnt! ("Nex- 
n6'x, nExnd'x! Chief , chief ! have pity upon us ! Look down and see 
what those under you whom you made are doing! Pull up thy foot 
and sweep off thy face!" ') 

The following is a prayer for calm weather: 

Lu-SE-g'a na--lcsE-nd'lgEnt, SEm'd'g'id, dEm v:ijl g-a'hsEt ("Hold in 
thy breath, chief, that it be cahn!") 

' "Pull up thy loot" is equivalent to "stop the rain;" "sweep off thy face," to "take away the 
clouds." 



544 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

Before eating they buru food. Having done so, they pray — 

Wa, SEm'd'g'id, dKin ga'ben gwa'a xplyd ga'hErm°, da wd'l mdnd 
gwa'a,dawd'lmdndgwa'algErane'''. Gl'''nEm! ("Here, chief ! Here 
is for you to eat, part of our food! It is all that b left us, it is all 
that is left us ! Now feed us!") 

In the same way the woman in the legend prays — 

Wa, wa, wa, gl'°nEm, liadzEua's! (" Now, now, now feed us, fortu- 
nate one!"') 

The dead go to a place similar to that of the livmg. Our summer is 
their winter, our winter their summer. They have everything — fish, 
venison, and skins — in abundance. Ideas relating to the future 
world are told in the traditions recorded on pp. 322 et seq. 

The following tale explains the ideas of the Nass tribe regarding 
the future life:- 

"Once upon a time the G'ispawadwE'da IdUed Adina'k-, the chief of 
the Wolf group. There was a young man in the same town who 
happened to walk toward the graveyard chewing gum. There he 
saw a man approaching hini, who wore a robe of marten skins. 
When he came nearer, he saw that he was no other than the dead 
chief. The youth wished to run away, but the ghost overtook him 
and asked him for some of the gum ho was chewing- The youth 
did not dare to hand it to him, and just pushed it out of his mouth. 
The ghost took it and turned back. The youth went home, and 
after he had told what had happened, he fell down and lay there 
like one dead. He had a perforated stone for an amulet, whicTi he 
wore suspended from his neck. It was to insure him a long life. His 
friends washed the body and put clean clothing upon him. Mean- 
while the ghost carried his soul away. They followed a broad trad, and 
came to a river. The young man got tired of waiting, and yawned. 
Then he heard a noise in the town. A canoe came across to fetch 
him. He went aboard, and was taken to the chief's house. He was 
sick, and the chief ordered him to be laid down next to the fire. The 
chief called four shamans, who were to heal him. They tried to take his 
heart out of his body, but they were unsuccessful. They said, "His 
breast is as hard as stone." This was because he wore the amulet. 
Finally the chief said to the shamans, "Let us give up our efforts. 
Ho is too powerful; we must send him back." Then he was takoa 
back to the canoe, and sent across the river. He returned the same 
way which he had come: and when he entered his house, life was 
restored to the body." 

Mayne states, according to Mi\ Duncan, the following (p. 29.5): 

The Tsimsheeans, I find, believe in two states after death: the one good, and the 
other bad; the morally good are translated to the one, and the morally bad are doomed 

1 Name of a bird, a nEino'i (see Boas 13, p. 73). ' Boas 1, 1893, p. 582. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 545 

to the other. The locality of the former they think to be above, and that of the latter 
is somewhere beneath. The enjoyment of heaven and the privations of hell they 
understand to be carnal. 

They do not suppose the wicked to be destitute of food any more than they were 
here, but they are treated as slaves and are badly clothed. 

WTiat is very strange, they Imagine that as the various seasons leave them they ad- 
vance to the abode of the wicked. For instance, when the fish get out of the reach of 
their nets, they suppose they are then becoming the prey of the wicked beneath. 

The idea they entertain of God is that He is a great chief. They call Him by the same 
termaslhey do their chiefs, only adding the word for above — thus, shimayeti3"chiei," 
and lahkah "above;" and hence the name of God with them is Shimayet Lakkah.' 
They believe that the Supreme Being never dies; that he takes great notice of what 
is going on amongst men, and is frequently angry and punishes offenders. They 
do not know who is the author of the Universe, nor do they expect that God is the 
author of their own being. They have no fixed ideas about these things, I fully 
believe; still they frequently appeal to God in trouble; they ask for pity and deliv- 
erance. In great extremities of sickness they address God, saying it is not good for 
them to die. 

Sometimes, when calamities are prolonged or thicken, they get enraged against 
God, and vent their anger against Him, raising their eyes and hands in savage anger 
to Heaven, and stamping their feet on the ground. They will reiterate language 
which means "You are a great slave." This is their greatest terra of reproach. 

If a special object is to be attained, they believe that by a rigid 
fasting they can compel the deity to grant it. For seven days they 
have to abstain from food and from seeing their wives. During these 
days they have to lie in bed motionless. After seven days they may 
rise, wash themselves, comb the right side of the head, and paint 
the right side of the face. Then they may look at their \vives. 
A less rigid form of fasting extends over four days only. To make 
the ceremony very successful, their wives must join them. If the 
wife should not be true to the husband, the effect of the fasting is 
destroyed. 

The following behefs and customs are connected with their religious 
ideas and ceremonies. Twins are behaved to control the weather; 
therefore they pray to wind and rain, "Calm down, breath of the 
twins!" Whatever twins wish for is fulfilled: therefore they are 
feared, as they can harm the man whom they hate. Tliey can call 
the olachen and salmon, and are therefore called SE-vn-lid'n ("making 
plentiful"). 

The olachen is called ImlEma'tk (' ' the Savior") . Certain ceremonies 
are prescribed when the first fish are caught. Tliey are roasted on 
an instrument of elderberry wood, consisting of a rod about a yard 
long, to which a short crossbar is tied near the butt end and which 
serves as a handle. Another short crossbar is fastened to the rod 
about one foot from its end, and a siitgle twig is fastened to each of 
the outer entls of this bar. These twigs are bent over and tied to the 

' SEm'i'g-id lax-ha', " the chief of the sljy." 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 35 



546 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. an.n. 31 

central rod near its tip. The man who roasts the fish on this instru- 
ment must wear liis travehng-attlre — mittens, caj^e, etc. Wliile it 
is roasting, they pray for plenty of fish, and ask that they may come 
to their fisliing-gi-omid. When the fish is timied round, aU cry, 
"Lawa'!" The fire must not be blown up. In eating the fish, they 
must not cool it by blowing, nor break a single bone. Everything 
must be kept neat and clean. The rakes for catching the fish must 
be hidden in the house. The fish must not be left outside, but stored 
in boxes. The first fish that they give as a present to their neighbors 
must be covered with a new mat. When the fish become more plen- 
tiful, they are doubled up and roasted on the point of a spit. After 
that they are treated without any further ceremonies.' 

Secret Societies 

I have treated the secret societies, in so far as my knowledge allows, 
in a general discussitm of this subject;^ but I will give here a few 
additional notes that were sent to me by Mr. Tate, and which cor- 
roborate and expand some of the notes previously published. It will 
be remembered that there are four of these societies — the Cannibal 
Society (O'lala), the Dog-Eater Society (No'tem), the Destroyer 
Society (Wi'nanal), and the Fire-Thrower Society (Me'°la). It seems 
to my mind that there is clear evidence that these societies were 
introduced from the south, particularly by intermarriage with the 
BellabeUa. The names of the various societies are of BeUabella 
origin, and the tracUtions relating to their acquisition state that they 
were acquired through inti^rmarriagc^ with the BellabeUa tribes, and 
introduced among the Tsimshian, and later on among the Haida and 
Tlingit, particularly through the family of Dzeba'sa. 

Mr. Tate \vrites in regard to Dzeba'sa's society as follows: 
"Dzeba'sa and some of his own tribe belong to the Cannibal So- 
ciety, Mhose supernatural protector is liaialilaqs. (Hai'alila means 
hteraUy ' ' making well," and is the term used for the spirit of pestilence 
among the Kwakiutl tribes. This spirit occurs also in the tradition 
told on p. 185. The ending -qs is the BeUabella form indicating a 
female of a certain tribe or people. The whole may therefore be 
translated as 'pestilence-woman.') When the supernatural power of 
the society is thrown into a young man, he disappears, and stays for 
eight days in the graveyard, where his whistle is heard. Before this 
period of seclusion is ended, he appears suddenly on the top of some 
house, on the street, or in some other place near the viUage, and takes 
another person to the graveyard to make iiim a dancer. When the 
eight days are over, early in the morning, he comes down from the 
graveyard, carrying a body in his arms, and eats of it in sight of aU 

I Further details will be found on pp. 448 el scq. ' Boas 5, pp. 0,')I-660. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 547 

the people. He is surrounded by all the other members of the 
Cannibal Society. He carries the corpse so that the shoulders rest 
oil his left arm, while the right supports the thighs. He is naked, 
and he bites pieces out of the body of the corpse. \'\Tien the decayed 
matter runs out, he licks it up. Then the other members of the 
Cannibal Society lead him to the house which has l)een set apart 
for their use during the dancing-period. There they sing, and the 
whistles are heard in the house. Wliile tlie singing is going on, 
the novice runs out of the house, followed by his attendants. He 
goes from house to house, and his attendants put their hands into his 
mouth to feed him (that is, they allow him to bite pieces out of their 
hands and arms). Finally he returns to the house of the society, 
and they begin to sing again. He wiU run out of the house three 
or four times a day: and nobody in the village dares to eat much, 
because the people are afraid of him. 

"On the evening of the first day the chief invites in all the people. 
When all the guests are in, the members of the Cannil)al Society 
enter, blo\\'ing their whistles. When they arri\-e at the door, the 
women enter first, wearing on their heads rings made of cedar bark 
dyed red, mixed with unch'ed cedar bark. Their hair is strewn 
with eagle down, and they wear blankets, which are just held together 
by leather strings at the neck. Wliile they are coming in, they 
hold up their blankets to hide their faces from the fire. Then they 
stand on one side of the house with their backs towards the fire. 
After that the men come in. Thev carry a long plank, and each has 
a baton with which he beats time on the plank. One man carries a 
wooden drum on his back. He is followed by the ch'unimer. 

" In the rear of the house there is a large curtain stretching from one 
corner to the other. Then all the terrible whistles are heard behind 
the curtain. These are the whistles of all the various dancers. Sud- 
denly the dancer's voice is heard by the people. Then the curtain is 
drawn, and the novice appears, carrying the corpse and eating it 
before all the people. His eyes are rollirg wliile he is chewing. 
At the end of the first song he disappears behind the curtain. Then 
the second song begins- -the marching-song of the dancer. He leaps 
around the fire, his one hand stretched upward. All his attendants 
surround him, and his whistles are heard among them. When the 
singers mention the name of HaiaHlaqs, the dancer gets excited, 
and tries to catch some one to be his prey. Therefore all his attend- 
ants, men and women, put their hands and arms into his mouth, 
and allow him to bite them. This is to prevent him from attacking 
the people. At the same time some wide boards are put up in front 
of the people who do not belong to the society and who sit at the sides 
of the house. Then the attendants take the no^^ce out of the house. 



548 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

"The hands of ahnost all the attendants are wounded, because the 
novice bites them. After four days the}' are paid fur this. On the 
fifth night after this, it is announced that the novice will show himself 
again, this time in the house of the Cannibal Society. This house 
has been specially prepared. A long pole covered with red and 
white cedar bark is erected in front of it. This is to indicate that the 
breath of the novice has supernatural power. Wlienever the novice 
utters his cry, the pole is turned round. When the time comes, 
some one runs out, shouting, and says, 'Now let all the crowds come 
into our house ! ' All the people enter, and the family of the novice 
spreads some new mats over the heads of the people, so that they 
may not be seen by him. Then they begin to sing, and the novice 
comes forward, wearing his grizzly-bear skin, a large twisted ring of 
cedar bark dyed red (about sixteen inches in circumference, deco- 
rated with two rows of abalone shells) around his neck, and a mask 
representing a bird with a beak about twelve feet long. This mask is 
supported by two princes belonging to the same society. Three 
skulls are attached to the beak. The novice goes around the fire, 
and two or three women of high rank dance before him, turning their 
hands round and round. He cries in a very high pitch ( ?).' After he 
has gone around the fire, he goes back into his room, which is separated 
from the main rooni by a beautifully carved screen. At the same 
time all the whistles are heard in the room. A few hours after this 
the marching-song of the Cannibal is started. The drum is beaten 
in a five-part rhytlm:i,- and he comes forward and dances. This 
time he wears no mask, only around his neck a heavy ring of cedar 
bark dyed red, on his head a ring of cedar bark about six inches wide, 
and on his hands and feet bark rings about four inches wide. While 
he is dancing around the fire, some one says, 'Now get ready!' 
and all the people who are covered bj' the matting make ready to 
run out. As soon as the singers mention the name of Ilaialilaqs, 
he becomes excited, throws olf his grizzly-bear skin and his rings, 
and rushes against the people. Then his attendants take hold of 
him again and allow him to bite them, men as well as women. During 
this time the people rim out. After four days more, the members of 
the Caimibal Society make another pole hke the first one, and place 
it above the door of their house, and they stretch a rope ( ?) ^ thirty 
or forty feet across the street to keep the people away from the door 
of their house. If any one should walk under this rope outside of 
their hall, they catch him, take him in, and kill him, if he does not 
join their society. If he is not killed and does not promise to join the 
society, one of his relatives will die in his place. 

■ This passage in Mr. Tate's description is not quite clear. 

VIJ J /! J J /I etc. 

3 This passage is not quite clear. It may be that a pole is stretched across the street. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 549 

"iVf ter four days more, xevy early in the morning, the members of 
the company sing for nearly two hours. At the end of the songs 
they continue to beat their drums and planks for a little while. 
Then they pause and beat again. This is repeated foux times. The 
fourth time they beat a little longer, and end with four sharp raps. 
Then the novice comes out of his room, wearing his grizzly-bear 
blanket and his cedar-bark ruags. This time his head-ring is mixed 
with white cedar bark. He goes down to the beach accompanied 
by ten princes; and they sit down there, their faces turned towards 
the village. They sit there for half a day, although it is winter. 
When they arrive, all the people go in, each into his owii house, 
and the members of the society go back to their own house. They 
take away the pole, and the novice is hidden in his room. There he 
stays for nearly a month. Then the other people may re-enter 
the house. When those who hve there and do not belong to tlie 
society eat food, they alwaj's throw a spoonful on the fire, saying, 
'Now, great supernatural power, eat this food first!' If they do 
not do so, the supernatural power of the novice becomes angry, 
and the whistle begins to blow, and the voice of the novice is heard. 
Then all his attendants assemble around him. He comes out of his 
room and goes about from house to house, as before. 

"He also becomes excited if any one mentions the word 'ghost.' 
Then he will go back into the woods and come back, as before. 
Therefore the common people do not use the term 'ghost' or 'dead 
people,' but speak of them as 'ripe sahnonberries,' so that the 
supernatural power may not get excited. 

"After a month the novice invites the members of his society, and 
they announce that the screen shall be removed. Then he sits 
among the people. His wife sits beside him; but he never utters a 
word, and must not talk to Ms wife. He just looks into the fire 
the whole day long. He weai-s neither shirt nor moccasins, only a 
grizzly-bear skin. After twenty days more he invites all the members 
of his society. Tlien they announce that he may whisper to his 
wife and to other people, and it is also announced that his cedar-bark 
rmgs are to be made smaller. JiSter another twenty days he invites 
the members of his society, and gives them much food and jjropertv. 
It is announced that his red cedar-bark rings are to be made still 
smaller, and that he may wear shirt and moccasins, and that he may 
►talk louder to the people. 

"At the end of the winter montlis tliey say that he is free of aU 
taboos. In the springtime he invites all the members of his society, 
throws away all his cedar-bark rings, then the common people are 
free to talk to him and to mention the word 'ghost,' and to dance 
freely." 



550 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn :;i 

According to Mr. Tate, the Dog Eaters belong to LEg-e'''x. The 
name of the supernatural power is Hanatana; the name of the society, 
No'lEm. He describes the ceremony as follows : 

"The supernatural power comes down to the roof of the chief's house 
with great noise. It passes through the roof while the whistles are 
sounding, and the chief falls flat to the ground. Blood streams out 
of his mouth, because the supernatural power has gone straight to 
his heart. Tlien the whole society assemble around him, and the_v 
cany him from house to house. Finally they are supposed to blow 
him into the air by shouting. Tlien they aU go to their own house. 

"The chief has now disappeared, and after ten days he goes down 
to the house of some chief in another tribe. Each time he does so he 
catches two or tliree dogs, and then goes back into the woods. After 
ten daj^s more he a])pears in his own village, shouting, "Ewumdm 
mam, mam, gap, gap, gap, gap!" a terrible whistle is heard, and the 
people of each house give him one dog. If there are no dogs in a 
house, the people give him five elk skins in place of the dog. After 
he has gone through the A'iUage, he goes back to his home in the 
woods. Each night he comes down to some house, for he is hungry 
for dogs. 

"After ten days he appears on the beach in front of liis own village. 
A large eagle takes liim tliere. He appears very early in the morning. 
He is quite nakeil. Then the whole Dog-Eater Society asseml^le in 
then own hoase and sing thek songs. Mter two songs, they come 
out — men, women, and cliildren — with wooden drums, and carrying 
a plank, on wliich time is beaten. They sing wliile they are going 
down to the beach. A liigh prince carries a live dog in liis hands, 
gomg in front of the rest of the memliers of the society. When they 
come to the. novice, he looks at the society, and the prince throws 
the live dog at Imn. He catches it before it falls down, tears its l)ack, 
and eats it before he goes up to the %dllage. B}^ tliis time the large 
eagle has vanished. Then he goes up to the village surrounded ])y the 
members of liis company, who are singing. Before he enters the first 
hoiise, he catches a dog and eats it. Thus they go from house to 
house, and in every one he catches a dog. Then they take liim to 
their own house. 

"After several hours he comes out again and catches some more 
dogs. This is repeated several times during the day. 

"In the evenmg they borrow some chief's house to show that the 
novice has come back. Then all the people assemble; and when 
they are all in, they have a performance similar to that of the Canni- 
l^als. Tlae novice eats a dog, which he carries on his arms. His face 
is smeared with dog's blood, and his mouth is full of dog meat. 
Then they go back to their own house and put up a pole as a sign to 
warn away the common people. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 551 

''After four days the society calls the people to their own house. 

"Before this time the chief of the Dog Eaters has mvited all the 
chiefs and princes from every tribe that belong to the same society, 
and they come on this daj^ one by one. They enter the house through 
the roof, not through the door, and ever}- one catches a dog when he 
arrives. 

"If a person loves his dog, ho puts a ring of cedar bark, red and 
wlute, arotmd its neck, and the owner gives some food to the Dog 
Eaters. Then they will spare the dog. 

" Wlien the Dog Eaters are all assembled m tlieh house, the chiefs 
antl piinces of each tribe sing each his own song, and each Ijeats his 
own dnim. All these songs are sung at the same time. No common 
peo])le are allowed to enter the house. Two or three hours after the 
singing some one rans out and calls all the ])eople. They all enter; 
and as they sit down on the floor, they are readj- to ran out at any 
moment. Now the Ddg Eaters begin to sing; and the great chief 
goes out firet with a mask on his head rej)resentmg a bird ^^'ith a veiy 
long biU, about twentj- feet long. Four dogs' heads are attached to 
the bill. On toji is a special comjiartment covered with dogs' heads. 
These are the heads of the dogs which he has eaten during his initia- 
tion. Each chief and each prince has his own mask. After the song 
they all go to their room, which is screened off from the rest of the 
house. Then another Dog-Eater's song is simg, and they all come 
forward, carrying a dog or jiart of a dog. The chief Dog Eater enters 
last, carrying a large dog, and during the song they all eat of their 
dogs. 

"Some females belong to this compan}-. They also apjiear without 
blankets, but they wear a skirt woven of red and white cedar bark. 

"After they have eaten the dogs, they come out again, wearing 
grizzly-bear blankets. The singers sing a marching-song, and the 
chief dancer goes around the fire, his hands first stretched upward. 
The chiefs, princes, and j)rincesses ai'e all dancing: When, in the 
song, the word 'dog eater' is uttered, they all get excited. If this 
happens while the dancer appears \\'ith the mask on, the dog heads 
begin to howl, and all the chiefs and princes begin to shout. Drums 
are beaten, and dogs are heard to howl. Then all the comcgion people 
ran out as quickly as possible. If any one mentions the word 'dog' 
by mistake, they also become excited; therefore the dogs are called 
'beasts of the field.'" 

Mr. Tate says about the Destroyer dance, which is called Wi'nanal, 
that it is fit only for young people, not for old people, because they 
need much strength in breaking houses, canoes, and boxes. The 
protector of this dance is Txa-g'a'xsEm lax-ha'. 

"The sujiernatural power of this dance suddenly comes ujion the 
eldest son of Chief LEge'°x, whose name is Sa°ks. He is the nephew 



552 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. an-\. :!1 

of Chief Dzeba'sa, and liis successor: therefore his father made a high 
position for him, and gave him his first supernatm-al power, 
Txa-g"a'xsEm lax-ha'. 

"While the prince is walking on the beach, the supernatural power 
suddenly comes to him, takes him by the head, and drags him along 
with great noise and blowing of terrible whistles. Then all the mem- 
bers of the society assemble on the beach and sing songs. After two 
songs they give a great shout, and say that the ])rince has gone up 
to the house of Chief Sun. Thereujion LEge'^x kills one of his slaves 
or sets him free. While the novice is away, the voice of the slave is 
heard night and day in the woods. This continues until ten days 
are over, when the novice is expected back from the sky. Veiy early 
in the morning, after ten days, a great swan is seen coming from the 
sea, carrying the novice on its back. At the same time the whistles 
of the swan are heard. Then the whole society gather in their house, 
and they go out in two canoes t« meet him. Long boards are put 
across the canoes, forming a platform. They take a wooden drum 
along, and sing aU the way "ndiile they are going to meet the novice. 
Slowly they draw nearer and nearer to the swan which carries him. 
When they reach the swan, they take the novice off from its back, 
and the swan disappear from the eyes of the people. Only its 
voice is heard among the whistles. Its voice is that of Txa-g'a'xsEm 
lax-ha'. Then the people in the canoes sing again and turn back. 
One of them warns the people on the beach, shouting, 'Be careful, 
because the great supernatural power has taken him away!' As 
soon as he has spoken, the voice of Txa-ga'xsEm lax-ha' is heard 
among the people. They all run awaj', and the members of the 
society land. The novice jumps ashore, takes a club, and breaks the 
house doors, boxes and canoes. Then he goes to the houses of the 
chiefs of other tribes; and one wiU give him a lai^e good canoe, 
another one a beautifully cai-ved box, and others large carved wooden 
dishes and other expensive things, to break. Finally he goes back 
to the house of his society. 

" On the same evening he announces to all the people that there will 
be a performance in the house of one of the chiefs. When all the 
peo]ile are in the house which was selected by LEge'°x, the father of 
the novice, for the performance, the voice of the novice is heard by 
the people. The sound of many whistles is heard afterwards; and 
he strikes the walls of the house, shouting, "Hi, M, M, hi!" The 
women of the society come in first, with red-cedar bark round their 
heads, twisted red-cedar bark rings around their necks, and they stand 
on each side of the house. When they are all in, a song begins ; and 
the uovice wall« arormd, carrying a club on his shoiilder. The 
women are walking to and fro, each group on their own side of the 
fire, each carrj-ing a clapper, which they shake in the right hand 
This clapper is held between the second and tliird fingers; and whdo 



B0A3] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 553 

it is being shaken, tliey hold part of then- loose l)lanket under the 
clapper (?). If some woman should break one side of the clapper, 
she must pay the novice, or the initiation performance is repeated.' 
If she does not do tliis, she wUl die. After this is over, the members 
of the society go back to then- house. They put up a beautiful pole 
above the door, indicating that no one may go past. For four days 
the novice w'dl nm out from time to time and break one thins or 
another. After the foiu- daj's are over, the niembere of the society 
announce that they wiU have a performance in their own house. 
Before tliis the novice had mvited all the princes and prmcesses who 
belong to the same society. The}' assemble on the appointed day; 
and when the time has come, each prince comes with his whole com- 
pany from each of the varioiis tribes; and when they assemble, they 
break whatever they can lay theu- hands on in LEg-e'°x's village. On 
the same night the performance is held in the house of the society. 
The people sit all round the house ; and when the fu-st song is simg, 
the prmces and princesses wlio are membere of the Society come out 
first, last the novice. The niask of the novice represents the swan. 
Each of the other princes and princesses has as his mask the head of 
some animal. One has a niask representing the frog; another, one 
representing a serpent, the sun, and so on. 

" Wlien the second song is sung, all the princes and princesses come 
forward, wearing bear skins, and rings of red-cedar bark aroimd their 
necks and on their heads. They carry on their shoulders clubs of 
different form. The club of the novice represents a beaver tail; 
others have clubs representing the fins of Idller whales; others, the 
bni of a crane, the sunbeam, or a raven bill. 

"Wlien the singers pronounce the word 'Wi'nanal,'^ all the mem- 
bei-s of the society become excited, and they try to break somethuig 
in theii- house. Then everybody rushes out. On the following day 
the great chief gives a feast, wliich all the members of the society 
attend. He gives them m\ich property, and every one retiu-ns to liis 
own house. They spend four days in the house of the society. 
After this each goes to his own house, singing his own song. After 
foiu" days more the father of the novice (that is, LEg'e'°x) invites all 
the chiefs of the different tribes, and reftmds the value of what his 
son has broken in each one's house. At the same time he gives 
them a great feast. Aft<?r four days more, LEge'°x invites his o^vn 
tribe, and refunds the value of what his son has destroyed. Then 
he also refunds the value of what liis cousins who were members of 
the society had broken when they came, followuig the invitation of 
the novice. " Then he gives a feast to his owni jjeople — men, women, 
and cluldren." 

' I am not certaiL whether I understand this sentence in Mr. Tate's account correctly. For illustra- 
tions of these clappers, see Boas 5. p. 502. 
^ Probably Kwakiutl wina, "war; " -lal, "dance." 



554 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. ann. 31 

The ceremonies ending the performances of tliis society are similar 
to those of the Cannibals. After four days the novice invites his 
society; and after the food has been served, they sing their songs, 
beat the drum and the boards. After fom- final raps, the novice 
comes out with the other head men of his society. They walk down 
to the beach slowly, and sit there facing the village. In the evening 
he goes back to his house and retu'es behmd liis screen. On the fol- 
lowing morning some man goes out and calls the common people who 
hve m the house to come back. Durmg the time following, the peo- 
ple must not make any noise while the novice Uves in his separate 
room. If there shotdd be a noise of splitting wood, the supernatural 
power would become excited, and tlie novice would break something 
with his club. Then the members of his society would gather around 
him, sing a song, and lead him back to his room. Gradually he takes 
up his normal position, as described before when spealdng of the 
Caimibal. 

At another place Mr. Tate describes the initiation by Txa-g-a'xsEm 
lax-ha' in some detail. On p. 514 (he general conditions of the pot- 
latch in which supernatural powers were thrown into novices has been 
described. This initiation was said to take place at the same time. 

"The people shout, 'Txa-ga'xsEm lax-ha', put your supernatural 
power into this uninitiated child!' Then the chief dances, shakes 
his rattle, and the drummer beats the drum rapidly. At the end of 
this solo a man says, 'Now Chief LEge'°x's son has been lost.' 
Then the searcher goes aroimd among the people, but they do not 
find him. Therefore they take a large wooden lacDe, fill it with 
oil, which they pour into the fire, and they also put re<l ocher and 
eagle down into the lire as an offering. The one who performs this 
act shouts, looking upward to the smoke hole, saying, 'Now, great 
supernatiu'al one, Txa-g-a'xsEm lax-ha', come, and turn yoiu face this 
way!' He shouts this fom- times, and the whistle of Txa-g-a'xsEm 
lax-ha' is heard by the people outside the house. Then one of 
LEge"'x's relatives says to the people, 'Now, my dear people, let us 
sing!' As soon as they begin to sing, the whistle of Txa-ga'xsEm 
lax-ha' is heard approaching the door, until one of the chief's people 
says, 'I will go out to look.' Soon he comes back and says, 'Yes, 
it is he who is singing there.' Then the song-leader tells the singers, 
men and women, to keep on singing, and they sing as loud as they 
can. Then the great supernatmal power Txa-ga'xsEm lax-ha' ap- 
pears in the door and enters. His body is small, his face larger than 
the body. He wears long gray hair, and liis face is wrinkled. The 
singers continue to sing, clapping their hands, and the beatmg of the 
drmn continues. The supernatural power goes aroimd the fire as 
the sun moves. After he has passed around the fire four times, he 
goes to the cliief who is to be the successor of his (the chief's) uncle. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 555 

He takes liim by the head, drags him around the fire twice, and then 
drags him out of tlie house. The singers stop singing, and all the 
cliiefs and piinces and princesses go out following him. Outside they 
take the novice away, and shout, saj-ing that he has been taken up, 
that he has Hown to the sk}'. For fom- full daj-s and nights he is 
supposed to stay in the sky. On the fifth morning some animal brings 
the novice back to the vOlage in front of the beach, so that all the 
common people can see him. Although it is midwinter, he is naked. 
After this the novice has the right to take his uncle's place when he 
dies." 

The names of the various powers belonging to each subgroup have 
been enumerated on p. 513. I will give here a description of some of 
these powers as mentioned incidentally here and there b}' Mr. Tate. 

Dilogil (Boiling Words). — It has a body hke that of a dog. The 
chief did not wear it on his face or on his head, because the mask had 
its own body, and it was considered a very terrible object. Its whistle 
was very hard to blow. Nobody now knows how to do it. It is not 
blown with the mouth, but it is squeezed on a certain mark on the 
whistle. All they knew about this being was that it was hving in a 
rock of the mountain. They had a song of this mask. It was always 
kept hidden, and no common people knew about it, only the children 
of the head chief and the chikh-en ' of the head man of Dzeba'sa's 
tribe. The chUdi-en were very much afraid to hear the voice of 
Boiling Words. It was a very terror among the common people, and 
it was a great cause of pride among the princes and piincesscs to be 
allowed to touch it. It was very expensive to obtain the right to 
use it. This mask was made during the time or a httle before the 
arrival of the white people here. Before th'> white people met the 
chief Dzeba'sa on the ship, they made the mask with stone axes and 
beaver-tooth knives. Many chiefs who had used the masks have died. 

Man-ls-ga'cium lax-ha' (Who Was The First To Go Up To Heaven) 
is supposed to Hve in heaven, and he is called upon to open the sk}^ 
and to let the power of the sky come down and initiate the chief's 
chilch'en and nephews. 

Kahengan is said to be a ver}' strong animal wliich hved before 
the Deluge. It is similar to a grizzly bear. 

Wa-ts! em-mo' (Without Ears). — When he enters, the people call 
him by name four times, but he does not pay any attention. One 
chief after another approaches him and asks him to dance, but he 
does not reply. Finally one chief says, "I wiU see if he has any 
ears." Finally a young child of high rank calls him. Then he 
answers, "Haie," a chief's word meaning "yes." Then all the people 
shout, clap their hands, and begin to beat the drums. It is said 

1 T do not know whether the children or nephews are meant hero. According to what has been said on 
p. 514, possibly the children are really meant. 



556 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ANN. 31 

that this supernatm-al power is used for all children of high rank in 
all the tribes, in order to impress upon them that they shall not 
answer any one quickly who should offend them. 

Ale'st (Lazy). — When the supernatural power Ale'st is called, he 
does not rise, because he is lazy. Therefore one of the chief's own 
relatives goes ttf lift him, but does not succeed in doing it. Other 
chiefs take poles and put them imder him, trj-ing to lift him up. 
After many misuccessful efforts a whistle is heard outside. The song- 
leader takes his cane and starts his song, and a masked person comes 
in carrj-ing a beautiful cane in his hands. He holds one end of the 
cane in his left hand over his loft shoukler, and puts down the lower 
end with his right hand. Thus he walks around the fire four times. 
Then he goes towards Ale'st, and puts his beautiful cane under him, 
trying to Uft laim. As soon as the luasked person does so, aU the 
people imitate his actions. When he stoops down, thoy stoop do^vn; 
and when the mask blows its whistle, aU the people utter a soft a; 
and when the masked person bends backward, they do the same, 
uttering softly e. The mask repeats its movements four times, and 
so do the people. Then Ale'st arises, and the masked person strikes 
the ground mth his cane four times, and at once all the whistles are 
heard. Afterwards the chief sings Ids solo, as described before. 

LEgEl-gulagum lax-ha' (Crack Of Heaven). — When LEgEl-gulagum 
lax-ha' is called, the ciu-tain is witlidrawai, the song-leader begins the 
song, and the chief appears wearing the mask. He goes around the 
fLre foiu- times, and then stops at the same place where he came out. 
Suddenly the face of the mask parts, and each side of the face hangs 
down; only the middle part of the face remains in position. Then 
the face closes up again. This is repeated four times. Tlio fourth 
time the mask opens, "it makes the large house crack. One side of 
the large house moves backward from the other. It goes with the 
half of the large lire, and the whole congregation is still sitting on 
both sides. The roof is asunder, and the largo beams go backward. 
This' is the great wonderful enchantment among these chiefs in the 
Tsimshian nation. It is not often shown, only in the house of the 
great chief LEge'^x." ' When the mask closes the last time, the 
house comes togetlier again slowly. 

Lu-na-gisEm gad (Changing Mind). — When Lu-na-gisEm gad ap- 
pears, one mask representing a man stands on the right-hand side of 
the house, that of the woman on the left-hand side. The two masks 
have one song, because they belong together. As soon as the name 
of the mask is mentioneil in the song, the faces of both of them 
change. The man's mask becomes a woman's mask, and the woman's 
mask a man's mask. This is repeated fom* times; and while this 
change in the mask goes on, ' ' the people of the chief's tribe change 

1 1 quote here from Mr. Tate almost literally, because the description is not clear. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 557 

their faces also. Men have women's faces, and women have men's 
faces, diu-ing the singing. This is the work aiul the power of IjU-na- 
gisEni gad." ^ 

MdJu (Moving Quickly). — When this supernatural power is called, 
the chief jumps up anil says, "Now cverj-body must move." Then 
aU the people j\mip up and shout " Whoo!" That means "go ahead!" 
They sit down again. The chief sings his solo, accompanied by his 
rattle antl one whistle of Mala. Then the mask comes out. Its eyes 
move around wliile the wearer is walking around the fire. 

Txa-ld'ksgum lax-ha' {Xl\ The Lights Of Heaven) . — When this power 
is called, the chief sings his solo. The whistle of the mask is heard. 
The chief swings his rattle, and the drum is being beaten quickly. 
At the end of the solo the chief is hid(Uui beMnd the curtain; and 
when the ciu'tain is -withiLrawn and the singing resxmied, the chief 
comes forward with his face blackened with charcoal made of cedar, 
wearing on his head a representation of the ears of a grizzly bear 
with long hair on top. He also wears a grizzly-bear blanket, dancing- 
apron, and leggings. He shakes liis head going aromid the fire, while 
the drum is being beaten. "The song of this enchantment is very 
hard beating (all the time). Some beats are two at a time, and some 
beats quick as the rolling of thimder; and the chief's head moves 
according to the beatuig of the drum. These people sing louder than 
any one else among the Tsimshian." ' The chief goes around, look- 
ing sharply into every face. When he reaches the front of the large 
fire, he takes up something from the ground and hides it imder his 
grizzly-bear blanket. After he has gone around the fii-e, he shows 
the people the representation of a large piece of quartz about eighteen 
inches long. At the end of the song he tlu-ows his song into one of 
the princes. 

Txal-ks-ga'gum lax-ha' (First Of Heaven). — This is the first super- 
natural power that is called in the ceremonial of initiation. They 
call it with the words "Great power Txal-ks-ga'gimi lax-ha', open 
the powers of heaven for the supernatural helpers of these great 
chiefs!" Then this chief sings his solo, walks towards the door of the 
house carrying a beautiful cane in his right luxnd, which is given by 
the chief who invites all the other chiefs. Then he walks slowly 
around the fire, uttering a long shout, "OM!" When he reaches the 
place from wliich ho started, he stands there and takes a rest, while 
all the people shout, "Hi, hi!' ' Duiing this time the chum is beaten and 
the people clap their hands, entUng their shouts with four raps and 
short cries of 'III, hi, hi, hi!' ' Then the chief starts again, walks aromid 
the fire as before. This is repeated fom' times. After the last time, 
he raises his face to Heaven, opens his mouth, and shouts, wMle he 
is turning arovmd four times where he stands. Then the people take 

1 1 quote here from Mr. Tate almost literally, because the description is not clear. 



558 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY , [bth. ann. 31 

up the shout, with, the beatiug of the drum and the clapping of hands. 

This is repeated four times. The chief now sings, "Hu'iitgul lax-haya!" 

That means ' ' This is the call from Heaven." ( ?) After ho has danced, 

he says, ' ' Now the supernatural powers of heaven are ready to come 

down." 

Shamanism 

The loftier ideas centering in the beUef in the power of heaven and 
the etliical concepts connected with it are only a small part of the 
rcUgious behefs of the Tsimsluan. More important in their daily life 
was their belief in shamanism. 

Mr. Tate writes in regard to this subject as follows: 
"When a person is sick, then the wife or the husband of the sick one 
will offer much property to the male shaman to treat the patient. 
Then the male shaman assembles all his shaman friends, sometimes 
ten or eighteen, and they all go to the house where the sick pei-son 
is. One of them canies a large bag in which the shaman's imple- 
ments are kept, and another one carries a round skin drum con- 
sisting of a hoop over wliich a drumhead is spanned on one side, 
while on the opposite side two crossing skin straps are spanned 
which form a handle. Then they all enter, and sit down on one 
side of the house, the shaman at the head of the patient. He 
opens his bag containuig the rattles and takes out his rattle and 
dancing-apron first, the crown of grizzly-bear claws, and the figures 
of various kinds of animals made of bone or stone, also a small 
leather bag containing red ochcr, wliich he puts on his face; and 
he hands the ocher to his companions, and all paint their faces. 
The shaman also puts eagle down on liis head, and hands it to his 
companions, and they all do hkewise. Then he puts on his apron 
and his crown of giizzly-bear claws, hangs the figures of animals 
aromid his neck, and takes liis rattle in liis right hand. Then he 
takes out his small vessel, and some one pours cohl water into it. The 
shaman, who is naked, dips the fingers of his left hand into the cold 
water, puts the fingers into his mouth, and blows the water on the 
bare body of the patient. He only wears his apron. Then he begins 
to work. He calls upon all his supernatural helpers, saying, 'Save 
him, save him!' and his companions repeat what he has said. They 
all beat time with the batons wliich they have in their hands, and the 
drummer beats his drum. The shaman repeats this four times, and 
the singers do the same. Again he dips his fingers into the cold water 
and blows it over the body of the patient. Then the shaman sings 
his fu'st song, and his partners sing with him. They beat their batons, 
and the drummer beats his drum. While the first and second songs 
which the shaman has given out are being sung, be works around the 
patient, shaking his rattle, wliich he holds in his right hand. His 
eyes are closed, and liis left hand is raised, with the palm toward the 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 559 

patient. Thus he dances around the fire. A female shaman is 
seated at the foot of the patient, wearing her crown of grizzly-bear 
claws. She also wears a necklace of carved figures of animals, has 
a rattle in her right hand, which she shakes hghtly. Her eyes are 
closed, and she also holds her left hand raised toward the patient. 
Thus they continue through six or seven songs. Then the shaman 
rests and tells liis vision. If he tells the people who called him that 
the patient will get well, they are glad; or if he has to say that he 
can not be cured, the relatives of the sick one give him more property. 
Thus he comes with his party every day. 

"If the patient dies, the shamans return everytliing that they 
have received from the relatives of the sick one. 

"If in his vision tlie sliaman saw the soul of the patient close to a 
body in the graveyard, the relatives of the sick one in^^to more than 
eight or ten shamans to come with the principal one, and also two 
or four female shamans. They start to work early in the everdng. 
All the male shamans put on their crowTis of grizzly-bear claws and 
wear their dancing-aprons and their necklaces, and have the rattles 
in the right hand. Thus they march around the fh-e in the house 
where the sick person lies. The four female shamans sit down, two 
on each side of the patient — one on each side of the head, and one 
on each side of the feet. They also wear then- crowns of gi-izzly-l)oar 
claws, and each has a rattle in the right hand. Wlule the male sha- 
mans are marching around the fire, the female shamans shake their 
rattles which they hold in the right hand, and hold a white eagle 
tail in the left hand with wluch to fan away the disease. Thus they 
try to bring back the soul of the sick one from the dead body in the 
grave. The ten male shamans have their faces blackened M-ith char- 
coal. They are dressed only with their dancmg-aprons. After they 
have finished marchuig around the fire, all the male shamans go out ; 
but the singers remain in the house, singing, and tlie four women 
continue to fan away the sickness. Then the male shamans go to 
the graveyard, leading four lads, each of whom holds a torch to light 
the way. Wlien they reach the graveyard they stand around the 
place where the corpse is. They continue to rattle, and at a given 
signal they aU strike the ground with their rattles. The females 
remaining in the house also strike the ground with their rattles. The 
singers keep on singing a tune which moves in a four-part rhythm. 
Then the principal shaman drops his rattle, takes up the soul of the 
patient in both of his hands, which he holds close together, and goes 
back from the grave with closed hands. The second man takes one 
rattle in each hand, and all the rest march along behind them. Tlie 
man who has caught the soul gives a signal to the four women before 
he enters. All those who had been to the graveyard march aroiuid the 
fii'e four times, as they did before they went out. Then the princijial 



560 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

shaman puts the soul of the patient on his own liead to give it strength. 
After four days the soul of the patient gets better through contact 
with the head of the principal shaman. Tlien he assembles all his 
comjjanions. Tliey dance around the patient, and finally the leader 
takes the soul of the sick one from his own head and puts it on the 
head of the patient ; and lie orders all the people who live in the same 
house where tlie sick one is to keep silent for four days, else the soul 
might fly away and the patient might die. 

"Sometimes the soul of a sick person is swallowed by a shaman. 
No one must pass behind or in front of a shaman while he is eating, 
lest liis soul be swallowed by him. Therefore all the people are 
afraid of both male and female shamans. 

"The sign that a person's soul has been swallowed by a shaman is 
that his nose is bleeding all the time. WTien a shaman sees in a 
vision that the soul of a sick person has been swallowed by another 
shaman, the two are called to sit down by the side of the patient — 
the. one who swallowed the soul at the foot end; the other one at 
the head. And while the shamans are singing, the one who is to 
cure the patient strikes the back of the shaman who has swallowed the 
soul of the sick one with his rattle which he is holding with his right 
hand, and he strikes his stomach with his left hand. lie strikes hard 
and moves both of Ids hands upward until the shaman who has 
swallowed the soul opens his mouth. Immediately the other shaman 
throws away his rattle, puts both hands into the mouth, and takes 
out the soul of the sick one. Then the other shaman vomits blood. 
The shaman who is about to cure the patient puts the soul on Ids 
own head, and after four days he returns it to the patient, who then 
recovers. 

"Wlien a shaman believes that a disease is going to \'isit a village, 
he will sing his song at midnight to warn his or her people of the 
coming of the disease. Thus they invite in all the people of the 
village; and when they are in the house, the shaman opens his 
rattle-bag, takes out a small leather bag filled with red ocher, and 
passes it around among aU the people in the house to paint their 
faces — men, women, and children. After all the people have pamted 
then faces, tlie shaman takes a dried sea-lion bag filled with eagle 
down, and passes it about among the people to put the down on their 
heads." 

Mayne (pp. 289-295) prints the following description of shamanistic 
practices given to him by Mr. Duncan: 

I am led to conclude that these medical practitioners are, for the most part, those 
who have themselves been visited with some serious sickness, and have recovered; or 
else have been, at some time in their lives, exposed to great peril, but have escaped 
uninjured. For instance, if a man or woman is taken in a fit, and remains motionless 
for so long that they are concluded dead, should such a one ultimately recover, that is 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAX SOCIETY 561 

the person who is regarded as competent to deal with diseases; for it is believed, that, 
during the period of unconsciousness, supernatural power and skill were vouchsafed 
them; and also, by their recovering, it is concluded that they have successfully 
resisted the effects of bad medicine, or the evil workings of some malevolent being. 
Still I do not mean to say that all their doctors arise from these circumstances, but 
mostly so. I believe that any slirewd or eccentric man may, by fasting, successfully 
prognosticating, or otherwise acting so as to excite the superstitious reverence of the 
people in his favor, secure a footing in this lucrative profession. 

Next, as to the means employed by the doctors to recover patients. Fur pains in 
the body they employ a bag of hot ashes, after first placing a damp cloth on the skin. 
If the patient is afflicted with a pain in the head, they strike him on the place with 
small branches of the spruce tree. For wounds they have a salve, but they seldom 
use it except in bad cases; the most ordinary method is simply to place a quantity of 
gum over the lips of the wound to keep them closed. For most of the diseases which 
afflict them, they have some herb or decoction which they give as a counteractant. 

But the chief thing relied upon and resorted to, in case of failure of other means, 
is incantation. The instrument used is a rattle, generally in the shape of a bird or a 
frog, in the body of which a few small stones are placed.' This is whirled about the 
patient while a song is sung. Occasionally the doctor applies his ear, or his mouth, 
to the place where the pain or disorder chiefly rests. It is also very common, at this 
stage, to make incisions where the pain is felt, or to apply fire to the place by means of 
burning tinder made of dried wild flax. If relief follows these measures, the doctor 
asserts that he has extracted the foul substance that has done the mischief; which 
substance is supposed by them to be the bad or poisonous medicine some e\dl-disposed 
one had silently inserted into the invalid's body. At such an announcement made by 
the doctor, the patient, and the patient's friends, overjoyed at his success, liberally 
present him with such property as they have got. If, however, a relapse ensues, and 
the invalid dies, the doctor returns every particle of the property he has received. 
When no relief follows the first trial, a more furious attack is made another time. If 
stiU without effect, there is but little hope of the patient's recovery. 

Another curious matter connected with these operations is that when the doctor 
has got pretty warm in his work, he boldly asserts that he can see the soul of the patient, 
if it is present. For this he shuts his eyes for some time, and then pronounces his 
sentence. Either the soul is in its usual place, which is a good sign; or it is out of its 
proper place, and seems wanting to take its flight, which makes the patient's case 
doubtful; or else it has flown away, in which case there is no hope for the invalid's 
recovery. The bold deceiver does not even hesitate to tell the people that the soul 
is like a fly in shape, with a long curs'ed proboscis. 

This people ascribe nearly all their bodily afflictions, and most deaths, to the secret 
working of malevolent persons. This being the case, when any person dies — if 
of any importance amongst them — and especially if suddenly, the friends of the de- 
ceased fix upon some one as the cause, either a slave, or a stranger just arrived in the 
camp, or, more probably still, a person with whom the deceased has lately quarreled. 
\\'hoever the victim is, however, whether man or woman, nothing short of his or her 
life will satisfj' the bereaved persons. They believe in two ways an e^dl-disposed 
person may effect his purpose. One is by placing some bad medicine in the meat or 
drink of his -idctim, or, if sick, by persuading the indi\'idual to drink a poisonous 
draught. The other way is by magic, and this is by far the most common method 
they suppose. In this case they say that the deadly substance is transmitted from 
the hand of the destroyer to the body of his victim, without the latter ha^-ing any 
perception of the event. . . . 

1 1 have seen these rattles made of the bills of the horned puffin, three or four dozen being strung together. — 

M.IYXE. 

50633°— 31 ETH— IG 30 



562 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

If one Indian is vexed with another, the most effectual way of showing his displeas- 
\irc, next to killing him, is to say to him (what would be in English), " By and by, you 
ivilldie." Not unfrequently the poor \-ictim thus marked becomes so terrified that the 
prediction is verified. When this is the case, the friends of the deceased say that 
they have no doubt about the cause, and therefore (if they are able to meet the contest 
which may ensue) the prognosticator, on the first opportunity, is shot for his passionate 
language . 

The young man named Clah, whom I have had to assist me in Tsimshian, only a 
little time before I came, shot a woman, because by some silly expression she excited 
his belief that it was owing to her e\dl influence a piece of wood, which was being 
carried by some Indians, fell from their shoulders and seriously hurt one of them, a 
relative of his. Now I hear that this woman's son (although Clah has paid him oO 
blankets) is watching his oi)p()rtimity to revenge her death. Thus is the stream of 
murder fed from time to time. 

Shaniaiiistic practices are also resorted to for the purpose of 
obtaining an ample food supply. Mayne (p. 259) writes in regard 
to this: 

It is common enough for an Indian living by his wits to circulate a report, some weeks 
before the commencement of the lish or berry season, that ho has had a dream of a large 
crop of berries, or influx of salmon to some particular spot, which he will disclose for 
a certain present. He will then go through various ceremonies, such, for instance, 
as walking about at night in lonely places; taking care that it shall be publicly known 
that he is "working on the hearts of the fish" to be abundant during the coming season. 
His supposed influence over the weather and the inclination of the lish are so readily 
credited that he will in all probability command large prices for his pretended infor- 
mation and intercession. A canoe's crew will often give a third of their first haul to 
the "fish-priest" to propitiate him, and ensure good luck for the rest of the season. 
The prophet of course takes care to send them to a place where fish are generally 
found in abundance; and, even should they be unsuccessful, it is easy for him to 
a.ssert that they have done something to offend the Spirits. The habits of the fish 
themselves, perhaps, tend to the prevalence of such superstititious fancies; as they 
will often quit particular places altogether for a season, or for several years. Old 
women, also, often obtain much influence from the profession of second-sight and the 
power of foretelling births, deaths, marriages, famines, etc. Dreams are generally 
used as their machinery for these purposes. They also claim more than tlie gift of 
prtjphecy, and insist that they can prevent people they dislike from sharing in the 
success of the others, and in many ways influence their lives. It is not uncommon 
to see these old witches communicating their dreams to the tribe; men and women 
standing by with open mouths, and impressed wonder-stricken faces. 

Among the Nass tribe quite similar notions in regard to shaman- 
istic powers prevail. Those were described to me as follows:' 

In roph^ to my questions reganling the acquisition of super- 
natural lielpers and the powers of the shaman (halai't), "Chief 
Mountain," who is nowadays a regular attendant at church, gave me 
the following account of his o-\vn experience. Only a man whose 
father was a shaman can become a shaman. When he himself was 
a youth, the supernatural beings {uExno'x) were pursuing him all the 
time. One day a beautiful girl appeared to him, antl he fainted. 

' Boas 1, 1895, pp. 580-581. 



BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 563 

She taught him her soug, which enabled him to make the (dachen 
come in spring, and which is as follows: 

Lawe'l wul hiixha'k!uxl ak'3 al qig'e'wuJ 

Behold "Where meet the waters on the beach. 

G'id-wul-g'itfa'mk" \^^li-16-d'a't qat cak'. 

(Peopleof warm place) where is heart olachen. 

That is, "Behohl where the tides meet at G"id-wul-g-ig-a'mk" are 
many olachen." 

She wanted to have intercoui-se with him. One night she took 
him through a fire, and after that time ho was able to handle fu-e wnth 
impunity. When she loft him, he saw that she had an otter tail. 
Her name was KsEm-wa'tsq ("Land-Otter Woman")- 

She is a helper of the Eagle group. When he gave a festival, lie 
danced with the mask of this helper. He was covered with otter 
skins, and wore claws o^ copper. He moved around the fire like an 
otter, crying, "Uhuid'!" This ceremony is called the SErii-halai'd. 
Later on he saw four other supernatural beings, who had the shape of 
wild-loo Idng men, who wore bear skins and crowns made of the claws 
of bears. They taught him to foresee sickness. At one time the 
G'it-xade'x disbeheved his power over fire. He asked them to build 
a large fire. He threw an iron hoop into it, moistened his liands, and 
covered his face, hair, and hands with eagle down. Then he stepped 
barefooted over the glowing embers, took the red-hot hoop, and car- 
ried it through the fire without burning liis hands or his feet. He 
added that a few years ago he repeated this experiment; but as he 
failed and burnt his hands and feet, he gave up his supernatural 
lielper and became a Christian. He also added that many who pre- 
tend to be shamans have no supernatural helpers at all. They can 
not cure or foresee disease. ^Vlien he was called to cure disease, the 
four supernatural men appeared to him and helj>ed him. The}^ told 
him to draw the breath of tlie supernatural being's out of the body 
of the patient. Other shamans suck the disease out of the body. 
His helpere pointed vxxt witches to him, and enabled him to see 
ghosts. A few years ago a number of shamans were dancing in a 
house. Wlien he onterexl, he saw a ghost dancing among them, and 
foretold at once the death of one of the shamans. Indeed, after a 
few houi-s one of them died. The shaman wears stone and bone 
amulets, and does not cut his hair. His appearance is the same as 
that of the Tlingit shaman. 

Distmct from the art of shamanism is witchcraft. I collected the 
following data among the Nass tribe. 

. Witchcraft is practiced by people called Jialda'wlt. They steal a 
portion of a corpse, which they place in a small, long, water-tight 
box. A stick is placed across the middle of the box, and thin threads 



564 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

aro tied to this stick. Tho piece of corpse is placed at the bottom of 
the box, and part of the clothing or liaii- of the person whom tho witch 
desires to bewitch is tied to these strings. If it is in immeiliate 
contact with the bod}', the pereon will die soon; if it is hung a httle 
higher, he will be sick for a long time. If hau' is put into the box 
he will die of headache; if part of a moccasin, his foot will rot; i*" 
saUva is used, he wiU die of consumption. If the pereon is to die at 
once, the haldd'wit cuts the string from which the object is sus- 
pended, so that it drops right on the corpse. This box has a cover, 
and is kept closely tied up. It is kept buried under the liouse cr in 
the woods. iVfter the witch has killed his enemy, he jnust go around 
the house in which the dead one is lying, following the course of the 
sun. iifter his enemy has been buried, he must lie down on the 
grave and crawl around it, again following the course of the sun, 
and attired in the skin of some animal. If he does not do this, he 
must die. Therefore the people watch if they see any one performing 
this ceremony. Then tliey know tliat he is a witch, and he is killed. 
He is not tied and exposetl on the beach at the time of low water, as 
is done by tho Tlingit. Wlien a corpse is burnt, the witch tries to 
secure some of the charred remains, and uses them for painting his 
face. This is supposed to secure good luck. The witches sometimes 
assemble in the woods, particularly when dividmg a body. Then 
they cover their faces with niiisks, so that a person who should 
happen to come near may not know them. If any one should happen 
to see them, they try to catch him and make him a haldd'wit also. 
If he refuses to join them, he is kiUed. Once a man by tho name t f 
Q'am-wa'sk"e was caught in this manner. He pretended to accept, 
and was given a mask. They made a song and sang while he danced — 

Yagaho'de ba'lEqe, 
WU-wula'ns Q'am-wa'sk'e; 

that is, "The ghosts run to the beach on account of the winds of 
Q'am-wa'sk'e." He emitted wind while he was dancing. He 
danced, hidden behind the trees. Then he turned his mask round 
so that it was on his occiput, and matle good his escape. He reached 
his house, told what he had seen, and the witches were killed. 

The similarity between this method of witchcraft and the e'qa of 
the Kwakiutl ' is striking. 

As in olden times cremation was prevalent, tho witches tried to 
secure bodies of persons who had died by accident before they were 
foimd by the friends of the deceased. They sold them among the 
other witches. 

' Boas 1, 1890, p. 612. 



IV. co:mparatr'e study of tsbishiax mythology 

IXTRODUCTOEY 

The present collection contains a series of tales all of which are 
considered by the Tsimshian as myths, and I have used the term in 
this sense. The Tsimshian distinguish clearly between two types of 
stories — the myth {ada'ox) and the tale {ma'lEslc). The latter is 
entirely liistorical in character, although from our point of view it 
may contain supernatural elements. The incidents narrated in tlie 
former are beheved to have hapjiened during tlie time when animals 
appeared in the foi-m of human beings. While ordinarily the dis- 
tinction between the two ij^es of tales is quite clear, there are some 
cases where' the interpretation might be doubtful. In the myth 
animals appear as actors, and vei}" often incidents are mentioned 
which describe the origin of some feature of the present world; but 
incidents of a similar character are not by any means absent from the 
tales. This is j^articularly true in those cases in wliich animals 
appear as individual protectors and in which a supposed revelation 
is used to explain certain customs of the people. Nevertheless the 
fact that incidents of such a tale are an individual experience relating 
to the present period set it off clearly in the mind of the Tsimshian 
from mythological tales. I presume, however, that in course of time 
historical tales may have been embodied in the groups of myths. 

Similar distinctions are made by all the other tribes of the North 
Pacific coast. I mention here only the terms nu'yatn of the Kwakiutl, 
ilclanam of the Cliinook, and spEfa'M of the Tliompson Indians, wliich 
designate myths in the sense here given as opposed to tales belong- 
ing to the present period. It should be remembered that in the 
mind of the Indian it is not the reUgious, ritualistic, or explanatory 
character of a tale that makes it a myth, but the fact that it per- 
tains to a period when the world was chfferent from what it is now. 
It seems to my mind advantageous to adopt this objective defini- 
tion of myth as felt by the natives, rather than any of the many 
defuiitions based on a subjective standpoint. If it should be ob- 
jected that by doing so I extend my inquiry over and beyond the 
domain of myths, as defined l)y various groups of investigators, I 
may point out that I am discussing tales which at the present time 
form a unit in the mind of the Tsimshian, and that this justifies 
their treatment as an objective unit. 

In the present chapter I intend to present a comparative study of 
the Tsimshian myths here recorded, based on the data heretofore 
collected among other tribes of the North Pacific coast. I have made 

565 



566 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



fETH. ANN. 31 



a comparison more particularly with the Tlingit, Haida, and Kwa- 
kiutl tribes, whose mytliologj^ has been studied and published in 
some detail. I have not attempted to carry through the comparison 
in detail over other parts of the continent. 

The followang abbreviations have been used in this chapter: 



Tribes 


Ts 


Tsimshiaii 


N 


Nass 


Tl 


Tlingit 


Tit 


Tahltan 


Tsts 


Ts'Ets'aiit 


Kai 


Kaigani 


M 


Haida i if Masset 


Sk 


Haida of Skidegate 


Hai 


Haida 


H 


Heiltsuq or Bellabella 


BC 


Bellacoola 


Ri 


Rivers lulet 


Ne 


Newettee 


K 


Kwakiutl 


Nu 


Nootka 


Co 


Comox 


Se 


Seshelt 



Tribes 


Cow 


Cowichaii 


Na 


Nanaimo 


Sts 


StSEO'Us 


Squ 


Sqiiamish 


u 


Uta'mqt 


Car 


Carrier 


Chil 


Chilcotiii 


Sh 


Sluiswaj) 


Ntl 


Thompson 


Lil 


Lillooet 


Quin 


Quinault 


Chin 


Chinook 


Kath 


Kathlamet 


Wish 


WLsliram 


Till 


Tillamook 


Esk 


Eskimo 



Tlie sources are indicated in the following way. Abbreviations 
or names for tribes, without number, refer to the Bibhography on 
pp. 39 et seq.: 



Ts References to the present paper 

N Boas 7 

Tl Swanton 5 

Tit Emmons 4 

Tsts Boas 14 

M Swanton 3 

Sk Swanton 1 

Kai Swanton 2 

H ap Appendix I to this paper. 

BC Boas 15 

Ri MS Unpublished material. 



Nu ap 

Se 

U 

Chil 

Sh 

Lil 

Quin 

Chin 

Kath 

Anvik 

Ten 'a 



Appendix I Ic 
Hill-Tout 4 
Teit 3 
Farrand 1 
Teit 4 
Teit 5 
Farrand 2 
Boas 16 
Boas 17 
Chapman 1 
Jette 2 



thi: 



s paper. 



The books most frequently quoted are inchcated by the foll()wiiig 
niim])ers, and refer to the Bibhography on pp. 39 et se(i: 



1. Boas 13 

2. Lutke 

3. Erman 

4. Krause 

5. Boas 4 

6. Beans 



7. Petitot 

8. Swanton 2 

9. Boas 12 

10. Boas 8 

11. Boas 9 



Tales given by various informants, published in the same sources, 
are distinguished by letters, a, I, c, etc. 

Sources for passages taken from various versions are given at the 
end of the respective j)assages. Wliere, on accoiuit of the introduc- 
tion of variants, there might be uncertainty as to the extent of the 
quotation, the beginning and end of the passages are indicated by an 
asterisk or bracket. Variants of passages are placed in brackets. 



BOAS] COMPAflATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 567 

1. THE RAVEN AND TRANSFORMER MYTHS OF THE NORTHWEST 

COAST 

The Raven Myth 

The incidents composing the Raven myth have a very wide distri- 
bution on the North Pacific coast of America. They may be traced 
from the Asiatic side of Bering Strait eastward and southward as far 
as the southern part of Vancouver Island. Among the Haida these 
tales are comprised under the title "Raven Traveling." 

Before entering into a discussion of the special forms of the tale, I 
will give a list of the component incidents, begimiing %vith those 
common to most of the tribes of the North Pacific coast area. A 
summary statement of these is given here : 

ORIGIN TALES (NOS. 1-17) 

1. Origin of daylight Ts 60; Ts 5.276; Na 10; N6 21, 36; Tk 3 

T16 81, 82; Tl 4.261; Tl 5.311; Tit 117; Kai 238; Mb 308 
Ska 116; Hai 6.25; H 5.232; H ap 884; BC 63; BC 5.241 
Ria5.20S; Ri& 5.209; Nu 5.105; Nuap888; Car 126; Chill4 
Kodiak 85: Ten' a 304; Anvik 9; Esk Nelson 461 ; Ne 5.173 
Ne 9.233; Ne 10.393; Cow 6.25; Na5.55; Squ Hill-Tout 3.545 
Chehalis Boas 191; Puget Sound; Lil 300; Loucheux Fort 
McPherson;Esk Boas 205; Esk Nelson 483 ; Asiatic Esk 431; 
Chukchee 155. 

2. Raven threatens to let out the dayhght Ts 61; Ts 5.276; Na 15; 

N6 23; Tla 5; Tlh 82; Tl 4.263; Tl 5.313; Hai 6.27; Ma 329; 
M&310: Skall7; Hai Dawson 1.151 B; Hap 885; Nu ap 891. 

3. Raven breaks up the moon and puts it in the skv Tl 5.313 ; Mb 311 ; 

Ska lis. 

4. Origin of fresh water Nb 25; Tla 4; Tib 83; Tic 4.259; Tld 4.260; 

Tl 5.313; Tl 6.27; Kai 235; Ma 318; Mb 293; Ska 115; Hai 
Dawson 1.150 B; H 5.232; Ri 5.209;. Ne 5.174; Ne 9.225; 
K 9.167; Nu 5.108; Nu ap 892. See also Ts 65, 69; N6 17; 
K 10.322. 

5. Originof olachen Ts65; Ts6.29; Na27; N&32; Tla 13; Tl 4.263; 

Ska 117; Hai Dawson 1.151 B; H ap 888: Ne 9.2.35; Till 144. 
See also Ts 63; Tl a 11; Tl & 93; Tl b 103; Kai 236; Ma 320; 
Ma 326; M 378: Sk 255; Sk 192. 

6. Origm of the tides Ts 64; Tla 9; Tib 120; Tl 5.313; Mb 303; SkcZ 

128; Hai 5.308. See also H 5.232; Ri 5.215; Ne 5.175; Ne 
9.229; K 5.158; K 9.493 ;K 10.278; K 11.88, 94; Nu Swan 65. 

7. Raven makes war on Southeast Wind Ts 79; Ska 129; Skgr 143; 

Ne 5.186; Ne 9.227; Ne 10.350; K 9.494; K 11.98; Nu 5.100; 
Nu Swan 92. 

8. Origin of lire Ts 63; Na 31; Tla 11; Tib 83; Tl 4.263; Tl 5.314; 

Ma 315; Sk/1.35; Hai 6.31; H 5.241 ; BC 62; Ri 5.214; RiMS; 
Ne 5.187; k 9.494; Nu 5.102 [2 versions]; Nu ap 894; Nu 
Sproat 178; Co 5.80. See also K 5.158; Naa 5.54; Na6 5.54; 
Sts 5.43; SquHilJ-Tout 3.544; Chil 15; Car 125; Lil 301. 



568 TSIMSHIAlSr mythology [eth. ANN. 31 

9. stone and Elderberry Ts 62; Ts 5.278; Na 72; Tla 18; T\b 81; 
Tl 5.319; Kai 2.36; Ma 319. See also Ri 5.214; Kai 238. 
9a. People originate from a clamshell Ma 324; Sk 320; Ilai Daw- 
son 1.149 B-150 B; Hai 6.30. (See p. 633.) 

10. Raven paints birds Tla 6; Ska 127; Skcl28; BC 5.241 ; Neo 9.233; 

Nc6 9.287; Co 5.64; Fraser Delta [Cliilliwack] Hill-Tout; 
Kath 44; Quin 92; Chippewayan 7.350. 

11. Petrel makes fog Ts 68; N6 16; Tla 10; Tl 4.260; Kai 235; 

Co 5.77. 

12. Raven carves salmon out of various kinds of wood BC 5.242; 

Ri 5.209; Ri MS; Ne 5.174. 

13. Raven marries the dead twin Ri 5.209; Ri MS; Ne 5.174; Ne 

9.217; K 9.491; K 10.323. 

14. Raven obtains salmon fi-om Salmon Woman Ts 76; Nt 32; [Tla 

14]; T16 108; Tl 6.31; Mh 303; Mr 330; Ska 126;BC94; BC 
5.246; Ri 5.209; Ri MS; Ne 5.174; K 5.159; K 9.491; K 
10.329; Chil 18; Sha 637; Shh 743. 

15. Raven abducts the daughter of the Salmon chief BC 94; BC 

5.242 [2 versions]; Ri 5.210; Ri MS; Ne 5.175; Ne 9.217; K 
9.169; K 10.330; [Chil 16]. See also Tl 12, 116. 

16. Raven gets the soil Ne 5.173; Ne 9.223. 

17. Origin of the months. See p. 728. 

INCIDENTS BASED ON EAVEN'S VORACIOUSNESS (NOS. 18^0) 

18. Raven is made voracious Ts 59; Ts 5.275; N& 36; Tla 17; Uh 306; 

Skg 141 [IV'Iasset]; Ska 123; Ne 5.171; Ne 9.211. 

19. Raven kills the spring salmon Ts 67; Ts 5.277; N& 52; Tla 5; 

T1&85; Tl 4.264; M& 298; M 347; Ska 112; Ne 5.176; Ne 
9.213; K 9.141; Co 5.73. See also Nez Perce; Lil 325. For 
other versions see pp. 675, 676. 

20. Why crows are black Na 30; N6 34; Ska 113; Tl 4.265. See also 

Tla 5; Tift 85; M& 299. 
20rt. Wliy Raven is black Tla 4; Tl 4.261; Tl 6.28; also N6 64; Tl 
5.314. See also Quin 92; Wish 99. 

21. Raven tears out Cormorant's tongue Ts 92 ; Ts 5.277; N6 43; Tla 

7; Tl 4.266; Tl 5.317; M6 .300; Ska 117; Sk/ 134; BC 5.244; 
Ne 5.176; Ne 9.215; K 10.291; Nu ap 902; NuSproat 181. 

22. Raven goes fishing with Grizzly Bear Ts 87; N& 56; Tla 6; Tl 

4.265; Tl 5.317; M&311; Ne .5.176; Ne 9.215; Nuap900. See 
also Sk/133; Sh 752; Kutenai 87. 

23. Raven kills Pitch Ts 86; N6 58; Tl 4.265; Mc 337; Ri MS; 

Ne 5.179; Ne 9.215; K 11.180; Co 5.64. 

24. Raven's beak pulled off by fishermen Ts 74; N6 50; Tla 8; T16 

84; Tl 5.314; Kai 8.238; Ud 338; Ska 125; Ne 5.172; Lou- 
cheux 15. 

25. Raven makes Bullhead's tail thin Ts 71; N6 37; Tla 18. See 

also Ne 9.207; Ne 11.223; Co 5.6.3. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY. 569 

26. Raven takes hair-seal from children, who play ball with it Ts 75; 

N6 42; Tk 5; T1& 92; Ma 321; Mh 298; Sk« 127, 129; Hai 
5.309. See also Co 5.79. 

27. Raven is swallowed by Whale Tla 12; TI& 91; Tl 5.315; M& 294; 

Skd 131; Skfirl45; Hai Dawson 1.152 B; Ne5.171; Nu 5.101; 
Coffl 5.74; Co& 5.75; Cow 5.51 ; Esk Nelson 464. See also U 282. 

28. Raven steals the Whale Ts 71; Tk 13; T16 91; Tl 5.316; Skd 

131; Sk^ 145; Ne 5.172; Esk Xclson 465. See also Ska 125: 
BC 91; H 5.233; Nu 5.106. 

29. Raven travels with Eagle Ts 72, 73; Ts 5.276; N6 39,40; Tl 

5.314, 315; Ma 314, 328; M& 296, 297; Mc 329; Skd 131; Sk/ 
135; K 5.159; K 9.159; K 11.131. See also Tla 9; Tli 107; 
U 234. 

30. Raven and Eagle gather red and black cod Tla 17; Tlh 121; 

Sk(Z 128; Hai 5.309; H 5.232. 

31. Raven pretends to be a woman Ts 75; Tlh 114; Tl 5.319; Ma 

322; Mc 333; Md 338, 341; Skd 132. 

32. Bungling host. For references see pp. 694 et scq. 

33. Raven marries Hair-Seal Woman Ske 131; Co 5.77. 

34. Raven visits the Shadow Town Ts 85; N& 60; Tib 92; Tl 5.316; 

Mo 312; Mc335; MdUO; Sk/134; BC 93; Chin 181; Till 31. 
See also Sh 5.8; Takelma 39. 

35. Raven kills the Deer Ts 88; N6 63; Mc 336; H 5.233; BC 92; BC 

5.245; Ri 5.212; K 9.492; Nu 5.105; Co 5.77. See also Tla 9; 
Tib 107. 

36. Raven steals salmon eggs M& 306; Mc 332; Ska 126. 

37. Raven steals his sisters' berries BC 5.243; Ri 5.210; Ri MS; 

Ne 5.177; Nu 5.107; Co5 76; Lil 317. 

38. Raven's gizzard is torn out Tla 14; [Co 5.74; K 9.143]. See 

also Kath 87; Takelma 52. 

39. Raven kills the seals Tib 107; Se 51 ; Squ 5.57. Compare also 

No. 33, p. 702. 

40. Raven pretends to be dead K 10.286; Co 5.73; K 9.135, 139; 

Sts 5.33; Chil 17. 

AMOROUS ADVENTURES (NOS. 41, 42) 

41. Raven burns his sister's groins Mb 304; Ska 127; H 5.232; H ap 

883; BC90; BC 5.243; Ri 5.211; Ri MS; Ne 5.178, 179; K 
5.160; K 9.493; K 10.287; K 11.170; Nu 5.108; Co 5.71; 
Chil 17. See also K 11.180; Co 5.78. 

42. Raven deserts Master Fisherman on a lonely island Kai 234; 

M6 301; Ska 130; Skg 143 [Masset]; Skd 130; Hai 5.309. 

MISCELLANEOUS ADVENTURES (NOS. 43-48) 

43. War with the Thunderbirds H ap 884; Ri 5.211, 214; Ri MS; 

Ne 5.179, 206; Ne 9.241; K 9.493; K 10.299, 308; K 11.180; 
Nu 5.103, 104; Nu Sproat 177; Co 5.82, 83; Sts 5.34 



570 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

44. Arrow of the supernatural being Ts 94; BCa 5.245; BC6 45; 

Nu 5.105; Cow 5.46; Chil 33; NezPerc6 23; Ojibwa 49, 215. 

45. Raven invites the sea monsters Ts 100; Tic 5.317; M 316, 364; 

Ne 5.181. See also Ts 1.189; Ts 5.293; Tla 16; T16 170; 
Ts 639. 

46. Wren kills the Bear Tla 17; Sk 362, .363; N 117; BC 5.256; Hap 

888; Ri 5.212; Nu ap 891; Chin 119; Quin 126; Ntl Teit 
3.331, 342; Lil 312. 

47. Raven pulls off arm of a chief Sk/136; Co 5.78; Chil 23; Wasco 

281; Loucheux, Fort McPherson. 

48. Raven is tied in a box and kicked into the sea Tla 12, 17 ; T16 121- 
There are only a few adventures of this series that appear to have 

any kind of regular connection. Among these may be mentioned Ihe 
widely distributed tale of liow Raven kills the spring salmon (No. 19); 
how he uses the spring salmon in order to trick the Bear and induce 
him to cut off part of his body and kill himself (No. 22) ; how he cuts 
out the Cormorant's tongue in order to prevent him from tclUng of 
the way in which Bear met his death (No. 21). These incidents are 
not always told in this connection, but it is quite striking that in a 
number of versions they are placed near together. We find them 
arranged in this way in one of the Nass versions (N6) and in two 
versions from Newettee; in part, also, in the Masset version M6 
and in the Tlingit versions Tl« and Tl 5. In other cases, however, 
the tales do not even stand near together in the whole series of 
adventures of the Raven. 

Another group of tales, which has a very definite connection in the 
Mink legend, does not form a definite unit in the northern Raven tale. 
Among the Kwakiutl we find the incident of Raven burning his 
sister's groins (No. 41), the obtaining of pitch (No. 23), and the war 
against the Thunderbirds (No. 43), closely connected.' In the Raven 
cycle of the Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlingit, the connection between 
the first and third of these elements is generally retained, while the 
second one does not appear in connection with this tale. Among the 
Kwaldutl the war against the Thunderbird appears not only in this 
setting, but also as part of the Woodpecker tale.= 

The stories of the attempts to obtain the salmon for mankind also 
form a group among the southern tribes (Nos. 12-15). ^imong the 
Tsimsliian, Haida, and Masset, only one of these incidents occuis; 
namely, the one telhng of Raven's marriage with Salmon Woman and 
of her disappearance with the salmon which she had created (No. 14)- 
In the southern group of tribes it is told how Raven first tries to 
carve a salmon of wood , but is unsuccessful. Then he revives a dead 
twin, whom he marries, and who, through her supernatural power, 
causes the salmon to appear. He oft'ends her by scolding the salmon, 
and thus causes her to vanish, together with the fish — the incident 
retained in the northern tales. Finally he makes a thu-d attempt to 
obtain salmon by abducting the daughter of the Salmon chief. This 

' Seo pp. 707 d seq. 2 See p. 711. 



BOAS] COMPARATTVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 571 

tale is in part related to the GunaxnesEmg'a'd story as discussed on 
p. 835. The incidents of the arrival of Raven at the house of the 
Salmon chief are about the same as those of the arrival of Gunax- 
nesEmg'a'd at the house of the luller 'VMiales. 

The tale of the Eagle and Raven gathering black cod and red cod 
respectively is closely related either to the tale of the origin of the 
tides, or to that of the Deluge, after which the fish were left dry on the 
beach. This connection is found in two Tlingit versions (Tla, T16), 
in the Haida version Skd, and in the BeUabella version H 5. .Still 
another gi-oup of tales are those of Raven and his companion, which 
are combined here in one group (No. 29), but which consist of a 
number of distinct elements, some of wliich occur also without this 
connection. In some cases the tale of Raven kilhng the Deer is 
made part of the tale of Raven's companion. In that form Deer is 
induced to cross a chasm, falls down, and is eaten by Raven. 

Setting aside these minor groups, I am under the impression that 
no order can be brought into the northern Raven tradition. 

The remaining incidents of the Raven tale have been recorded only 
once or twice. The very large number of these incidents, which are 
scattered through the tales in a most irregular maimer, shows clearly 
that in none of the cycles as recorded is there any prescribed sequence 
of incidents. The disconnected character of the single adventures 
makes it very probable that no such regular sequence ever existed. 

The gi-eat variety of individual incidents that compose the Raven 
myth from the regions where it has been most fully recorded suggest 
that there has been a tendency to incorporate m it any tale that 
would fit into the series of adventures. 

Thus point appears also quite clearly in our Tsimshian series. The 
tale "How Raven makes the Princess Sick and then Cures her" does 
not form ordinarily a part of the Raven cycle, but it belongs, rather, 
to the Coyote tales of the Southern plateaus. On the other hand, the 
story of the magical arrow of the Wolf family (p. 306), the story of 
Pluclving Out Eyes (p. 154), the meeting of the wild animals (p. 106), 
Sucking Intestines (p. 214), not to mention the complicated tales 
included in the Tlingit version T\b, have been made part of the Raven 
legend among the various tribes of the coast, although many of them 
occur also independently. 

^\Tiilo in the Transformer tales of the Kwakiutl and of other tribes 
farther to the south a fairly definite sequence is preserved by the 
sharp localization of the tales which refer to a series of places that 
the Transformer visited on his travels from north to south or in other 
directions, no such regularity has been observed in the northern group. 

Among tlie various versions recorded, the Tlingit tale Tl?> takes an 
exceptional position, because the narrator has embodied in it a very 
large number of short explanatory tales that do not appear in any of 
the other Raven cycles, and also a series of very complex tales which 



572 TSIMSHIAK MYTHOLOGY tETii. ann. 31 

form independent units among the neighboring tribes. Some of 
these are family tales, and evidently do not belong to the Raven 
cycle. 

I will give next a list of the explanatory tales contained in the 
various versions, but occurring only once or twice. 

49. He finds a clam containing people Ma 324; Sk320; Hai6.30; Hal 

Dawson 1.140 B. 

50. The Beaver has a lake behind the screens, of his house; Raven 

rolls \ip the lake with salmon trap and salmon and the house, 
carries it away, and unroUs it in the country of man Ska 113; 
Skg 145; Hai 6.28. 

51. Raven tells sticks to burn forever, but is unsuccessful Mb 294. 

52. He puts a woman under the world to supjiort it, and causes lier 

to make a deluge, durmg which the people save themselves on 
mountains Tla 16. He drains a beaver pond, catches a beaver 
with a hook, and uses the ])eaver's humerus as a support for 
the earth Tla 20 (independent of the Raven story in Sk 190; 
according to a note on Sk 1 10, it forms, however, the fourth 
one in the series of Haida myths, the first one being that of 
"Raven Traveling"). 

53. He sends young birds to get drinking-water, wliicli he calls cat.'h! 

Tla 19.' 

54. He places a woman witli long breasts at the head of a creek 

Tla 19. 

55. Raven At Head Of Nass River says that after death bad ])eoj)le 

are to be animals, good people are to live above T16 81. 

56. Raven claims Sculpin as his younger brother who was drowned; 

Scidpin disclaims this, saying that he is very old, and is trans- 
formed into the Pleiades T16 106. 

57. Halibut fishermen refuse to ferry Raven across the water; he 

extends his cane toward them, and they become a constellation 
T16 107. 

58. He makes the West Wind, calls her Q!axo', and says that she 

shall be his son's daughter and that slie sliall not hurt peojile 
Tla 19 (in the abstracts Tl 419 it is said that he placed the 
West Wind on top of a mountain) . 

59. He makes South Wind and North Wind; when the South Wind 

climbs a rock, it never ceases to blow; he makes a house for 
North Wind, with something like icicles hanging down on the 
sides; North Wind's backside is white, therefore the moun- 
tains are w^hite with snow Tla 19. He lives with North Wind 
at Taku ; North Wind is proud because he is shining with 
something like icicles T16 89. 

60. Raven causes the water of Nass River to turn back N 15. 

61. He uproots dangerous animals on the beach; he gives to people 

sea food and animals of the forest Tla IS. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 573 

62. Ra^'cn stamps the ground in the four corners of his father's 

house, and the four northern coast tribes appear M 305; 
Ska 122; Skg 141; Hai 6.33. 

63. After the Dehige, during which Raven saves himself by sticking 

his l>eak through a ck)iul while some people escape on top of 
the mountains, he tells them to throw stones backward over 
their heads; from these a new generation arises Hai 6.32. 

64. Raven carries a man to an island inhabited by women only 

Hai 6.32. 

65. He borrows Screech Owl's })eak and replaces it by the crooked 

nose of the Devilfish Sk/ 135. When Eagle complams that 
Raven has given a present to every bemg except himself, 
Raven twists Eagle's beak Hai 6.34. 

66. He imlls Bluejay's head long Ska 129. 

67. He transforms a flicker feather into flickers Ska 130. 

68. He throws away two of the ten arms of the Devilfish Ma 319. 

69. He tells crows to caw at sunrise Ma 324. 

70. He caTises the woodpecker to live in trees Ma 325. 

71. He makes half-alive stuff by throwing semen down on the beach 

Kai 238. 

72. Bird is given red cheeks at Raven's feast Ts 5.277. 

73. Squirrel's face is rubbed so that the hair comes oft" Ts 5.277 

(see also H 5.233, Ne 5.176). 

74. Raven says devilfish is tough, therefore it loses its fat Tla 18. 

75. He makes the quills of Porcupine out of yollow-cedar bark, and 

makes the Bear afraid of them Tla 19. 

76. He ties something around the head of the chim, and calls it 

man's privates Tla 20. 

77. He transforms the dog into an animal because the dog tries to 

imitate his actions and is too quick Tla 20. 
7S. He gives foin- pebbles each to Grouse and Sea Lion; they can 
miderstand each other T\b 85. 

79. He tells the Land Otter to live on a point of land and to save 

drowning people; people returning from the Land Otters be- 
come shamans T16 86 (liere follows the Land-Otter story 
T16 87). 

80. He lives inland with a giant Cannibal who is married to the 

Black Pine T1& 92. 

81. Origin of mosquitoes. He lives with a giant, TsA'maya, who, 

in order to kill Wolverene, disguises liimself like a bear and 
is cari'ied home by Wolverene; Raven, in the shape of a 
])lackbird, gives him a small speai-, with which he wounds 
Wolverene's foot, the seat of his life; Wolverene revives every 
time he is killed ; finally they burn him, and his ashes become 
mosquitoes T16 92. 



574 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

82. He transforms drowniug boys into sea ])irtls T16 135. 

83. Raven is the grandchild of Mouse, therefore the mouse is always 

eating Tla 19. 

84. In olden times roots grew already cooked in the ground Tla IS; 

Mb 295. 

85. Raven's blanket floats away horn him; he goes ashore and 

throws it on bushes; it becomes Behis hracteosum Tla 19. 

86. Raven transforms a person into a celery plant Tla 20. 

87. When he is crossing Kaisrui TTarbor on a log, the West Wind 

blows; he tells the rock to open, escapes into it, and spears 
the Wind; therefore it is alwaj's calm at that place Ma 322. 

88. By thro^\■ing bilge-water out of the canoe he makes the water 

muddy whei'c herring spawn Ska 128. 

89. His f easting-house is a cave Avith rocks in it; the rocks were 

boxes in the house T\b 118. 

90. His ^\^fe's semng-basket is put ashore and becomes a rock 

Tla 19. 

91. He pulls up persons, who become mountains Skf 138. 

92. He throws calcined shells away; they become white rocks 

Sk/ 137. 

93. Birds gather cedar bark, whldi is transformed into stojie 

Ska 127. 

94. Raven calls a place HaUbut Place Sk/ 138. 

95. He calls a place Salt Stone Sk/ 138. " 

96. He spears bad weather; his spear becomes a white streak on a 

rock Sk/ 138. 

97. He puts an eagle-tail feather into a certain place, wliich is nanuvl 

accordingly Sk/ 138. 

98. He eats Liklia'o, and calls the place Ptdled Off With The Teeth 

Sk/ 138 (a general note that Raven named places is found 
Tla 20, \u 5.105). 

99. He strikes rocks with his head, and the holes may be seen uj) to 

tliis day Sk/" 138. 

100. He makes a water-hole with his l)ill Ma 329; Skc 138. 

101. When traveling with his cousin, he catises the canoe to reach its 

destination with one stroke of the paddle; thus he makes 
travehng easy Skc'138. 

102. Raven gives to a man who asks for water a verj' little only; the 

man falls down and forms a long point of land Sk^ 146. 

103. He throws a hair-ribbon upon the sea and walks over it Ska 118. 

104. His house timbers are transformed into stones Kai 8.237; 

M6 295. 

105. He splits rock by kicking it, being angry because Killer Whales, 

whom he calls, will not stop M6 295. 

106. He transforms waves into mountains M& 296. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 575 

107. He transforms a digging-stick and a screen into stone (see No. 

158) Kai 8.237; Ma 315. 

108. He becomes angry with a Whale, kicks the ground, herrings 

come out, which he transforms into hiunan beings; he tells 
them to establish a town Ma 318. 

109. He transforms himself into a woman and stays on the trail to 

the inland tribes; people become strong by cohal)iting with 
her; she has a small round well; v.hen people drink of it, 
they become strong Ma 318. 

110. He makes Masset Inlet by dra^ving a line ^\^(h liis finger Ma 321. 

111. He digs a hole through a treeless impassable promontory; when 

people go through it, they will not be sick Ma 325. 

112. Raven flies mth the Geese; they drop him, and he sprinkles 

do-wi\ sand, which becomes Rose Spit Kai 236 (see Xo. 179). 
A sandbar is created in the same manner M 326. 

113. Raven transforms a killer whale into stone Kai 8.237. 

114. He makes a harbor b}' making his canoe move backward in a 

semicircle Kai 8.237. 

115. He pushes liis sister out of his rock house and transforms her 

into stone Kai 8.237. 

116. Raven cuts a canyon with a shell knife Tl 5. 310. 

117. By rocking his canoe he makes the sea rough near Sitka Tla 13. 

118. He tries to make a place like Xass River, but the Clams prevent 

it, drowning his voice by their noise Tla 15. 

119. He transforms into stone two brothers who are crossing Stikine 

River Tla 15. 

120. After the Deluge the people die of cold; some are turnetl into 

stone; the fish left on the mountains are turned into stone 
Tla 17. 

121. He transforms a whale and canoes into rocks; these are near the 

place where he lulled the beaver (see No. 52) Tla 20. 

122. Raven puts liis cap on a rock Na 14. 

123. He tells a rock that it is covered -wath pubic hair, meaning the 

algae growing on it Tla IS. 

124. He tries to make privates of females of liark and leaves; fiiially 

he gathers them on an island Tla 16. When going to find the 
privates of females on an island, he asks various birds to 
accomjDany him; none can do it; he places the drawing of a 
toadstool in the stem of the canoe; then he gets one for his 
M-ife and one for his sister Ska 126. 

125. He tells the Tsimshian to hurry, therefore they are indiLstrious 

Ska 112. 

126. From a chief's daughter he obtains a charm to make people 

good-looldng ; he induces her to part mlh it by making her 
believe that she has soiled her bed and that he will tell on 
her (see No. 4) Sk/ 137. 



576 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

127. He sees Ninstints people perform magical feats, therefore there 

are many sorcerers among them Ska 112. 

128. He makes hmnan beings of rotten wood, and causes them to 

limp l)y making their limbs of different lengths Kai 8.237. 

129. He makes hermaphrodites Kai 8.238. 

130. Raven wants man to have the privates on the forehead; his 

intentions are defeated Xu 5.108. 

131. He invites little people to a feast, lets them sit on a bear skin; 

they call the places without hair swamps ; he shakes the skins 
over the lire, and the little men become pujnls of eyes Tla 18. 

132. He creates the various races of man Tla 19. 

133. He teaches the people their mode of life (feasts, slavery, sha- 

manism, death rituals, halil)ut fishing, making of fish traps, 
seal-spears, canoes, salmon-hooks) T1& 84. 

134. He institutes war by telling peo])le to fight T1& 85. 

135. He shows the people a charm enabling them to get home when 

out canoeing Tla 19. 

136. Raven teaches river taboos, forbidding that sea animals be 

called by their right names Tib 89. 

137. He teaches the Chilkat how to make storehouses for salmon and 

how to trade with the inland tribes T\b 89. 

138. He teaches the use of tobacco T1& 89. 

139. He does not come at once when invited to a feast, and is then 

ignored by the host; later on ho gives a feast and institutes 
the feast customs T16 117. 

140. He learns how to make nets BC 5.246. 

141. Raven learns how to cook olachen Ts 66. 

142. He teaches ceremonials BC 97. 

143. He gathers herring spawn on hemloc^k branches Ts 774; Sk/" 135. 

144. He fijids the first abalone shell, makes it into an ear-ornament, 

and shows it to the people Ma 313. 

145. His child dies, and he forbids people to laugh; Greatest Laugher 

disobeys, therefore people soon cease to mourn Ma 313. 

146. He takes a girl to be his sister, and when she is menstruant he 

places her behind a cedar board Ma 314; Kai 8.237. 

147. He causes his sister to gather Crow's hair-seal; he himself gathers 

sea eggs; therefore the former are not eaten, the latter are a 
favorite food Ma 317. 

148. He says canoes shall not capsize; but when two large waves 

come, he rides on shore on the first one, and is capsized by the 
second one, therefore people capsize Ma 326. 

149. He assembles the Tsimshian and establishes their clans Ma 323. 

150. He digs a lake and a river running out of it; he ordains that 

canoes shall always upset in that river Ma 325. 

151. He gives a feast to supernatural beings Tl 5.317 (see also p. 581, 

No. 224). 



BOAS] COMPABATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 577 

It appears from this list that some phenomena of nature, many 
characteristics of animals, forms of land, and some customs, are 
explained by these tales. 

Besides these, the various incidents of the Kaven tale contain 
many adventures which refer to the voraciousness of Raven, and 
which describe some of the tricks that he tries to plaj-. In the fol- 
lowing is given a list of these: 

152. Sea Lion becomes Raven's brother-in-law Sk/ 133. See also 

Mc336 (No. 173). 

153. Raven kills his brother-in-law, the Mallaril Duck Ma 328. 

154. He eats the sea anemone Skf 134. 

155. A person harpoons seals; Raven can not see any; the other one 

Ijulls a blood clot out of Raven's eyes, but puts it back again, 
leaving him as before Ska 115. 

156. Shrew's single piece of dried fish, single cranberry, and single 

crabapple form an inexhaustible supply of food M6 299. 

157. Raven has a chilil by Mink Woman and lets it die Tl 5.319; 

Ma 313 (see No. 145). 

158. Butterfly eats the roots that his sister has dug (see No. 107) Ma 

315. 

159. Raven takes halibut shoulders from his sister, who has turned 

into stone Ma 320. 

160. He kills fish bj- throwing a stick at them; tries to string them 

up, and asks Owl to help him Ma 320 (undoubtedly identical 
withTs 63, Tlall). 

161. He calls the Butterfly out to sea Ma 327. 

162. He pretends a canoe is splitting, for this reason refuses to go on 

board, stays behind, and eats the provisions of the canoe 
owners Ma 327. 

163. He marries Sea Gull Kai 8.233. 

164. Raven's wife, Sea Gull, dies; he finds a tree with drops of pitch, 

and believes it cries with him; he thinks huckleberries have 
blackened their faces to mourn with him Tla 10; Kai 8.233. 

165. He tells a crooked tree that it evidently has a crooked mind 

Kai 8.233. 

166. He calls bis brothers-in-law the Sea Gulls, who are scared when 

he croaks; the Porpoise, who is among them, understands 
him, and says that Raven is not spealdng angrily; they enter 
the house; he lets his servants, the Sandpipers, dance; the 
Porpoise interprets to the Sea Gulls all that he says, which 
makes him angry; he returns the visit Kai 233. 

1G7. Raven calls the Salmon, and the Porpoise interprets what he is 
saying N 69. 

168. He kills the beavers by croaking over them. Therefore there 
are no beavers on Queen Charlotte Islands Kai 236. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 37 



578 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

169. Woodpecker's salmon become pitch Hai 5. SOS. 

170- Raven's wife is Woodpecker; he steals her pitch and sticks to 
it; he is glued into a box, sent adrift, and rescued by Gull, 
who spits fat on his face; on account of this adventure lie is 
black Tl 5.314. 

171. Two women are supported by a log which goes out fishing every 

morning and returns Avith fish tied to its branches Tl o.317. 

172. He gets fat hanging out of Deer's nose 1)}' wiping it off Tla 8. 

173. He kills the Killer Wliaies by putting canes into tlieir necks; 

he tells them not to look while he is doing so ; the last one looks 
and escapes Tla 12: Tib 11 G. See also Mc 336 (No. 152). 

174. He steals a self-acting club, which refuses to act for him because 

it does not know him; he breaks it Tla 15. 

175. He induces the Ground-IIog people to throw out their provisions 

by making them believe it is spring Tla 15. 

176. He tries to marry a princess, but his companion the bird 

TsAgw&,'n tells the people that Salmon Woman (see No. 14) 
has deserted him; therefore he ordains that TsAgwa'n shall 
always live alone Tib lOS (this is continued as the story of a 
woman who marries an old man, and later on is carried away 
by the Ducks. 

177. He lives in Fish Hawk's house, and lets the Hawk do all the 

workT16 116. 
178a He tries to live with another bird, and lets him do all the work 
T16 117. 

179. He marries among the Goose people, flies along with them, dis- 

likes their food, kills a Goose, and is deserted by them (see 
No. 112) Tib 117; Kai 8.236. 

180. He steals crabapples K 9.213. 

181. He is driven away by the feasters Ne 5.177. 

182. Raven is fooled by his host, who gives him a red-hot coal instead 

of food Ne 5.177; Ne 9.241. 

183. Raven soils his sister's house ; when she goes to clean it, he steals 

her clams Ne 5.178. 

184. Raven lets Raccoon dance; he tells him to sing a long song; 

when he gets angry, he paints him with ashes H 5.233. 

185. Raven visits a man who lives in a swimming-house and fishes 

halibut; he carries him across the water and throws him 
from his back into the sea; then he goes into the house to get 
halibut, but the owner causes the house to sink and almost 
dromis Raven BC 5.244; LkungEn, Hill-Tout 7.348. 

186. Raven meets a mother and daughter, marries the young woman, 

and pretends to be building a canoe; meanwhile the women 
feed hun Ts 84. 



BOAS] COMPABATrVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 579 

187. Raven and the Wolves. Raven visits Chief Wolf; the Wolves 

go a-hunting and bring quantities of food Ts 94. Raven 
leaves the Wolves and- retiu"ns after some time, wounded; 
Tomtit takes him to the Wolves' house ; the Wolves scent his 
wound; when the Wolves go a-hunting, they throw down 
mountam sheep; Raven hides them; when the Wolves dis- 
cover the theft, he puts on his Raven garment and flies away 
Ts96. 

188. Raven drifts to Cape Fox with the tide, therefore canoes do not 

capsize in stormy weather when crossing Ts 100. 

189. Raven visits the Salmon chief, who kills his four boys; they are 

transformed into salmon; when the bones are thrown into the 
water, ,the boys revive; Deer hides a single bone from the 
chest, and therefore one of the boj's has no blanket pin 
(see p. 773) ; Raven and the animals carrj^ the cliildren away 
in their canoe, which moves quickly away propelled with the 
magic paddle; the salmon overtake them and Deer kills them; 
then Raven sends the salmon to the various rivers K 10.346, 

190. He teases the Spider Crab and is drowned by it Ts 70; Skd 128 

[by Devilfish Ne 5.176]. 

191. He crawls into a child's skin at Rose Spit Mb 304; Ska 110, 118. 

192. He transforms excrement into men, who melt by the fire Skd 132. 

193. He causes Fern Woman to reach out for olachen that he has in 

his canoe, and tears out hair from her armpit ; her sons cast 
stones with a tin-owing-stick and break Raven's paddles; the 
last stone passes through a knot-hole in the last paddle, and 
he gets away Ska 117. 

194. He sends people to get food for a feast which lasts ten years 

Ska 123. 

195. Myth-telling contest with Qingi, who asks Raven's companions 

to tell a story; when they say they do not know of any, Qlngi 
asks them to relate "Raven Ti-aveling," which makes Raven 
ashamed; they then tell about incidents relating to the de- 
struction of Qiugi's people and make him ashamed Ska 124. 

196. Ho inquires of a woman who is weaving baskets for his cousin; 

when she does not answer, he threatens to knock out her 
labret; then she says that his cousin is on the foui'th point of 
land in front of a shell on which she is drawing Sk/" 136. 

197. Raven marries Djila'qons, who appears in the water near Bella- 

bella; she sinks whenever he approaches her, until he uses a 
wide pea-shell as a canoe; he takes off her dancing-ornaments 
and wipes her body; he gives her Beaver's house (see No. 50) 
Ska 115. 

198. Heron makes a canoe; Raven pretends to help him, but cuts 

thi'oush the canoe -MJ 300. 



580 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. an.n. 31 

199. When shellfish go to war, they are poisonous Mb 307. 

200. Raven gives liis sister in jnarriage (Gau'o type, see p. 850) Ma 

316. He calls animals to bo his companions (Gau'o type) Tla 9. 

201. A witch steals Raven's breath (see p. 736) Tl .5.318. 

202. Raven meets the One-Eyed Giant; he carries a salmon eye, and 

pretends to take out his own eye and to put it back; thus he 
induces the giant to tear out his eye; then he kills him; after 
this he has a knife-throwing contest with the giant's wife; 
he flies up; the knife passes under him; Iw kills the giant's 
wife Tl 5.318 (this is preceded by No. 211). Skate antl Raven 
have a knife-throwing contest; Skate turns its narrow side to 
Raven; Raven is hit Nu 5.107. 

203. Raven and Tree call each other names Tla 20. 

204. He causes "fat on the sea" to sink by striking it with his paddle 

Tla 20. 

205. He visits the Fish people, whoso houses are dcscribetl T1& 84. 

206. Killer Whale tests him in a sweat-house; ho saves himself by 

holding ice in his mouth T1& 89. (See p. 806.) 

207. Raven has a diving-contest mth travolei's who take away his 

wives; when Raven dives, he hides near a rock, pointing his 
beak out of the water Co 5.79. (See p. 812.) 

208. Raven's daughter is induced by Crow to oat sea eggs; Crow tells 

on her, and she is deserted by her father and his people Ne 
5.180. 

209. Raven marries Haiahlaqs, and deserts her because they have no 

children; then he marries Tslu'mqalaqs; their eldest son 
paints rocks with red color, and ordains that when the color 
is bright there will be plenty of food H 5.234. 

210. Raven quarrels with Eagle because the latter roosts above 

Raven II 5.234. 

211. Petrel and Raven have a shooting-match; Raven uses birds in 

place of arrows Ts 69; N 18; Tl 5.318. 

212. Raven believes ho has found a beautiful dancing-blanket, which 

turns out to be moss Ts 72; Na 70; N6 38. 

213. Raven exchanges the chief's abalone club for one of rotten wood 

N44. 

214. Raven enslaves the Stump that has eaten his meat N 68. 

215. Raven loses his nose ornament and induces Mink to dive for it 

RiMS; Ne 5.173. 

216. Raven takes the form of a deer, is taken aboard by the people, 

and makes a princess sick by kicking her in the stomach; he 
pretends to bo a shaman and cures the princess; he induces 
the people to leave, and eats their provisions Ts 81 . (See p. 722.) 

217. Raven (Great Inventor) suspects that his wife, SawbUl Duck, is 

not true to him; she goes out diggii^g clams; he sends Raven 
to watch her. Raven discovers that Younjr Raccoon and Rac- 



BOAS] COMPABATIVE STUDY OP TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 581 

coon are her lovers; Great Inventor pretends to be sick, liis 
wife gives him clams, and he finds that the juice looks milky, 
and says that he can see by this that his wife is not true to 
him; Great Inventor pretends to die, and is buried; Sawbill 
. Duck passes his grave, and when she tells him that she hves 
with Raccoon, he revives; he has become a great shaman 
K 9.135; K 9.492; K 10.282. 

218. He spoils a person's property, is thrown into the water, and 

falls on a rock (see p. 629) Mh 296. 

219. Creation of land Ma 293. 

220. He makes a house for himself and lives alone Ma 293. 

221. He says Qeng" will adopt him Mb 304. 

222. He is turned out by Qeng'^ and makes his thigh sore Mb 306. 

223. He takes his uncle's place, makes a deluge, and flies up into the 

sky Mb 308. 

224. He invites the fishes at night; in the morning he lets dayhght 

into the house, shouts, and they become stones Tl 5.317; Ma 
316. 

225. He causes the birds to fight against him; asks his sister Siwa's 

for her war-belt; he means her belt; he lets himself faU down, 
and crawls into the house without being hurt M 332. 

In the version T1& a number of independent stories appear incor- 
porated in the Raven tale: 

(A woman visits the ghost countrj^ T1& 82.) 

(Story of a Cannibal T1& 89. ) 

(Fire Drill's son T16 94.) 

(The Dog children Tib 99.) 

(The Wolf arrow Tib 122.) 

((3au'6T16 124.) 

(The woman who marries the Bear T1& 126.) 

(The woman who marries the DeviUish Tib 130.) 

(Garbage Man Tib 132.) 

(Origin of secret societies T1& 133.) 

(Men who become shamans bj' sleeping among driftwuod T16 

134.) 
(Raven helps a man to win in gambUng T1& 135.) 
(He learns a dance from the Grouse T1& 139.) 
(Story of men who are transformed into land otters and ducks 

Tib 142.) 
(People are told they will die successively, each at one point 

of land T1& 144.) 
(Child carried away by Man With A Burning Hand T16 145.) 
(The bo}^ who became strong T1& 145.) 
(The monster devilfish T1& 150.) 
(Origin of the woodworm crest T1& 151.) 
(The shaman called by the Land Otters T16 152.) 



582 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY' [Exn. ANN. 31 

I l)elievo this summary of incidents proves clearly that the Raven 
legend as a whole can not be considered as a well-organized cycle. 
So many versions have been recorded, that, if the single incidents 
which occur — particularly in the Tlingit and llaida series — were old 
and widely distributed parts of tlie Raven legend, they would be 
expected to appear in other forms of the tradition too.' 

I believe a clearer insight into the character of the whole cycle may 
be obtained by determining tlu; popularity of the various incidents 
according to the number of records made among various tribes and 
from various narrators. In the table on p. 583 are given the number 
of versions that have been recorded from eacli tribe. Naturally, when 
telling myths to a collector, the natives will tell those first with which 
they are most familiar, and which appeal more strongly to their im- 
agination. In this sense the table will give us an impression of the 
popularity and relative importance of the various incident of the tale. 

In a number of cases the character of the tales changes materially 
among the different tribes, as will be more fully illustrated in our 
discussions on pp. 621 et seq. Strongly aberrant types of tales that 
are not connected with the Raven cycle are indicated in the table 
by placing such versions in parentheses. 

I have grouped all the Tlingit tribes together. Masset and Kaigani 
form a group by themselves. The Skidegate has been counted sepa- 
rately. Tsimshian and Nass form one group; Bellacoola, Ilaida, 
and Rivei-s Inlet, another group by themselves; and the Kwakiutl 
tribes south of Rivers Inlet have been grouped together. 

In a study of this table it must be borne in mind that while the 
material for the Tlingit, Masset, Skidegate, Tsimshian, and Kwakiutl, 
is very full, that collected from the Bellacoola, Bellabella, Rivers 
Inlet tribe, Nootka, and Comox is much less exhaustive; so that 
further research might give us additional material for these tribes. 
These five tribes are represented principally by the records published 
in my "Sagen" (Boas 4). Besides this, I have used a manuscript 
collection from Rivers Inlet collected by me in 1897, the Nootka 
and Bellabella tales given in Appendix I to this paper, and the 
material contained in my discussion of the mythology of the Bella- 
coola (Boas 15). 

' I have recently had an opportunity to discuss this matter with Mr. Shotridge, an educated Indian from 
Chilkat. He claims that among the Tlingit the Raven legend, so far as it refers to the creation, follows a 
regular sequence. Upon closer inquiry, he said that everything had to be created in definite order, — day- 
light before the world became inhabitable; water before fish could be produced: and so on. In answer to 
my question regarding the order of the other incidents of the tale, he claimed that they were told only to 
offset the serious parts of the tale, in order to entertain the listeners, and that there was no particular order 
in which these were told. 



BOiS] 



COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



583 



Origin Talrs 

The stealing of daylight . . . . 

Liberation of the sun 

The breaking-up of tlie moon . . 
f(a) Origin of fresh water , . . . 
\(b) Water in roots of alder trees . 
Origin of ohichen 



Ua) 

Origin of the tidesj ,. 

War on Southeast Wind 

((a) Deer 

Origin of nre}^^^^.^^ 

\(a) Stoue and Elderberry 
Origin of deathr,^ „, ,,. , , 

[(0) The u ren s request . 

The painting of birds 

The origin of fog 

Salmon made out of wood 

Tile revived twin creates salmon . . . . 

The offended Salmon "Woman 

Abduction of the Salmon ^^"omiln . . . 

Origin of soil 

Origin of the months 



Inciilents Bfised on Raven's Voraciousness 

Origin of Itaven's ^■o^aciousness 

Haven kills the salmon 

Why Crow and Raven are black 

Cormorant's tongue torn out 

The killing of GrizEly Hear ... .... 

The killing of Pitch 

Raven's beak torn off 

Transformation of Bullhead 



26. Stealing of seal from children, who jilay ball with it 



((a) 



Raven travels with 
Eagle. 



Raven swallowed by whale 

Raven steals whale 

(«) Raven creates or takes a slave, 

who disobeys him 

(i) Slave eals food offered to Raven 
(c) Raven pretends to die, slave 

steals food 

id) Raven kills slave 

Raven gathers poor food; his companion, fat food . . . 

{(a) Raven pretends to be a woman 
(6) Raven kills and eats the seal (including Nos. 33 
and 39) 

Bungling host 

Visit to Shadow Town 

[(a) Raven kills Deer w ith hammer 

1(6) Thrown into chasm 

Raven steals salmon eggs 

Raven steals sister's berries 

Raven's gizzard torn out 

Raven pretends to be dead 



(1) + 1 



1 
4 
6 
3 
3 
l' 
3 
1 
2 

3 
3 

1 
1 

1 

l + (2) 
2 



Ts. 



1 2 

1 1 1 
1 I 2 



BC. 



Nu. 



2 

(1) + 1 

1 

7 
5 
2 



Co. 



584 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETn. ANN. 31 



Amorous Adventures 

1(a) Raven and the girls . . 

41. He burns his sister's groinsr,^ „ , . , 

[(b) Ravens sou carried away 

42. Master Fisherman deserted 

Miscellaneous Adventures 

43. War with Thunderbirds 

44. Arrow of supernatural being 

45. Invitation of sea monsters 



Tl. M. Sk. Ts. BC. 



Nu. 



Co. 



The name of the Raven changes from tribe to tribe. Wliile among 
the Tlingit the name Yel is used throughout, the Ilaida, although 
identifying the being with Raven, call him NAfiki'lsLas ("He Whose 
Voice Is Obeyed"). The Tsimshian also identify him with Raven, 
but they call him Txa'msEm. Among the Bellacoola T always heard 
the name Raven used, except in so far as he is identified with the 
ancestors of certain village communities. The Bellabella and Rivers 
Inlet tribes use the name He'mask'as ("Real Chief"). In Rivers 
Inlet, however, a second name, K!wek!waxa'we^ ("Great Inventor") 
also appears. This name seems to be used from here southward as 
far as the most southern Kwakiutl tribes. In northern \'ancouver 
Island the two names, ME'skwa ("The Greedy One") and O'^meal 
(perhaps related to o'^nia, "chieftainess") appear. Among the 
southern Kwakiutl, Great Inventor or O'^mcat is considered the elder 
brother of the animals, and among the Kwakiutl proper the myth 
develops in such a way that Great Inventor appears as the chief of 
the village of the Quadrupeds, while the Birds with their chief live in 
another village. The tale is localized in the old home of the Kwakiutl 
atQa'logwis ("Crooked Beach"). The Nootka call him Qo"icin''mit', 
and localize his home at Yuquot, in the Mowa'tclath'' territory. 

In the region of the Gulf of Georgia, and extending northward as 
far as Bellabella, the Mink legends replace to a great extent the 
Raven tales. We have seen, however, that the Raven tale extends 
southward as far as the most southern Kwakiutl tribes. In frag- 
ments it may be recognized even still farther south. The essential 
traits of the Mink tale seem to me quite different from those of the 
Raven tale. In our discussion of the introduction to the Raven tale 
we shall see that there is apparently a close relation between the first 
incident of the Mink myth (his ascent to the sk}") and the beginning 
of the Raven tale, in so far as both may be interpreted as Deluge 
legends. The exploits of Mink are, however, quite distinct in char- 
acter from those of the Raven. Most of them deal with marriages 
of Mink and various kinds of beings and of his amorous jiropensi- 
ties — a trait that is not so prominent in the northern tales. Never- 



BOAS] COMPAEATn^: STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 585 

theless there is a considerable amount of confusion between the two 
cycles, as may be seen from the list of incidents common to the Raven 
tale and to the Mink tale that is given below. The Mink tales, more 
particularly the amorous group, are also related to the Coyote tales, 
but I shall not enter into this subject here. 

INCIDENTS IN MINK TALES 

1. Mink and the sun H 5.2.34; H ap 885; BC 95; BC 5.246; Ri 

5.215; RiMS; Ne 5.173; K 5.157; K 9.12.3; K 11.80; Sts Hill- 
Tout 5.345. See also BC 69, 102. 

2. He marries Kelp K 5.158; K9.127; K 11.117; Co 5.71; Sts 5.44. 

3. He marries Frog Woman K 5.158; K 9.129; K 11.119. 

4. He marries Diorite Woman K 5.1.58; K 9.131: K 11 . 1 22 [Barnacle 

Co 5.71]. 
4'. Kwa'tlyat' marries the Pitch Nu 5.100; Co 5.71: Sts 5.44. 

5. Mink wants to marry Sawbill-Duck Woman K 9.131 ; K 11.124. 

6. He is deserted by his wife K 9.133. 

7. He makes war on his friend Land Otter K 5.158; K 9.157, 494; 

K 11.127; Co 5.72; Xtl Teit 2.59; U 2.34. 

8. Mink recognized as father of a child K 9.495; Nu 5.108; Co 5.73. 

9. Mink kills the sons of the Wolf K 11.103 [son Co 5.75]; Se 57; 

Squ Hill-Tout 3.543. 

10. He marries the princess of the spirits K 11.113. 

11. Deer and Sawbill-Duck Woman K 11.135. 

12. Mink and the Starfish Woman K 11.144. 

13. Mink tries to make a mountain K 11.161. 

14. He marries Fog Co 5.71. 

15. He marries the Eagle Co 5.71 ; Sts 5.44. 

16. Mink and the women Ne 5.172; Nu 5.108; Co 5.72. 

17. Mink and the Holothuria Co 5.74. 

IS. Mink uses his grandmother's vulva for bait Co 5.74. See also 
N 121; Sk .362; Sk 363. 

19. Mink and the hornef^nest Nu 5.109; Till 142. 

20. Mink fights with the ghosts K 5.158; Xa a,' h 5.-54; Sts 5.43; 

(Lil 302).' 

21. Mmk and the seal K 9.147. 

22. Mmk gets sea eggs K 5.159; K 9.1.37; K 11.140. 

INCIDENTS COMMON TO MINK AND EAVEN TALES 

23. Mink gets tides Ri 5.215; K 5.1.5S; K 9.493; K 11.88,94. See 

No. 6 in Raven list, p. 567. 

24. Mink gets fire^ K 5.158; Na«, h 5.54; Sts 5.43; (Lil 302). See 

No. 8 in Raven list, p. 567. 

■ See No. 24, below. 

= The type of story of the Nanaimo.Lillooet.and Fraser Delta tribes is similar in form to the story of 
the origin of the tides among the Kwakiutl Ne 5.175; Ko.loS; Ne 9.229; K 9.493; K 10.278; K 11.88, 94. 



586 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [etii. anx. 31 

25. Mink and Salmon Woman Ri 5.209; K 5.159. See No. 14 in 

Raven list, p. 508. 
20. Mink swallowed by Wlialc Ne 5.171. See No. 27, p. 509. 

27. Wolves steal Mink's gizzard Co 5.74 [musk-bag K 9.143]. See 

No. 38, p. 569. 

28. Mink pretends to be dead K 9.135, 139; Co 5.73; Sts 5.33. See 

No. 40, p. 569; No. 217, p. 580. See also Wish 105. 

29. Mink burns his sister's groins Co 5.71. See No. 41, p. 509. 

30. Mink loses his nose-ornament Ne 5.173. 

31. Steelhead salmon. See No. 19, p. 508. 

32. Mink makes a slave. See No. 29, p. 569. 

33. Southeast Wind. See No. 7, p. 567. 

34. Bungling host. See No. 32, p. 569. 

Transformer Myths 

Stiil another cycle, that of the culture hero, extends northward as 
far as Bellabella. 

INTRODUCTIONS OF TRANSFORMER TALES 

Like the introductory parts of the Raven myth, those of the Trans- 
former or culture-hero tales show considerable variation. Among 
the Kwakiutl the Transformer, who is called Q!a'neqe"'lak", and his 
brother, ai-e sent down from heaven (in Dawson' 20; Ne 5.194) and are 
adopted by Heron and his wife the Woodpecker (Haiali^lak", Dawson 
20), who owai a salmon weir. \Mienever the latter come home with 
sahnon, they shout, "Enemies are coming!" The children discover 
this, and kill and transform the old people (Ne 5.194; Ne 9.187; 
Ne 11.185; Dawson 20, 21). 

Among the Cliilcotin the Transformers are the descendants of the 
dog who married a girl. The dog Lendix"tcux is recognized bj^ the 
girl as her lover })y the marks of her hands, which she covers with white 
paint, and which she presses on his back. She is deserted by the 
people. Raven insults her, but Magpie pities her. She gives birth 
to tliree pups, that play about in human shape when she is absent, 
while on her return they put on their dog blankets. She burns the 
blankets, and they remain boys, while the old dog succeeds in put- 
ting on part of his blanket. He becomes a being half dog, half 
human. The boys become expert hunters. The people return, and 
they give food to Magpie; whQe Raven is punished for his mahce. 
Then the boys and the old dog set out and begin their work as trans- 
formers (Chil 7-9). 

The tribes of the delta of Fraser River relate that the Transformers 
are children of the Black Bear (Sts 5.19; Sts Hill-Tout 5.360). This 

1 G. M. Dawson, Notes and Observations on the Kwakiool People of Vancouver Island (Trant. Roy. Soc. 
f)/ Canada, vol. V, Section II, pp. 1-36. Montreal, 1888). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDV OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 587 

introduction is used also by the Lower Thompson Indians (U 218), 
and has been recorded as far east as Lytton, at the confluence of 
Fraser and Thompson Rivers (5.16; Teit 3.317). It is also referred 
to as belonging to the Lillooet of Fraser River (Lil 350), while 
most of the Upper Thompson Indians (Teit 2.42, Plill-Tout 1.195, 
Ntl Teit 3.315) and the Shuswap (5.1, Sh 644) lack this part of the 
introduction. Since most of the inland tribes state definitelv that 
these Transformers came from the coast, it seems plausible that tliis 
introduction belonged originally to the region of the Fraser River 
Delta. The tale itself has a wide distribution and is often not con- 
nected with the Transformer cycle. Examples are K 5.10S ; K 1 1.15 ; 
Co 5.81; Ntl Teit 2.69; Lil 322: Sh 681; Kath 118; Takelma 117; 
Klamath 118.' 

The Shuswap version, referred to before, shows certain indications 
of a relationship to the Chilcotin introduction. In the version 5.1 
it is stated that a woman threw medicine on her three sons, who 
attained magical power; while the oldest one, whom she missed, 
became a dog. In both these versions the Transformers use a magical 
staff in their exploits (see pp. 610 et seq.). 

Among the Quinault and Chinook a quite different formula is used as 
introduction. A woman is carried away by a Grizzly Bear. She has a 
son and a daughter. The Bear kills her brothers, except the youngest 
one, who burns the abductor and his son in their house. The brothei-s 
are revived, and on their way home they bathe in a lake. There tlio 
sister is transformed into a lake-monster. The daughter marries a 
chief.- Bluejay induces her to laugh, in consequence of wliich she 
becomes a cannibal. Her twin sons discover what she has done, and 
punish her. They ])ecome the Transformers (Chin 17; Quin 81). 

Among the Comox (5.63), Cowichan (5.45), Squamish (5.56), and 
Puyallup of Puget Sound,' no introduction has been recorded. 

In all these cases there are a number of Transformers. Among the 
Kwakiutl, Nootka, Quinault, and Chinook, they are twins. The Bear 
children of the interior, referred to before, are brothers, although in 
the related stories of the interior they are sometimes described as 
friends. jVmong the Comox the Transformer, who is called Kumsno'ol 
("Our Elder Brother"), is accompanied by Raven, Mink, and a bird, 
probably the Woodpecker. All along the Gidf of Georgia the Trans- 
former is called Xiils, or, in reiluphcated form, Xsxals (Sts HiU-Tout 
5.360). By the Nitinath he is called Alis (Globus, liii [1888], 157). 

In the Nootka introduction recorded by George Hunt (Nu ap 908), 
the Mucus Boy (see p. 734), who visits his father in the sky, becomes 
the Transformer and is sent down to our earth. In the Nootka ver- 
sion 5.98 no introduction lias been recorded. 

' A. S. Gatschet, The Klamath Indians (Contribitfions to Xorih A mcrkan Elhnolngy, vol. n. Pt. 1 1. 

2 The Quinault version begins here. 

' Boas, "Zur Mythologie der Indianer von Washington und Oregon" {Globus, vol. Lxni. p. 154. 1.S93). 



588 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. asn. 31 

The following list gives the general character of the introduction as 
recorded in various areas : 
1. Q la'neqe^lak" and his brothers come down from heaven Ne 5.194; 

Ne 9.187; Ne 11.185. 
2a. Woodpecker has two wives, Grizzly Bear and Black Bear; the 

former has no children; the latter, three sons and one daughter 

Sts 5.19. 
21. Red-Headed Woodpecker has two wives, Grizzly Bear and Black 

Bear; each has four children U 218. 
2c. Magpie has two wives, Grizzly Bear and Black Bear; each has 

four sons Sts Ilill-Tout 5.360. 
2d. TEmth'psEm has two wives, Grizzly Bear and Black Bear; each 

has four children Ntl 5.16. 
3. Xiils comes down from heaven Cow 5.45. 
4a. Four brothers Xais travel about Squ Hill-Tout .3.518 [Xais 

comes dowTi from heaven Squ 5.56]. 
46. Four brothers travel inland from the sea. Lake Lillooet, Lil 350. 
Ac. Three brothere Qoa'qlqal come up the river Ntl Teit 2.42. 
4(Z. Fom- Transformers Qwo'qtqwal come up from the sea; Nicola 

Valley, Ntl Teit 3.315. 
4e. Four brothers and a sister called A'tse'mel come up from the 

sea Ld 292. 

5. Xone', no origin tradition, Puyallup, 154.^ 

6. Xone'xone, no origin tradition, Chehalis, 155.' 

7. Le'esa (four brothers) and Kwclaa'llst, who is their aunt's grand- 

son, live at Kamloops; three of the brothers are given power; 
one becomes a dog Sh 5.1 ; Sh 644; also Dawson ^31. 

8. The sons of the Dog who had married a girl become the Trans- 

formers, and travel, accompanied by their Dog f atlier Chil 7-9. 

The following special mcidents are mentioned in various versions: 

9. XExals, after a stay inland, comes down to Harrison Lake Sts 

5.19; Sts Hill-Tout 5.360. 

10. The youngest brother is the canoe in which the older ones travel 

Squ Hdl-Tout 3.518. 

11. The youngest is carried on the back of the elder brothers U 220; 

Ntl Hill-Tout 1.198; Ntl Teit 3.315. 

12. The Transformei-s travel with Mmk Sts 5.19; Sts Hill-Tout 5.360; 

Ld 292. 

13. The youngest one wears a beaver cap Sts 5.19. 

In connection with the present discussion it is not necessary to 
follow out the details of the introduction, wliich has no inner relation 
to the following Transformer tale. 

> Globus, vol. ixm, 1893. 

- George M. Dawson, Notes on the Shuswap People of British Columbia ( Tram. Roy. Soc. Can., ISOI, 
Section II, pp. 3^4). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 589 

TRANSFORMER SlYTH OF NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND 

The most characteristic incidents of the Transformer legend of the 
Newettee division of the Kwakiutl are the encoimters with ancestors 
of tribal subdivisions. Many of these have the form of contests, in 
which the ancestor is proved to be as powerful as the Transformer. 
The latter is throughout represented as unable to overcome the powers 
of the sacred winter dance. He represents the powers of the secular 
Sli mm er season. In a few cases the ancestors are transformed by bim 
into stone or rivers. Most of these incidents are very brief. Follow- 
ing is a list of those that have been recorded : 

1. Q !a'ueqe-lak" meets He'Hg'iliqalaand Lo'lEmaga atQ la'las .5.196; 

9.199; 11.210; 11.195; Dawson' 21. See also 9.193. 

They throw their wiiiter-dance power [woodworms 11.210] at each other 
[they have dentalia on their fire 11.210]. Q la'neqe^lak" is afraid, and passes 
behind them 5.196; 11.195; 11.210: therefore there is a trail behind Q la'las 
11.210. In 9.199 the same incident is referred to. It is simply stated that 
Q la'neqMak" saw the red-cedar bark and woodworms, was afraid, and passed 
behind He'Ug'iliqala. [X man shakes a blanket liUed with diseases at him; 
he faints, and then passes behind, Dawson 21; see also 9.193.] 

2. Qla'neqe^lak" meets O'-'meal at Ge'^ya [XudzExsta'^e 5.196] 

5.196; 9.207; 11.222. 

They point with th^ir first (fourth 11.222) fingers at each other, and each 
has a hole through his head. They are afraid of each other 5.196. They 
were of equal power 9.207. [O'^meiil had the hole in his stomach; Q!a'ne- 
qe^lak", between his eyes. Q la'neqe^lak" is afraid of O'^meiil 11.222.] 

3. He meets Lexya'lik'a^layn and his sister ^naxnai'sUaogwa at 

Xusbalis; the two dance ihe winter dance; he is afraid, and 
passes by 5.197; also mentioned in 9.195. 

4. He meets Kwe'xag'ila on the moimtain XusE'la, wearing the 

grizzly-bear mask and dancing the fool dance 5.197. 

5. He meets Ha'yihk'a^ve at LE^la'd in Hardy Bay 5.197; 9.195; 

11.223; 11.224; 11.196. See also 9.207;" 11.229; Co 5.6.3.— 
11.227; K9.453; K 10.100; K 9.480; K 5.167; 5.182. 

Ha'j'ilik'a^we dances, wearing a mask and an ermine headdress. Qla'ne- 
qe^lak" lets the waters rise, but is unable to harm Ha'yilik-a^we. He throws 
him into a fire, but Ha'yilik-a^we sinks into the ground. Since Q !a'neqe-lak" 
can not overcome him, they become friends. He fills his river with salmon 
5.197. [He sees Ha'yilik-a^we dancing with a large head-ring, is afraid of 
him, and passes behind him 11.196.] [Ha'yiUk-a^we pushes a stick into his 
left side and lets the skin close over it. Q !a'neqe^lak" is unable to find this 
"sickness," and he is thus beaten by Ha'yilik-a^we 11.224.] [After passing 
Ha'yilik-a^we, he sees him in his canoe, singing a sacred song. Ha'yUik-a^we 
is thrown into the water and becomes a perch 11.223; 11.229.] In 9.207 the 
same story is told, but the name of the ancestor is not given. The person 
who is dancing in the canoe and singing is called the perch, and says that he 
has the greatest power of throwing supernatural powers into people. (See 
also p. 568, No. 25.) Hai'alik-a^we is also mentioned in 9.195. 

I See p. 686, note 1 . 



590 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eih. ann. 31 

The Comox incident of the Transformer's meeting with a shaman, who says 
that he is merely enjoying the fine weatlier and is then thrown into the water 
and transformed into a fish with stout body and thin tail, is presumably 
identical with this tale Co 5.63. 

The incident of Q !a'neqe^lak"'8 meeting with Ytx-a'gEme^, as told in 11.227, 
isidentical with one of the versions of his meeting with Ha'yilik'a^we. When 
they meet, Ylxa'gEme^ is first transformed into a young sawbill duck, then 
he is retransformed into a man. Next Q la'neqe^Iak" is transformed in the 
same way. Then Q la'neqe^lak" makes a deluge, which does no harm to 
Yix'a'gEme^'s iiouse, the smoke coming out of the water. According to one 
version, Yixa'gBme^ also makes a deluge in return. Q !;Vneqe^lak" becomes 
afraid of him and passes. The saro^ incident is recorded in the QIa'mtalal 
tradition K 10.100; K9.4.53. QIa'neqMak" meets Chief QIa'mtalal. Assoon 
as he looks at him, the chief's pile-driver falls into the water; but, owing to 
the chief's magical power, comes up again. QIa'mtalal calks his house, 
because he knows that Q la'neqc^lak" is going to make a deluge K 9.453. 

The same story is told of Ma'leleqala, who built a house of large trees and 
calked the o])enings wth clay. During the deluge he remained safe inside. 
After the water had subsided, his brothers hauled in drift-logs, wliich became 
their tribe, ^^^len Q la'neqe^lak" meets him, he wears a head-ring of red- 
cedar bark, and is told that he shall be the first to receive red-cedar bark in 
the winter ceremonial 9.480. 

Tlie incident of the flood is also told of Ila'yilika^we without express refer- 
ence to Qla'neqe^lak". It is said in this version that the deluge lasted for a 
whole year, and that the raven Klweklwaxa'^we caused the flood to subside 
K 5.1G7. At another jilace in the O'^meiil tradition a contest between 
Ha'yilika^we and O'^meiil is told of, in which they point at each other with 
their fingers. Ha'yilik'a^we makes a hole in O'^meiil's head, while the 
latter makes a hole in Ha'yilika^we's chest. Then O'^meiil produces the 
flood, which leaves shells on the roof of the house. Ha'yiUka^we throws 
these through O'^meal's stomach, a feat that O'^meal is unable to imitate. 
He makes, however, another flood, while Ha'yilika^we causes the smoke of 
his house to pass through the water. Tlien they throw each other respec- 
tively with the double-headed serpent and trees, and finally become friends 
5.182. 

6. Q M'neqe^'lak" meets Xate'tsEn 9.3. 

Analogous to this is also the meeting between Q la'neqMak" and Xate'tsEn. 
They treat each other to meat of the double-headed serpent. Then they 
transform each other unsuccessfully into fog and a crane, each resuming 
human shape immediately after the transformation. Next they race on 
Xate'tsEn's playground, running first up a mountain, then down again, and 
then jumping into the canoe. Q Ia'neqe^lak'''s belt comes off, and he falls 
into the water. Xate'tsEn believes that he has vanquished him; but 
Q la'nc'qe^lak" comes up again, and transforms a beaver and the watchman of 
Xate'tsEn's salmon weir into stone. 

7. Q la'neqe^lak" meets Tsla'qame^ K 10.167-171. 

Q la'neqMak" meets Tsla'qame^, and they try their powers. He points at 
him with his finger, and a hole appears under the eyes of Tsla'qame^. He 
heals himself, and performs the same triik on Qla'neqMak". The Trans- 
former asks his companions to cut off the head of Tsla'qame^. They do so, 
and he comes back to lite. The Transformer orders his companions lo cut 



BOAS] COMPABATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 591 

open the belly of Ts!a'qamO^ and to take out his intestines, but he revives. 
He is thrown into the fire, and they can not kill him. They tie a stone on 
his neck and throw him overboard into the sea. He comes up again and 
walks back to his house. Tsla'qame^ tells Q la'neqe^lak" that he will not 
be able to kill him. Then Q la'neqe^lak" takes part of the neck-ring of red- 
cedar bark that Tsla'qame^ is wearing, and takes it to the house of the Sal- 
mon. This has the effect that frogs come to be in Tsla'qame^'s stomach. 
He takes them out and puts them on a rock. 

S. Q !a'neqe^lak" meets Ma'tag'ila 5.197. 

He meets a large bird, which takes off its dress and becomes Ma'tag'ila. 
They become friends, and he creates salmon for Ma'tagila in the river 
Tslfi'lxut in Hardy Bay. 

9. Q la'neqMak" meets No 'mas 5.107. 

He meets No'mas, the ancestor of the La'witslis, who was the first one to 
use fish-lines made of kelp, which are employed in halibut fishing. 
Q la'neqe^lak" makes friends with him, and creates salmon in his river. 

10. Qla'neqrlak" meets NomasE'nxelis 5.196; 9.207; 11.195; 11.221. 

He meets NomasE'nxelis, who sends his son to Xu.sba'lis. Q la'neqe^lak" 
transforms him into a large stone on Hope Island. The grass on top of the 
stone is his hair. NomasE'nxelis's son had a house, in front of which a totem- 
pole was erected. Q la'neqe^lak" tears it out and throws it into the sea 5.196. 
The same incident is briefly referred to in 9.207. In 11.195 it is merely 
told that Qla'neqe^lak" sees the children of NomasE'nxelis throwing wood- 
worms at each other and wearing large head-rings of cedar bark. For this 
reason he is afraid and passes them. In 11.221 the same incident is repeated. 
It is stated that Q la'neqe^lak" transforms NomasE'nxeUs's tribe into stones; 
that NomasE'nxelis himself became a small island in the Bay of Newettee; 
that NomasE'nxelis's children were performing the winter dance, throwing 
harpoons at each other, and that for this reason Q la'neqe^lak" was afraid of 
them. 

11. Q la'neqe^lak" meets the ancestors of the Nimkish K 5.134; 

11.228. 

They give each other fat of the double-headed serpent to eat, but are unable 
to poison each other. Then Q la'neqe^lak" tries to transform them succes- 
sively into ducks, mountains, kingfisher; but every time they regain their 
human form. Tliey are also unable to transform Q la'neqe^lak". One of these 
ancestors takes the name Gwa'^nalalis. He thinks that on Q !a'neqMak"'s 
return he may be transformed into a stone or a tree; but since stones are liable 
to break, and trees liable to decay, he wishes to become the Nimkish River. 
Then Q la'neqe^lak" transforms him into a river, in which salmon go up. 
He throws away shellfish. For this reason there are no shellfish near the 
mouth of the river 5.134. Gwa'^nalalis lies down on his back, and, according 
to his wish, is transformed into a river 11.228. 

12. Q!a'neqe%k" meets Ma'leleqala, who is blind 5.199; 11.225. 

By letting him dive four times he restores his eyesight. Then he names 
him 11.225. In 5.199 it is said that Ma'leleqala was sick, and that QJa'neqe- 
^lak" cin-ed him by passing his hand over his body. Finally he gaxe him 
salmon. 



592 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. an.v. 31 

13. In the version 5.197 it is also stated that he met the ancestor of 

a number of other tribal divisions, but no details of these 
meetings are given. 

A few longer stories are embodied in the Transformer legend, which 
I do not need to give here in detail. Most of these refer to marriages 
between the Transformer and the daughter of an ancestor, and will 
be treated at another place, in connection with the discussion of the 
Test tlieme (p. 794). The most important of these stories are the 
following : 

14. He marries the daughter of Gwa'''nalalis 5.197; 9.195; 11.196; 

Dawson 21. 

15. His encounter with Qa'mxulal 5.199; K 11.3. 

16. His marriage with the daughter of Dza'wadalalisK 9.455; K 10.94; 

11.229; K. 5.135. [In the last-named passage the story is told 
of G'l'i, the son of Gwa'^nalalis. This, however, is probably a 
mistake, since Q la'neqe^lak" is often called G'l'i.] Nu ap 909. 
As incidents of the Dza'wadalalis story appear a number of 
transformations. All of these are supposed to have taken 
place on Q!a'neqe^lak"'s journey up Knight Inlet. 

17. In return for a warning he gives to a man mussels or fish K 

5.135; K 9.456; K 9.457; K 10.94; 11.230-232. 

At LlEkwe'te he throws tour mussels ashore, aiul ordains that there shall 
always be many mussels 11.230. ."Vt G'io'x" he is kindly received and puts 
mussels and roasted salmon [fish 9.4.56] into the water 10.94. At the same 
place he throws roasted sockeye salmon into the water, which are given to 
the _La' wits lis 11.231. At Ha'nwade he throws boiled salmon ashore 9.457. 
At A'x'atbe^ he puts mussels and roasted salmon into the water 10.94; 11.232. 

18. At Qwa'xEm he is not received so kindly, and for this reason he 

places poisonous clams on the beach K 5.135. 

19. In Lalcmaxa'es he throws a piece of whale meat out of his canoe. 

It becomes stone K 5.135. 

20. At Alert Bay he throws his clothmg out of the canoe K 9.456. 

It is transformed into the numerous islands between Vancouver Island and 
Knight Inlet. He throws his comb on the mountains, and it is transformed 
into trees. 

21. He throws something out of liis canoe, which becomes the deer 

K 9.456; K 10.94; 11.229. 

At Da'qos he is unkindly received by the people, whom ho first transforms 
into birds, then into deer 10.94; 11.229. 

22. At Qlwala'd a person teUs him that when trying to marry 

Dza'wadalahs's daughter he lost his hair and his face was cut. 
This person is transformed into a mountain K 9.457. • 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 593 

23. He meets the Geese K 9.457; 10.95; 11.233. See also H ap 883. 

At A'snak' !a he meets people digging roots. He lands at l la'qwaxstelis, 
where Geese and Ducks are steaming roots. They are blind, and scent him. 
He inquires what they are steaming; and they tell that they have no 
roots, but something that Raven eats, in their wooden kettles. He spits on 
their eyes and restores their eyesight 9.457. In the versions 10.9.5, 11.233, he 
takes away the food of the old women who scent him, and then restores their 
eyesight. They are Geese, who then give him ad\'ice. The same story is 
told as an incident independent of the Transformer marriage by the Bella- 
bella, H ap. 

24. He meets the Ducks 5.202; 9.203; K 10.95: 11.215; 11.234; 

Dawson 20. See also Ts 1.175; Ts 4.275; M 498; Sk 33S; 
Hai6.73; BC5.263; K5.135; Nuap907; Nu 5.118; Co 5.65; 
Se 44; Na 5.55; Sts5.38; Sts Hill-Tout 5.354; Ntl5.18; Sh711; 
Chir46. 

The same incident is repeated at Cbalis 5.135; at Gu'myade 10.95, 11.234, 
In this case the blind women are Mallard Ducks. This incident occurs also 
separately in 5.202 as part of the Q !a'neqe^lak" tradition, but not incidental 
to his journey up Knight Inlet. In the same way it occurs in Dawson 20. 
where a number of women are said to cook eel-grass. 

After tlus follows the story of the Transformer's encounter with 
Dzii'wadalahs's daughters and his contest with his father-in-law. 

In 9.204 and 11.215 it occurs independently, the women cooking the roots 
being Mallard Ducks. 

The incident of the blind women who are identified as birds 
occurs in many different combinations on the North Pacific 
coast. A group of tales of this type will be found discussed 
on p. 842. These versions belong to the Haida of Skidegate 
and Masset, to the Tsimshian, and to the Xanaimo. In 
another comiection the story occurs in the delta of Fraser River 
and among the Thompson Indians. 

A youth meets two bUnd sisters roasting roots. AMien the one passes a 
dishful to the other, the youth takes it away from her. The sisters say, 
"The son of the brother and sister who burnt themselves must be here." 
The boy is on his way to marr\' the daughter of the Sun, and they give him 
ad\'ice Sts 5.38. The same is told of the youth who went in search of a new 
head, Sts Hill-Tout 354. 

Among the Comox the incident occurs in the stor\' of the young man who 
made a chain of aiTows and went up to marr\' the daughter of the Sun. Two 
brothers who have gone up to the sky meet a number of blind women sitting 
around a fire, boiling some kind of plant. The elder brother steps on the 
blanket of the woman who is distributing the food, and the younger one takes 
away the fUled dishes, ^^^len they find out that there is somebody there, 
they request that their eyesight be restored. The brothers chew roots and 
spit on their eyes. The women regain their eyesight and fly away in the 
form of ducks. The elder brother retains the one whose blanket he is hold- 
ing, and obtains ad\-ice from her. In this case, as in the stories treated on 
p. 843, the next person met with is the Crane, who also assists them Co 5.65. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 38 



594 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axs. 31 

Among the Nootka the story is told of the Mucus Boy, who makes an arrow- 
chain, goes up to the sky, and finds the Snail women in their house, who are 
roasting clover roots on stones. They are blind. He takes away their roots. 
He restores their eyesight by rubbing their eyes, and they advise him how 
to obtain the daughter of the chief of the Sky Nu 5.118. 

The Nootka have the incident in a story of a visit to the sky Nu ap 907, 

Among the Kwakiutl the story belongs to the Dza'wadalalis tale, and has 
been referred to before K 5.135. 

The Bellacoola tell the same story of a boy who flies up to the sky in the 
form of a plume. There he meets a number of blind women who boil roots. 
They smell the young man. He spits on their eyes and restores their eye- 
sight. They are the ducks. He takes away their keen sense of smell, 
throws them down, and ordains that they shall be used for food BC 5.263. 

Among the Seshelt the incident has been recorded in a somewhat composite 
story, which contains certain elements of the Coyote tales. A man sends 
his son to climb a tree which stretches up to the sky. Tlius the youth reaches 
the sky land, and meets two blind women who are i)reparing food. He takes 
it away three times; and one of the old women askshim if he is her grandson. 
He pvits medicine on the eyes of the women and restores their eyesight 
Se44. 

Coyote's son meets two old women, the Grouse, in the sky. The one says, 
"I smell something bad." He becomes angry and throws them away. 
They become birds Ntl 5.18. 

A similar incident told of a blind man forms part of the Wa'walis story 
BC 5.258, Chil 46 (see p. 848). 

It will be seen from tliis list that in the majority of cases 
this incident is placed in the sky. In the GunaxnesEmg'a'd 
story it is placed on tlie bottom of the sea (see p. 842). 

25. He reaches a blind woman who is maldng a canoe K 9.458; K 

10.96; 11.235; Sts Hill-Tout 5.343; Sts 5.29; Sts Hill-Tout 
5.354; Squ HiU Tout 3.542; Lil Hill-Tout 6.187; U 284. 

Her child is in a cradle. He pinches it and makes it cry. This causes 
the woman to cut through the sides of the canoe. He restores her eyesight. 

In the preceding list I have not enumerated the incidents that 
refer to the Transformer's brother and a few explanations of natural 
featm-es and transformations into rocks that form part of the legend. 

26. He kills the double-headed serpent 5.195; 9.193; 11.192. 

After leaving their parents (see incident 1, p. 588, also p. 586), Q!a'nec|t-^- 
lak" and his brother meet a double-headed serpent, which Q la'neqe^lak" 
kills. He uses its skin [dorsal fin 11.192] for a belt; its eyes, for sling-stones 
5.195; 11.192. They meet the thunderbird eating a double-headed serpent. 
QIa'neqeMak" takes the serpent's back as a belt, the eyes as .sling-stones 9.193. 

27. At Klwa'^ne^ (Cape Scott) he kills four whales, using the ser- 

pent's eyes as sling-stones 5.195; 9.193; 11.193; Dawson 20. 

He carries them ashore by their tails. Their backs and blow-holes may 
still be seen 5.195. He kills two pairs of whales with his sling, using the 
eyes of the double-headed serpent as sling-stones, and then telling the serpent 
to come to life in order to kill the whales 11.193. He kills whales for his 
younger brother. Dawson 20. 



BOASJ COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 595 

He makes a house of small sticks for his brother [of dirt 9.193; of toilet- 
sticks 11.192], sprays water on the house, and it becomes large 5.195; 9.193; 
11.192. 

Then he begins his migrations, on which he meets the ancestors of 
the various subdivisions of the tribes. 

28. He returns to Klwa'^ne-' 5.199; 11.207; Dawson 20, 21, 

After marrying the daughter of Gwa'^nalalis (incident 14), he returns to 
K'.wa'^ne^, where he finds his brother dead, and revives him by means of 
the water of life 5.199. In 11.208 he uses the chamber-vessel of Gwa'^niilalis's 
daughter, in order to revive his brother. The incident is also mentioned in 
Dawson 20, 21. 

29. He carves men who become ahve 5.199. 

30. He marries the daughter of a cliicf in the htnd west of the ocean 

5.199. 

31. He kills the water monster 5.196; 9.201: 11.217; Dawson 20; 

Co 5.64; Chil 46; BC 5.258. See also Takelma' 39. 

At Go'se^ he finds a deserted village, in which a girl is the only person 
alive. The others have been killed by a water monster. Q la'neqe^lak" 
requests the gii'l to get water for him, and makes her go, notwithstanding her 
objections. He gives her his belt made of the double-headed serpent to 
wear. She is swallowed. The serpent comes to life and kills the monster. 
The body of the monster bursts open, and the ancestors of the Koskimo come 
out. They first walk in "a one-sided manner," but are set right, Dawson 
20. A boy alone sm-\-ives. AMien he is swallowed, Q la'neqe^lak" causes 
the serpent to come to life, which kills him. The bones of the Koskimo 
are vomited up by the monster, and are sprinkled with the urine of 
Q !a'neqe^lak"''s wife 11.217. An old man, Xau'efsa, and his granddaughter, 
live in the last house of the village, ^^'hen the monster has swallowed the 
girl, Q la'neqe^lak" beats time, and causes the serpent to come to life. They 
are revived by means of the water of life 5.196. In 9.201 only a child is 
alive. The bones of the Koskimo are put together in the wrong way, and 
therefore some of them limp after being revived with the water of life. 

The Comox have an analogous tale. The only sitrv-ivors are an old man 
and his grandson, who drink fish oil in place of water. The Transformer 
covers his body with red-hot stones, goes down to the water, and when the 
monster, which has the form of a devilfish, touches him with its suckers, 
these drop off. Tlie Transformer cuts it up, throws it about, and transforms 
it into squids. The stomach is transformed into a stone; the head becomes a 
whirlpool near Cape Mudge 5.64. 

Among the Bellacoola the same story occurs as part of the Wa'walis tale. 
Wa'walis enters a house in which a blind man is boiling deer meat. 
Wa'walis restores his eyesight by spitting on his eyes. The people of the 
village have been devoured by a sea monster. Wa'walis sends a slave to get 
water. The slave is devoured by the monster, which Wa'walis kills by 
moving his staff towards it. He takes out the bones of the people and re- 
vives them BC 5.258. It occiu-s in the same connection among the Chilcotin 
Chil 46. 

J Edward Sapir, Takelma Te.xts (Cnivcrsity of Pcnnsi/ivania, The Museum, Anthropological Puhlica- 
tions, vol. n). 



596 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

32. He meets Mouth Body 5.202; 9.205; 11.220r| 11.249; Dawson 20, 

21; Co 5.63. 

A person covered with mouths rolls about on the beach. Tlie Transformer 
passes his hand over the body, and only one mouth remains (all versions). 
This story occurs also among the Comox. The Transformer changes him 
into a stone 5.63. In the version 11.249 a story of the marriage of Mouth 
Body with a chief's daughter is added. 

33. A depression in a bowlder at Klwa'^ne^is Q!a'neqe^lak"'s foot- 

print 5.202; Dawson 20. 

It is said that his other footprint is on the island Hc'tas (Cox Island) 5.202; 
Dawson 20. Other stones are shown as his eyes. If sand is thrown into the 
right one, an east wind will spring up; if thrown into the left one, west wind 
5.202. To put the foot into his footprints brings misfortune or death, Daw- 
son 20. 

34. A hole in a rock at K!wa'^ne^ was made by Q la'neqe^lak" 5.203. 

Ho threw many people into the hole, and for this reason blood comes out 
of it up to this day. 

35. A stone at Newettee Bar is a person transformed by Qla'neqe- 

^lak" 5.19G.' 

36. QIo'mg'ustaEls of the Xo'yalas and his attendant are trans- 

formed into stones 9.335; 10.378. 

37. Qla'neqeHak" obtains fish 5.194; 5.202; 9.191; Nu ap 908. See 

alsoBC 5.261: Co 5.93; Lil 297, 354, 355; Lil Hill-Tout 6.202; 
Squ Hill-Tout 3.534; Ntl Teit 2.52; Ntl Teit 3 367; U 231 
(also Ntl 5.17; Wish 141; Wasco 261). 

Q la'neqe^lak" and his brother are reborn by Dza'dzaxwitElaga (Olachen 
Woman), They borrow her blanket, dip a comer into the water, which at 
once is f^ill of fish. The mother then returns into the fish country- 5.194. 

Q!a'neqe4ak" bets Dza'dzaxwitElaga's blanket against the lance of the 
bird Ts!ats!o, and loses. Tlie bird dips the comer of the blanket into the 
water in Knight Inlet: therefore there are great quantities of fish there 5.202. 
Ts !ats!o plays with Dza'dzaxwitElaga. She wins his blanket. Q la'neqe^lak" 
forbids her to go to the beach. She asks him to call the herring, and he allows 
her to go down to the beach, and calls the herrings 9.191. 

QIa'nexenax" comes down from heaven wearing a blanket in which he 
carries salmon and olachen. He puts all the olachen and two salmon of each 
kind into the river of Knight Inlet: hence olachen run only in this ri\'er, and 
there are all kinds of salmon, Nu ap 908. 

On Fraser River this incident occurs as part of the story of 
the deserted boy who exchanges his blanket for that of the 
Sun. When the Sun blanket is dipped mto water, shoals of 
fish appear Co 5.93. 

The Sim places the fringe of his robe in the water, and a fish is caught on 
each tassel Lil 297. The Sun gives to the boy his robe and teaches him how 
to make fish traps Lil 354. The Sun gives to the boy his blanket made of 

' This may be identical with No. 10, p. 591. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 597 

mountain-goat wool, and tells him to dip the fringe four times into a lake. 
Each time he does so some kind of fish becomes very numerous. Then he 
teaches him how to make fish traps Lil 355. The Sun gives to the boy his 
blanket, and tells him that when a corner is put into the lake there will be 
at once shoals of trout. The deeper the blanket is dipped into the water, 
the more fish there are Lil Hill-Tout 6.202. The Sun gives the youth his 
blanket, and tells him that when he dips the corner into the water there 
will be shoals of herrings. If he should dip too large a part of the garment 
into the water, the fish would choke the river Squ Hill-Tout 3.534. The 
Sun purchases the blankets and gives in return valuable presents Ntl 
Teit 2.52, Ntl Teit 3.367, U 231. The Sun gives the boy a lucky bow in 
exchange for the blankets Ntl 5.17. A deserted boy is given plenty of fish 
by the daughter of a water spirit. The many-colored magpie blanket is 
mentioned here, but it is not definitely stated that the fish was received in 
exchange for this blanket, Wish HI. The same story is told in another 
version, and here it is mentioned that the magpie blanket is exchanged for 
a mountain-sheep skin, Wasco 201. The magical blanket occurs also in a 
Bellacoola story 5.261. 

38. In the Nootka version we find the general statement that 
the Transformer gives to the tribes their languages, and that 
he distributes berries, sheHiish, and fish 5.98. 

TRANSFORMER MYTH.S OF THE WEST COAST OF WASHINGTON 

1. At Neah Bay the Transformers find dogs, which they transform 

into men who become whalers Quin 84. They do not suc- 
ceed in making them talk the Quinault language. He teaches 
the people at Neah Bay to fish, Quilleyute, Farrand MS. 

2. At Quilleyute the same happens. The men are also given dip-nets 

for smelts. They do not succeed in making them talk the 
Quinault language Quin 84. At Quilleyute the Transformer 
changes two wolves into people, and tells them that poor peo- 
ple are to have each one vnie; chiefs, several, Quilleyute, Far- 
rand MS. 

3. At Hoh River he finds miserable people, who have only dip-nets. 

He helps them, Quin 84. At Hoh he finds people walking 
upside down, carrying their heads between theu' legs. He 
sets them right, Quilleyute, Farrand MS. 

4. At Queets River there were no people. He rubs cuticle off his 

arms, which he transforms into people. He gives them nets 
and sahnon-spears, Qutllejnitc, Farrand MS; Qum 84; Chin 20. 
4'. Coyote meets a man whose feet are tied together, who moves bj" 
turning somersaults, and who stands on his head. He sets 
him riglit. Wish 25. 

5. The Transformer is swallowed by a monster Quin 84; Chin 20. 

See also Kath 107. 

Kwemo'leLen (one of the Transformer brothers) sees the tail feathers of an 
eagle floating in Raft River, goes to get them, and is swallowed by a monster. 
Misp' (the elder Transformer brother) throws hot stones into the river until 
it boils, spears the monsters, and finds his brother in the largest one. He 



598 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. ru 

ran not re^-ive him, and transforms him into a durk Quin 84. The younger 
brother shoots a double-headed swan. AMien he swims out to get it, he is 
swallowed by a monster. The elder brother throws red-hot stones into the 
lake, makinjj the water boil, ^^^len the lake is dried, he cuts all the monsters, 
and finds him in the last and smallest one. He blows water on his brother 
and revives him Chin 20. This incident is also found in another connection 
in Kath 107. 

6. At Quinault he finds people provided with all kinds of implements 

and weapons Qum 84. The Transformer ordains that lilue- 
back salmon, shall be caught at Qumault Chin 20. 

7. At Copalis he sees a man walking upside down on his hands being 

pulled into the water by lice. He is turned right-side up, and 
a comb is given to him Qmn 85. 

8. At Copalis River people walk tipsido down, and have only small 

flounder-spears and short digging-sticks. He turns them 
right-side up, and tells them that they shall always dig clams 
and live on small fish Qum So. 

9. At Oyhut he finds people walking upside down, with short dig- 

ging-sticks, and using their heads as hammers. They are 
turned right-side up and given stone hammers Quin 85. At 
Oyhut he transforms two dogs into people, Quilleyute, Far- 
rand MS. 

10. He meets a person who dances, paddle in hand, in his canoe, in 

order to catch floiuiders, whicli jump into the canoe while he 
is dancing. He gives him a dip-net, and shows him how to 
catch flounders Chin 20. 

11. He meets a person whose house has no roof, and who shoots the 

rain. He shows him how to build a house Chin 20. 

12. He teaches man how to paddle Ne 5.202. 

Although this tale has been recorded from Newettee, it belongs distinctly 
to the present group. A man paddles with arms crossed over the back; a 
woman, with arms crossed over the chest and the paddle held imder the 
arms. He shows them how to paddle. 

13. Pie carves man and woman out of wood, and brings them to life 

by breathing on them Nu ap 913. 

14. They kill the monster woman Chin 21; Quin 82; Se 49; U 252; 

Lil .370. 

A monster woman kills children by swinging them and throwing them 
down a cliff. The Transformer asks her to let their dogs fight. Her dog's 
name is Head-Eater. Their dog is called Flint-Eater. The_ latter cuts off 
the head of the monster woman's dog (see No. 3, p. 611). One of the 
Transformers asks to be thrown down. He tells children who stand below to 
say, "Return to the land!" Then she swings him and throws him down. 
He is not hurt. He revives the children below who had been killed by the 
woman. He takes her by the hair, swings her around five times, and throws 
her down. The children stone her and cut her to pieces. Her hair is thrown 
inland; her legs, south of Columbia River; her ribs, up the river. There- 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 599 

fore the inland people have long hair; the tribes south of Columbia River, strong 
legs; and the inland people, handy legs Chin 21. 

They meet an aunt who swings children and dashes them against a rock. 
The elder brother nibs the younger one's face with a plant to make him look 
pale. The woman wants to swing the younger one, but the elder one asks 
to be taken in his stead. He orders the children down below to shout, "Go 
and come back ! " He lands on his feet. Then he throws his aunt and kills 
her. In her belly are found the bones of children whom she has eaten. 
Some he revives, but others he can not revive. Therefore some people die 
today. The same incident is repeated. Next they meet another aunt who 
plays with children, who are required to walk slowly towards a stick. ^Mien 
the child laughs, the woman kills and eats it, Tlie Transformer wins, kills 
the aunt, and frees the children. They meet another woman who kills 
children pretending to tattoo their chests. She can not pierce the skin of 
the Transformer, who kills her Quin 82. 

A similar incident is recorded in the Eagle and Owl storj- recorded by Hill- 
Tout Se 49. Eagle and Owl marry two sisters. Eagle mames the elder one. 
His son is Frog. Owl marries the younger one. His son is a human being. 
The husbands are captured by a female ogre, Yanexemekwon. The women 
search for them, and after various adventures reach the house of the ogre. 
She plays with them sliding down a mountain wliich ends in a precipice. 
The sisters fasten themselves by means of a magic line, and when they reach 
the ])recipice spit out red and white paint, which the ogre mistakes for blood 
and brains. The story then continues with the killing of the ogre (see pp. 762 
et seq.). 

The same story is told by Teit. In one version collected among the 
Lower Thompson it is told that the two girls marry Owl and Eagle. Owl's 
child is a Frog. The husbands are taken away by an ogre, Xe'niax, with 
whom the women have a fight at the edge of a cliff. The Frog child always 
pushes back the women when they are about to fall. Finally the Frog 
throws down Xe'niax, who, however, is not killed U 252. 

In the Lillooet tale the husbands are Horned Owl and Golden Eagle. 
The son of the former is the Deer; the daughter of the latter. Frog. The 
husbands are taken away by the ogre KomakstI'mut, who challenges the 
women to slide down a mountain. The v. omen spit out red and white paint 
and escape Lil 370. 

15. The Transformers become stone at the mouth of Colmnbia River 

Quin S.5. 

A few talcs are common to Vancouver Ishind and Washington, anti 
have even penetrated up the Fraser River into the interior. These 
refer principally to the creation of animals. 

16. Origin of the deer H ap 883; Ne 5.200; Ne 9.201; Ne 11.211; 

Ne Dawson 20; Co 5.64; Nua 5.98; Nuft ap 912; Squ 5.56: 
Squ Hill-Tout 3.518; Cow 5.46; Puyallup, 155;' Sts Hill- 
Tout 5.361 ; U 227 ; Quilleyute, Farrand M.S ; Quin 84 ; Chin 20. 

Among these the story of the origin of the deer is by far the most widely 
distributed . Seventeen versions have been recorded . The essential incident 
of this story is the meeting between the Transformer and a man who is grinding 
his knife on a stone. On being asked what he is doing, he replies that he is 

' Globus, vol. Lxm. 



600 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann.31 

sharpening his knives in order to kill the Transformer, who then examines 
the knives, pushes them into the head of the man, tells him to turn around, 
puts the dust of the whetstone on his rump, and transforms him into a 
deer. (He makes two cuts in the man's head, out of which antlers grow, 
and smears his rump with the dust, Ne Dawson 20.) In the Nootka version 
Nua the man is told to shake his head and to put his hands on the 
ground. In Nu6 he puts the shell knives in the deer's head, and slaps it on 
each side. Then Deer is sent to the woods. In the Cowichan version the 
man is making arrows with shell points. In one Squamish version (5.56) he 
is sharpening shell knives. Nothing is said about the use of the dust of the 
grindstone. In the Squamish version recorded by Hill-Tout he makes arrows. 
The Transformers pull his ears long, pull his arms out, push one of the boneg 
on which he is working into his feet, then they clap their hands and make a 
noise like a deer, upon which the transformation takes place. The deer runs 
too fast, and is called back. Tlio Transformers knock the hoofs of his hind 
legs together several times, clap their hands, and send him off again. In the 
Puyallup version the bone is also pushed into his legs. In the StsEc'lis ver- 
sion recorded by Hill-Tout the man grinds bone on a rock. His legs are 
struck with a grizzly-bear skin and he becomes a deer. Among the Quinault 
the man is grinding shells for knives. He gives three to the Transformer, 
who claps one on each side of the head for ears, puts him on all-fours, turns 
him round, and fastens one behind as a tail. He tells him to run into the 
woods, but to look back from time to time. Therefore the deer behave that 
way nowadays Quin; Chin; Quilleyute. Among the Uta'mqt the man is 
grinding a stone knife, which is put on one side of his head. 

17. Origin of land otter, mink, marten, bear, and raccoon II ap 883; 

Ne 5.200; Ne 9.203; Ne 11.213; Nu ap 910. 

Analogous to these are stories of the origin of land otter (Ne 11.213; Nu ap 
910), marten and bear(Nu ap 911), mink (Ne 9.203; Ne 11.214; Nu ap 913), 
and raccoon, who makes a spear with rings (Ne 5.200; Ne 9.203; Ne 11.212; 
Nu ap 910). In all of these the Transformer pushes a sjiear, with which 
the person intends to kill him, into the enemy's rump. The Bellabella data 
contain no details H ap. 

18. Origin of the beaver Nil 5.98; Nu ap 911 ; Quilleyute, Farrand MS. 

Related to these is also the story of the origin of the beaver, who was a man 
who was preparing a broad-bladed knife to kill the Transformer. The knife 
is made into its tail. 

19. Origin of the Woodpecker U 226. 

To this group belongs also the origin of the Woodpecker, who is a trans- 
formed man who is using his adze. 

20. Origin of the Crane Squ Hill-Tout 3.519 (see No. 65, p. 605); Ne 

5.201; Nu 157;' Co 5.64. See No. 67, p. 606. 

The BcUabella version contains a few peculiar elements : 

21. Q la'neqe'lak" passes his hand over the body of the semi-human 

KiUer Whale, who becomes a man and a member of the Killer- 
Whale Clan H ap 883. 

22. He creates the dog and gives it to man H ap 883. 

23. He names people and animals H ap 883. 

' Globus, vol. mi (1888). 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIJISHIAX MYTHOLOGY 601 

A prominent incident of these Transformei' tales relates to the 
readjustment of sexual organs. It is common to the Kwakiutl, 
Nootka, and Fraser Delta tribes. 

24. Q la'neqe^lak" (Xiils Sts 5.2.3) removes the sexual organs from 

the forehead to their present place Ne 5.202; Xe 9.205; Ne 
11.216. See also Xua 5.10S; Xu6 ap 913; Dawson 20. 

25. Xiils removes sexual organs of a woman from her chest, and 

makes new ones, first of bird-cherry ( ?) bark, then of deer 
smew Sts 5.23. See Xo. 70, p. 609. 

TRANSFORMER MYTHS OF THE GTJLF OF GEORGIA AND FR.\SER RIVER 

Parallel to the tales of the encounters between the Transformer 
and the ancestors of tribal divisions are the numerous incidents of 
the transformation of ancestors and other individuals into plants and 
animals, which are characteristic of the tribes inhabiting the coast of 
the Gulf of Georgia. 

1. At Male the Transformer meets PapqEltEl, is burned by sparks, 

goes to the river, where he is pulled down by the devilfish, 
until, at the request of the Transformer's sister, he is restored. 
PiipqEltEl is transformed into flag Sts 5.19. 

2. Petx'El is an old man w^th red hair. He is transformed into a 

small snake Sts 5.22. 

3. A man hides a rattle belund his back, and is transformed into a 

rattlesnake Sts 5.22. 

4. An old man who does not want to travel is transformed into a 

fish that does not go down to the sea Sts 5.23 

5. An old man with wliite hair and long nails, who poisons people 

by means of his excrement, is transformed into a newt whose 
excrements are jjoisonous Sts 5.23. 

6. A man eating raw fish is transformed into a fish hawk Lil 296. 

7. A thief is transformed into a bluejay Cow 5.46. 

8. The Transformer makes elk, bear, and ducks Cow 5.46. 

9. Q'e'seq of Qua'mitcan becomes a lake-being, and trout are 

created in the lake Cow 5.47. 

10. Aiuwiilux of Pa'plv'um becomes a mountain goat Sts 5.27. 

11. lalEpq'e'lEm, the ancestor of the LEq'amEl, covers himself with 

wood-ashes and becomes a sturgeon Sts 5.25. 

12. SqEle'j'il of Ma^xui and son become beavers Sts 5.25. 

13. QalE'tsEmEs of Qua'antEl has a daughter, who marries first the 

hammer, then a dog. QalE'tsEmEs is transformed into a 
badger Sts 5.25. 

14. By clapping of hands the shaman Sqc[acj[ is transformed into a 

bird Squ 5.56. 



602 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. .U 

15. The Transformer paints all the bu-ds and blackens Raven, who 

wants to be made beautiful Co 5.64; ChiUiwack, lower Fraser 
River, HUl-Tout.' 

16. A man who whistles and makes a spear is thrown into the water 

and transformed into a whitefish LU 295; Ntl Teit 3.331. 
A man with small mouth and big stomach is transformed mto 
the fish spa'ltsEp Sts 5.22. 

17. The Transformers are afraid of a shaman, who is then thrown 

into the water and transformed into a codfish Ne 11.223; Ne 
9.207; Co 5.63 (see pp. 589, No. 5; 685). 

18. The brother of a shaman on Harrison Lake is transformed into 

a seal Ntl Hill-Tout 1.215. 

One of the most characteristic traits of the Transformer tale 
around the Gulf of Georgia and in the adjoinmg parts of the interior 
are transformations of individuals into stones of remarkable shape. 
In this respect there is a certain similarity to the Raven tales Nos. 
89-93, 96,- of our hst. Thej- differ, however, from the northern 
tales, in so far as in almost all cases individuals, and very often 
ancestors of vLUage communities, are transformed. Following is a 
hst of incidents of this kind:^ 

19. People look at the Transformers through cracks m rocks and are 

transformed into stones. Among these are mentioned a 
Swan stone, a Hat stone, a Whale stone Sts Hill-Tout 5.360. 

20. Tso'lsiK, who is spearing seals, becomes stone Sts 5.24; Sts Hill- 

Tout 5.361. 

21. People cooking salmon-heads become stone. The boiling water 

is transformed mto Harrison Hot Springs Sts Hill-Tout 5.361. 

22. Two novices are transformed into stone Sts Hill-Tout 5.361. 

23. Waves of Harrison Lake are transformed into stone Sts Hdl- 

Tout 5.361. 

24. Nose, arms, heart, of a shaman, become stones Sts Hill-Tout 

5.361. Sx'ai is given blood to smoke; and liis tongue, 
stomach, arms, leg, head, become stone Sts 5.21. 

25. One Leg, whose harpoon is stolen by the Transformers, is changed 

into a stone which controls the wind Sts 5.23. 

26. Skaiya'm (the wolverene) is transformed into stone Lil 294 (see 

No. 64, p. 605). 

27. T'exxilii'tca, the ancestor of the Tc'ilexue'uk, is first transformed 

into a wUd carrot, then into a salmon, a mink wearing a 
feather, and finally into a stone Sts 5.26. 

1 Hill-Tout, Report on the Ethnological Siirvej- of Canada (^Report of the 7M meeting of the British Asso- 
cialionfor the Admnccment of Science, p. 308, Belfast, 1902). 

2 See p. 574. 

3 The various tales belong to the dilTerent village communities of Fra,ser River, but happen to have bcsn 
recorded among the StsEe'lis and .Squamish. They have been indicated accordingly, although not quite 
properly, Sts and Squ. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 603 

28. Qulte'meltx, the ancestor of the SqaueUtsq, is transformed into 

stone Sts 5.27. 

29. Xii'latca, the ancestor of the PEla'lx, is transformed into stone 

Sts 5.27. A "witch" of the PEla'lx, and her basket contain- 
ing urine, are transformed into stone, PEla'ix, Sts Hill-Tout.' 

30. Aulte'n, the ancestor of the Siyit'a in Sxuha'mEn, catches salmon, 

deer, birds, in nets; lies down on his back with legs drawn up, 
and is transformed into stone (the elk into a star Sts 5.20; see 
. No. 61, p. 604) U 227; Sts 5.20. 

31. Man whose feet sink into a rock, and his footprints, are trans- 

formed into stone U 227. 

32. Woman giving birth is transformed into stone U 22S. 

33. Gamblers are transformed into stone U 228. 

34. Two friends, one of them running up hill, are transformed into 

stone Cow 5.45. 

35. Bathing woman and man on shore are transformed into stone 

Cow 5.45. 

36. The Transformer's canoe, and stake to wliich the canoe is tied, 

are transformed into stone Cow 5.47. 

37. Qoa'lawaisit makes fire to burn the Transformer, who hides in 

wood. The Transformer escapes, and Qoa'lawaisit is trans- 
formed into stone Co 5.63. 

38. Three men at Fort Douglas are transformed into stone Squ Hdl- 

Tout 3.523. ' 

39. A sturgeon commg down hill is transformed into stone Squ Hill- 

Tout 3.523. 

40. A whale is transformed into stone Squ Hill-Tout 3.523. 

41. Two men in a canoe are transformed into stone Squ Hill-Tout 

3.523. 

42. Man holding a spear is transformed into stone Squ HiU-Tout 

3.523. 

43. A man and his wife are transformed into stone, Chilliwack, Lower 

Fraser River, Hill-Tout.- 

44. A group of men in Nicola Valley are transformed into stones 

Ntl Hill-Tout 1.213. 

45. A shaman on Harrison Lake is transformed into stone Ntl Ildl- 

Tout 1.215. 

46. Coyote carrying fish is transformed into stone Ntl Teit 2.43. 

47. Coyote's lodge and sweat-lodge are transformed into stone Ntl 

Teit 2.44. 

48. Coyote's kettle is transformed into stone Ntl Teit 2.44. 

49. Parts of Coyote's body are transformed into stone Ntl Teit 2.41. 

50. Hunters are transformed into stone Ntl Teit 2.44. 

51. Elks are transformed into stone Ntl Teit 2.44. 



1 Hill-Tout, Report on the Ethnological Survey of Canada (see footnote 1, p. 602), p. 400, =Ibid., p. 367, 



604 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

52. A pack of fir branches is transformed into stone Ntl Teit 2.45. 

53. Children tobogganing down a mountain-side are transformed into 

stone Ntl Teit 2.45. 

54. A woman roasting a hare is transformed into stone U 221. 

55. Coyote's tracks are transformed into stone, Nicola Valley, Ntl 

Teit 3.316. 

56. Bad men are transformed into rocks Ntl 5.16. 

56a. The Transformers change people into fishes and stones, leave 
their footprints in rocks, and create springs Ntl Teit 2.42, 

Related to these are some cases of transformation of geograph- 
ical features : 

57. The Transformers create the falls of Bridge River Ntl HUl-Tout 

1.215. 

58. The Transformer makes the tides alternate in Seymour Narrows 

Co 5.64. 

59. At Q'o'djomcn the mountain Ko'kuanan is induced to move 

aside Co 5.63. 

60. The Transformers make a river-channel tlirough a swamp Lil 295. 
60a. The Transformer beats out the brains of one of his brothers and 

throws them mto Fraser River, which since that time has been 
muddy, Kwa'ntlEn, Fraser Delta, HiU-Tout.' 

There are very few transformations mto constellations. These 
seem to be confined to the upper Fraser River Delta. They are 
characteristic of the southeastern Sahsh tribes on the Columbia River, 
where they occur in the folk-lore of the Coeur d'Alene. 

61. An elk pursued by a man and a dog is transformed into the 

Dipper Sts 5.20. See No. 30, p. 603. 

62. A number of crying children are transformed into the Pleiades 

Sts 5.21. 

Another group of incidents belongs to the Fraser River Delta. 

63. The Transformers and Mink meet a dangerous woman (LExyiles, 

Stsa): this is a stone located above StsEe'lis Stsa 5.24; Sts& 
Hill-Tout 5.360; Lil 292. See pp. 614, No. 12; 773; 809. 

Her vagina is set with teeth; and when Mink tries to cohabit with her, she 
bites off his hand. On the following day he tries to hide his hand Stsa, 
5; Lil. The sister of the Transformers kills the woman Lil. [Mink steers 
badly with his left. LExyiles is transformed into stone. \\Tien water is 
sprinkled on it, it begins to rain Stsa.] [Mink warns the brothers not to 
enter her house (this is e\'idently an error). His hand is bitten off, the 
brothers notice it Sts6.] 

I nm-Tout (see p. 602, (ootnotc 1), p. 414. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 605 

64. The Transformers visit Sx'ai in Sk"tsas Stsa 5.21; Sts6 Hill- 

Tout 5.361; LU 293. See also Lil 294; Lil Hill-Tout 6.185; 
Sts 5.30; U 283. 

The person is. called Sx'iii in Stsa, S'cxei in Lil, a shaman 
in Sts6. 

They have a contest in urinating. The shaman urinates across a mountain 
Sts5. [AMien they arrive, Sx'ai puts on his bear-skin clothing and his snow- 
shoes. Tlie sister remains behind. They have a urinatiug-contest. The 
brothers can not reach the top of the mountain, while Sxiii reaches across 
and thus creates the river that runs from Silver Lake to Spuzzum Stsa.] 
Next they induce Sx'tii to accompany them in his canoe down the river. 
The Transformers call the east wind. It gets cold; the canoe fills with ice, 
and is upset. The brothers go back to their sister's camp. Sx'ai escapes 
by the help of his snowshoes Stsa. [The old man pac^dles them in his small 
canoe down to the lake. They say that a monster is under the canoe; he 
says that it is the shadow of the mountain. They say that there is a man 
imder the canoe; he knows it is his own shadow. Mink jumps into the 
water, but fails to frighten him. Mink assumes the form of a weasel and is 
again unsuccessful. S'cxei says that he can kill it with his paddle Lil,] Sxiii 
rubs some wliite earth between his hands, and snow begins to fall. He looks 
in the direction whence the Transformers come, and the trail lengthens; so 
that they are almost frozen when they reach their sister, who restores them 
with hot oil. Sx'ai runs home quickly on his snowshoes Stsa. [\\'hen they 
first reach his house, they talk to S'cxei as though he were a child. They 
propose a race up a mountain. S'cxei then causes a fall of snow and runs 
home quickly, while the Transformers reach home with diflBculty Lil.] [The 
shaman puts on his bear-skin coat, leggings, and hat, swallows bird down, 
and whistles, in order to bring north wind : therefore it is forbidden to whistle on 
the lake. The down blowing out of his mouth becomes snow, and the Trans- 
formers are hardly able to go on Sts6.] S'cxei also wins a race on the beach 
at S'a'ta by making it oppressively hot, so that the Transformers become 
exliausted Lil [they go to S'a'ta Sts6]. Tlie Transformers ask S'cxei to go 
with them up a moimtain to gather cedar withes. The sister throws on him 
paint which she used in her matiu'ity ceremonies, and he becomes stone Lil. 
[They let him smoke and put menstrual fluid obtained from their sister into 
the pipe. They induce him to swallow the smoke, which kills him. They 
tear out his tongue and stomach, and tear off his arms, legs, and head, which 
become stone Stsa.] [His nose, heart, and arms become stone. If the 
heart-stone is not treated with respect, there is wind on the lake Sts5..] 

Here seems to belong also the transformation into stone of the old woman 
Skaiya'm, who assumed the form of a yoimg man and married two girls Lil 
294; "Lil Hill-Tout 6.185; Sts 5.30; U 283 (see No. 26, p. 602; also p. 861). 

65. The Transformer teaches man ho-vv to catch fish Sts Hill-Tout 

5.362; Lil 294; Ntl Teit 3.318; U 227; Squ Hill-Tout 3.519. 

A man [named Stsop, who Uves halfway up Lillooet Lake LLl] who lives 
at Fort Douglas uses the frame of a dip-net [or two sticks Lil] with which to 
catch the slime of fish. [He wipes it off with grass, and then boils it together 
with a certain kind of grass Lil.] He wipes the slime into a basket, in which 
his wife boils it, mixed with roots and berries. Tlie oldest of the Transformer 
brothers pulls out hair of his leg [Ijelow the knee Lil], which becomes ms'tsEl 
or Indian-hemp (?) [Indian-hemp Lil]. He teaches him how to spin it and 
make a net. He tells him to dip the net into the water twice and take a 



606 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. .".l 

salmon each time, wliich he has to carry in his cajic. Tlie Transfoimers shoio 
them how to cut, dry, mid cure the salmon, and forbid him to cure any until after 
the first four days of the run Sts. [One of the Transformers changes him- 
self into a salmon and goes into the net. The others show the man and his 
wife how to cut and boil it and eat it mixed with cedar barh. Tlie bones are 
thrown into the water; and the Transformer, who had become a salmon, 
resumes his human shape Lil.] [At Yale a man who has a wife and two 
children tries to catch salmon with a sharpened jjole. He scrapes off the 
slime with his fingers.' TTie Transformers show him how to mahe a net and 
boil the Salman Ntl, Lytton.] [At Tsaxali's, above Yale, people catch salmon 
holding boys by their feet over the water, their heads hanging down. The 
boys then catch the salmon with their hands. The Transformer scratches a 
rock with his finger-nails, and each scratch brings a new thought into the 
heads of the people. They learn how to make twine and nets and how to cut 
and cure salmon. He shows them the fishing-places, wliich are used to this 
day. The scfatches in the rock may still be seen. The Transformers 
meet a man who appears to be fishing with a double-pronged fish-spear. He 
merely rubs liis spear against the fish, bringing up a little slime, which he 
wipes with moss into a basket. They show him how to spear salmon. The 
man resents their interference, and they punish him by breaking his spear 
in two, putting the halves into his legs, and pushing the spear-point up his 
nose. They pull his neck, clap their hands, and he becomes a crane Squ. 

Evidently the last of these versions, if told correctly, is a combination of 
the present story with a transformation story of the type discussed before 
(see pp. 599 et seq.). 

66. The Transformer teaches man how to roast floimdcrs Cow .5.47; 

Sts Hill-Tout 5.371. 

The Oowichan tell that the Ts'a'mes (Songish) at Victoria would expose 
flotmders on spits to the sun in order to roast them. The Transformer teaches 
them the use of the ILre-drill and the use of fire for preparing food. Cow .5.47. 
This storj' seems related to the preceding group; it recalls, however, also a 
StSEe'Lis tale. S'kwam, who has been fisliing flounders, is met by his son, who 
dances down to the beach, and then puts the flounders on spits in order to 
roast them. One of the Transformers shakes the bones out of the boy's body 
and acts his part. S'kwam recognizes him, and causes him to be choked by 
a fishbone. The boy and the Transformer are then restored to life Sts. Tliis 
tale is closely related to the "skin-shifter" tales, that are not known to me as 
incidents of this Transformer cycle, and occur rather as part of the Coyote 
myth (see p. 870). They are known, however, in the northern parts of the 
coast too (see Sk 13fi, 160; Sts Hill- Tout 5.349; U 2.39, 242, 266; Ntl Teit 
3.309; Sh 676, 694; Wish 111; Till 137; Coos 151 [169]; Takelma 161). 

67. The stolen harpoon Tl 22; Sk 267; BC 5.247; Ne 5.201; Co 5.64, 

65; Stsa 5.23; Sts6 5.24; Ntk 5.16; Ntl6 Teit 2.42; Ntlc 
Nicola, Teit 3.315; ^Wd HiU-Tout 1.210; U 221; Chil 10; Sh 
5.13; Loucheux 7.33. See also Squ Hill-Tout 3.519, and Chil 
14; Sh 5.3; Teit 4.467; Sh Dawson 31. 

The distribution of the tale of the stolen harpoon is some- 
what wider than that of those previously discussed. Fifteen 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 607 

versions have been recorded. It occurs among the Xewettee, 
Comox, Fraser River tribes, Thompson Indians, and Chdcotin, 
as part of the Transformer cj^cle. The Bellacoola and Shu- 
swap tell the story, but it does not belong to the Transformer 
myth. The essential contents of tlie story refer to a fisherman 
who owns a valuable harpoon, which is taken away by a 
Transformer who assumes the shape of a fish, allows himself 
to be harpooned, and breaks the harpoon-line. Later on he 
assumes human shape, and returns the harpoon-line to the 
fisherman. 

Crane is fishing in Seymour Narrows. Q, la'neqe^lak" tries to assume the 
form of a salmon, and after several attempts is surcessful. Crane harpoons 
the salmon, which swims away with the harpoon. Q la'neqMak'^ resumes 
his human shape, and wears the harpoon as an ear-ornament. He visits 
Crane, who recognizes his harpoon, and makes the Transformer swallow thin 
slivers of bones, which he can not dislodge. Crane promises to cure him if 
given the harpoon. He shakes Q la'neqMak" so that the bones drop out. 
Q la'neqe^lak" puts the harpoon into Crane's nose, and transforms him into a 
bird, his wife into a woodpecker Ne 5.201. The same tale is told by the 
Comox Co 5.64.' A similar story is told of two youths who assume the forms 
of fish and are caught by Crane. The theft of the harpoon is missing, but it 
ex-idently belongs to the story Co 5.65. 

I collected two StsEe'lis versions of the tale. Xiils meets Pa'lax'il [One 
Leg] in StsEe'lis, where he is fishing. He steals and returns the harpoon- 
point, as described before, and says that there shall alirays be plenty of 
salmon at StsEi'lis. He transforms One Leg into a stone that controls the 
wind Stso 5.23. In another StsEe'lis version the Transformers wish to land 
at One Leg's house. He denies permission. Then one of them assumes the 
form of a salmon and steals the harpoon. Next follows a repetition of the 
incident of the Sx'iti tale (see p. 6051, in which the trail that the brothers 
have to take is made long by looking along it. Cold is produced, and they 
almost freeze to death, while One Leg reaches his home with two strides. 
Then follows a contest in fishing with dip-nets, in which the Transformers 
catch as much in one haul as One Leg gets in three. One Leg is given the 
Transformer's pipe to smoke, and is thus transformed into stone Sts5 5.24. 

The corresponding Thompson tale contains a number of distinctive ele- 
ments. The giant Xaaxa' [Tcui'sqa'lEmux Ntl6; a cannibal U] is fishing at 
Neka'men [at Zixazix (slides) below Spuzzum Ntl6; at M.ud Slide, four 
miles below Spences Bridge U]. The Transformer assumes the shape of a 
salmon and carries away the [copper Ntlc, I'] harpoon. Later on the Trans- 
formers ■v'isit the giant's house [they are given a small basketful of food, 
which they are unable to finish Ntl6, U]. They return the harpoon-head. 
Then they go up the mountain, and by kicking the ground cause a rock- 
slide, which does not harm the giant Ntla. To avoid it, the giant jumps 
across the river Teit 2, note 125; Ntlc. This is repeated four times Teit Ntlt. 

In the Nicola version the Transformers cover their bodies with birch bark 
before assuming the shape of fish. The giant has a two-pronged spear with 
copper barbs. His -wife is the Short-Tailed Mouse Ntlc Teit 3.315. 

' It seems to me that the version given by Hill-Tout 3.519 as obtained from the Squamish is a com- 
posite account of this tale and of that of the fish-slime (see p. 60.5). On the whole, mixed tales of this 
type are not common on the coast; and either there may be a misunderstanding in the versions, or they 
may not have been well known to the narrators. 



608 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. :U 

Jstld is a version from Lytton. The Transformers meet a one-legged can- 
nibal, who spears men's shadows with a copper-headed spear. He assumes 
the form of a trout and carries away the point. After assuming human form, 
the Transformer throws the magic spear-point into the water. While the 
cannibal is looking for his harpoon, the Transformers cause a rock-slide. 
Then they enter the cannibal's house and transform him into a bluejay, 
taking him by the head and shaking him. This is the reason why the blue- 
jay has a feather tuft. The caanibal's wife is transformed into a mountain 
grouse NtW Hill-Tout 1.210. 

In the ChUcotin version the fisherman is the Sea Gull, who allows people 
to cross a river on his leg. They drop off and are drowned. The Trans- 
former takes away the harpoon, as told before, and promises to restore it if 
the Gull is willing to build a sweat-lodge for him Chil 10. 

The Haida (Sk), Bellacoola, and Shuswap (Sh 660) tales are not related 
to the Transformer cycle. 

In the Haida tale a boy who has married Geese maidens meets the half- 
bodied Master Hopper, wlio is spearing silver salmon. The boy takes away 
and later on returns the spear-head in the manner here described Sk 267. 
In the Tlingit version four brothers go up to the sky and steal the harpoon of 
the half-bodied man Tl 22. 

Kolaia'ns has a hook which is attached to a line made of hair. Maq Iwa'ns 
transforms himself into a salmon, breaks the hook, and takes it away. Then 
he visits the fisherman, shows him the hook, puts the parts together, and 
returns it BC 5.247. 

The Woodpecker and other birds decide to steal the harpoon of the fisher- 
man. Several birds assume the form of salmon, but the fisherman pays no 
attention to them. Finally Woodpecker is harpooned, breaks off the point, 
and carries it away. The fisherman visits the Woodpecker, and the harpoon 
is returned to him and exchanged for a blanket set with red feathers Sh5.13. 

An analogous incident is also referred to in a Loucheux tale. The wan- 
derer meets a fisherman, assumes the form of a fish, but when harpooned 
changes into a mass of mud 7.33. 

The Transformer tale of the Shuswap retains the incident of the rock-slide 
and of the magic food, without any reference to the theft of the harpoon. 
The Transformers kick a rock-slide down the hill in order to overwhelm 
Tkumenaa'lst 5.3. [The Transformer Le'esa and Tukimine'lst cause a rock- 
slide to fall down on Kwilie'lt, the son of the Hog Fennel, Sh Dawson 31.] 
[They kick the rock-slide down on Kwelaa'llst, their aunt's grandson, who 
had been sent to warn them Sh 647.] In Sh 5.3 the incident of the food 
contained in the little basket is also retained. In Chil 14 the root man 
K'olEpi is sent to warn the Transformers, but is unable to speak. These inci- 
dents are all more closely related to the story of the end of the Transformers 
(see p. 615, No. 17). 

63. The Transformers quarrel Sts 5.23; Ntia 5.16; Ntl& Teit 2.43; 
Ntlc Nicola Teit 3.316; NtW Hill-Tout 1.204; U 221. 

In the evening they camp. The youngest one lies down and puts on his 
beaver cap. The waters begin to rise. The others have to flee, while the 
yoimgest one remains near the fire Sts. At Ca'nExanEnEmax they quarrel. 
The eldest brother throws the head-band of the youngest into the fire, but 
is unable to bum it. Then the yoimgest one makes a flood Ntlo, 5; IT. After 
a dispute between the brothers, the youngest makes a flood. The elder ones 
make the mountain Ca'nExanEUEmax in order to escape Ntlc. One morning 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 609 

the youngest boy doea not want to arise, and the others leave him. Then he 
makes a tiood. The smoke of his fire is seen comins; out of the water. The 
flood retreats XtW Hill-Tout 1.205. 

69. Coyote's wife is a knot-hole Sts 5.23; Ntk Teit 2.44; Ntl6 Nicola 

Teit 3.316; Ntlc Hill-Tout 1.209; NtM 5.17; U 222; Lik 309: 
Lik 357; Sh 652. 

The Transformers meet Coyote, whose wife is a knot-hole. Tliey make a 
new wife for him out of cedar bark Sts. The Transformers throw Coyote's 
wife into the fire. When he calls her, she answers from the fire, but he 
refuses to pull her out Ntln. They meet Coyote at Teze'la. His wife is a 
knot-hole, which the\' bum, Nicola, Ntl6; Lil6. Tlie Transformer Cawa finds 
that the Coyote people had knot-holes for their wives Sh 652. 

The Transformer brothers go to the house of a man who has for a wife a 
block of wood with a hole in it. They throw the wood on the fire to keep 
them warm. The man returns and finds his wife biu'ned to ashes. In place 
of the block wife the Transformers give him two beautiful women trans- 
formed from Cottonwood and alder logs. The former has white, the latter 
red, hair, face, and body Ntk. 

The Lillooet tell the same storj' independently. A man has a branch with 
a knot-hole for his wife. A woman goes to the house, observes what is going 
on, bums the branch, and becomes the wife of the man Lila 309. 

Instead of the knot-hole wi^es, they give to the Coyote two wives, — one 
made of birch; the other, of alder Ntlo; of cotton and alder: therefore the 
one is white; the other red, Lytton, Ntlrf; Nicola, Ntlt; IT. He makes women 
of Cottonwood and birch, Lytton, Ntlrf; of cedar bark, Sts. The woman made 
of alder wood is short; that of cotton wood, tall U; Lil5. The one had red 
skin and dark hair; the other, white skin and light hair. Therefore the 
Indians have some dar!:, some light complexions Lilfc 357. 

This story may be related to that of the wooden wife (see p. 744). 

70. The Transformers teach men not to cut open then- \\-ives Ntla 

Hill-Tout 1.205; Ntl?. Lytton, Teit 3.318; U 222; Sh 652; 
Lil 294; Chil 11. 

Generally this story is told of Coyote. Whenever one of his wives is about 
to give birth, he cuts her open. In one version (Ntlo) it is told that he would 
always marry his daughter when .she was grown up, and kill her when her 
child was to be bom. The Transformers show Coyote how to attach bird- 
cherr\- bark to the child. The bark breaks. Then they show him how to 
take the neck sinew of the deer U; Ntl6. In Hill-Tout's version the man is 
not identified with Coyote. In the Shuswap version the Transformer Ca'wa 
teaches the Coyote people not to cut open their wives. Tlie incident is 
placed in the Thompson Indian countrj'. The Lillooet and Chilcotin do 
not identify the man with Coyote, but with the fisherman referred to in 
No. 67. In the Lillooet version the reference to sinew is omitted, and the 
man is transformed into stone. In the Chilcotin version the reference to 
the bark and sinew is omitted, and the present procedure at childbirth is 
instituted. With this story the incident in the StsEe'lis tale 5.23 (see No. 25 
p. 601) should be compared (see also an Eskimo tale, p. 829). 

71. Xe'LxElEmas, the ancestor of the XEla'I, takes the form of a 

river monster. The Transformer faints, and is restored by 
him Sts 5.28. 

A few tales that do not belong to the Transformer cycle are em- 
bodied in it in our versions from the Fraser Delta. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 39 



610 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. SI 

72. The Transformers and the Sahnon Women. 

The Transformers meet two Salmon Women who own a weir whicli pre- 
vented the salmon from going up the river. They own five boxes containing 
wasps, flies, mosqiiitoes, wind, and smoke. The Transformer makes a 
wooden dish, which he throws into the water, and causes the river to break 
the dam. The Transformers let out the insects, wind, and smoke. Tlie two 
women are transformed into rocks Ntl Hill-Tout 1.207. This story belongs 
properly to the Coyote cycle. In Ntl Teit 2.27 it is said that the Trans- 
formers broke the weir which belonged to Coyote. 

73. The Transformers cross the river in a canoe made of horse tail 

U221. 

74. The cannibal tries to boil the Transformers in a kettle Ntl Teit 

3.316 (see p. 808). 

75. The Transformers make a spring, which becomes a training- 

place for girls Ntl Teit 3.316. 

76. Why the LiUooet go trading east and west. 

The Transformers take a rest at the source of the stream that empties into 
Anderson Lake. One of them travels south, the other one east. They bring 
back various kinds of trade material. For this reason the Lillooet do the 
same. One of them stamps his foot on the rock. The footprint marks the 
tribal boundary between the Upper and Lower Lillooet Lil 29G. 

77. The jealous husband. 

Swan, and his wife Crane, live on Lillooet River. Swallow, who passes by, 
tells that his wife has died. He has put her on top of a tree and left her 
there to die, because she had a lover. Swan takes her down. She is trans- 
formed into blackberries; and Swan ordains that Swallow shall become a 
bird and search for his wife Sts .5.21 (see p. 849). 

78. The modest hunter and the arrogant hunter Cow 5.46 (see 

No. 44, p. 716). 

TRANSFORMER MYTHS OF THE SHUSWAP AND CIIILCOTIN 

The following group of tales does not seem to occur on the coast, 
but is known principally in the region of the upper Fraser and 
Thompson Rivers, among the Chilcotin, and partly among the Kutenai 
and Thompson Indians. 

1. On his travels the principal Transformer carries an arrow-flaker 

[a pole Chil 11], with which he kills monsters Sh 645. 

2. The Transformers, before starting, are warned against dangers 

Sh 645, 647; Chil 14. 

Tlie mother of the Transformers warns them against monsters, but forgets 
to tell them about the adolescent girl, which causes their final transformation 
Sh 645, 647. Their mother forgets to warn them against the bear Chil 14 
(see also No. 17, p. 615). 

3. The Transformer kills the Grizzly Bears Sha 645; Shh 5.2: Ntk 

5.16; Ntl5 HiU-Tout 1.214; U 223; Chil 13. 

The Transformers -sasit the four cannibal Grizzly Bears and Coyote. Le'esa 
becomes a dog, with arrow-points for hair, spear-points for teeth, and a knife 



UOAK] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 611 

for a tail. The brothers lead him. Coyote claims the dog ashis. The Bears 
ask the brothers to play with them around a tree the bark of which has been 
stripped off, and kill them. Coyote goes near the dog, and is cut by its hair. 
The Grizzly Bears play with the dog and are killed. The Dog resumes its 
human form, jumps over his brothers, and revives them. The Transformer 
ordains that the Grizzly Bear shall eat berries and kill man only occasionally 
ShaG45. The Transformers go to the house of Grizzly Bearand Coyote. They 
cover Le'esa with knives. In a pole-climbing contest the Bears kill the 
brothers. Coyote touches the Dog and bleeds. The Dog climbs the pole 
with Bear and cuts him in two. He jumps over his brothers and revives 
them Sh6 5.2 (see also No. 20, p. 812). 

One of the Transformers assumes the shape of a dog. The brothers marry. 
A black bear comes to their \dllage and kills the brothers. The dcg jumps 
over it, and the bear breaks in two. Then the dog jumps over the people, 
and all break to pieces. He revives his brothers by jumping over them Ntlo 
5.16. 

The youngest of the Transformers becomes a dog. He is covered with 
stone knives, and his tongue also becomes a stone knife. They visit a village 
inhabited by people. They are put into different houses; and while they 
are asleep, their arrow-points are exchanged for pine needles. AXTien going 
into the woods, they are attacked and killed, except one boy, who runs back. 
A girl who loves him lets the dog loose, who kills the people and revives his 
brother's V 223 (see p. 742). 

He assumes the form of a dog. His tail is a double-bladed knife. His ears 
and claws are small knives. He \'isits a village in which the people keep 
bears, grizzly beai-s, wolves, rattlesnakes, as dogs. They arrange a dog-fight, 
and the Transformer Dog kills all the animals. The people attack them, 
and are also killed. Then he resumes his human form, transforms the peo- 
ple into ants, and the animals into normal animals, Lytton, Ntli Hill-Tout 
1.214.1 

A bull and cow moose are substituted for the grizzly bear in Chil 13. They 
race with their visitors, who are killed by the dust they raise. The moose 
run on each side of the visitor. The Dog Transformer co\-ers himself with 
arrow-points; and while he is racing, these fly out and kill the moose. He 
revives them with his magic staff and tells them not to kill men. 

4. The Transformer kiUs the elk monster She 5.2; Shh Dawson 32; 
She 646; Ntla Hill-Tout 1.203; Ntl6 Teit 3.304; Chil 10. 

An elk straddles the river at Savona's Ferry, and kills people by swallowing 
them. The canoes pass through its body, while the crew is retained and 
killed. Le'esa alone goes down the river on a raft, which is swallowed. 
The raft passes through. He starts a fire in the stomach of the elk and squeezes 
its heart. It begins to sway. \Mienhecutsoff the heart, the elk dies. Then 
the brothers cut the body, and Le'esa comes out. The brothers eat all the 
meat Sha. After being swallowed by the elk, the Transformer stabs its heart 
with his "implement," cuts his way out, and says that elk henceforth shall 
not kill people Shi. At the outlet of Kamloops Lake the elk stands with 
his back upstream. The canoes pa,ss through it, the crew is killed inside, 
Le'esa comes down on a board which passes "through the elk. He spreads 
out the elk by means of his arrow-flaker. The elk begins to stagger, and 
dies when he cuts off the heart. The brothers skin it She. A moose swal- 
lows the Dog Transformer, who has tied boughs in his hail-. He cuts the 

' Coyote's dog, which is covered with arrow-heads, is mentioned in another Thompson tale (Teit 2.30 >. 



612 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ibth. ann. .il 

heart, and starts a (ire iu the stomach of the auimal, which dies. The Dog 
children skia it and make animals out of pieces of the body. The brain L'- 
used for making frogs Chil. The Transformer assumes the shape of a hum- 
mingbird, flies into the elk at the back, and comes out of its mouth, thus 
causing it to fall dead. He sits down on the antlers of the elk in his human 
form, Lyttou, Ntla. 

In Nicola Valley this story is located iu the Kalispelm country, and is 
told of Coyote. The elk stands in the middle of a stream. Coyote transforms 
himself into a piece of wood, is swallowed, makes a fire in the stomach of 
the elk, cuts its heart, and eats it. Ue transforms the body into a common 
elk Ntl6. 

The incident of people being swallowed by a monster, ^vhose heart 
they cut or whose bod}' they tear, occurs in many othei' connections 
iu tliis area; for example, U 282, Ntl Teit 3.349, Wish 41 , Wasco 267, 
TakclmaSl. It has also been treated iu connection with the Raven 
tale (pp. G59, 687, 718, 868). 

5. TheOriguiof arrow-stone Sha 645; Sh& Dawson 35; Kutenai 105.' 

Two old women [Grizzly Bear sisters ShaJ who live on Cache Creek possess 
the arrow-stone. The Transformer makes therii fight, and the slones fall off 
their bodies. They say that if he liad asked them for the stone, he would 
not have fotind it necessary to make them fight SliH, b. A similar story is 
known to the Kutenai. 

6. The origin of tobacco Sha 5.3; Sh6,c646; Ntl Teit 3.304; Chill2. 

The Transformers reach the tobacco tree. One branch of the tree swings 
about and kills people. Le'esa cuts it off with his stick and throws it into 
the river. He uproots the tree \^•ith his stick Sh«. 

At Pesma'menex the Transformers find the poisonous tobacco tree. Le'esa 
wants to smoke its leaves. He cuts down the tree with his arrow-flaker and 
smokes, and ordains that tobacco shall not kill people Shb. According to 
another version, the tobacco tree falls on persons that approach it. Le'esa 
lets it fall on his arrow-flaker She. Wien it falls, ho jiuts his staff under it 
ChU. 

In Nicola Valley a parallel story is told of Coyote. The shade of the tree 
kills people. Coyote makes a stone pipe, plucks off leaves, and smokes 
them. He transforms the leaves into tobacco Ntl. 

7. He kills the big-horn sheep Sha 5.3; Sh6 647; Kutenai 101.- 

On a mountain at Buonaparte Creek there is a mountain goat that kills 
people. At the foot of the Tnountain there is a dog that also kills people. 
Le'esa wants goat tallow to mix it mth tobacco. He kills the dog %vith hLs 
stick, and ordains that men shall use it. He kills the goat with his stick, 
and ordains that it shall be eaten. His brothers take all the tallow, and leave 
none for him Sha. He wants to eat meat of the ram, and kills it with his 
flaker. He transforms it into an ordinary big-horn sheep. Out of its horn lie 
makes a spoon Shi. .^Jnong the Kutenai he transforms the sheep and ob- 
tains from it the aiTow straightener. 

8. He kills the beaver Sh 648; Sh 661, 662: Ntl Hill-Tout 1.204; 

Chil 13. 

He attacks the monster beaver with his spear. After tying white bark 
around his wrists [painting them white Sh 648], he is dragged under water. 
His brothers search for him in rivers and dig trenches. Finally they pull him 



1 Franz Boas. Kutenai Tales. Bulletin 50, Bureau of Amer. Ethnologry, p. 105. - Ibid., p. 101. 



BOisJ COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 613 

out. P.eavei' is trausforrawl iulu an ordinary animal ISh 648. He ties white 
bark in hLs hair before spearing the beaver, and is dragged under. The Dog 
children follow him, and find the beaver dead . The dog had been swallowed . 
and had cut the heart of the beaver. Fishes are naade of the beaver flesh 
Chil. The eldest brother wante to eat beaver tails. The youngest drinks 
the beaver lake empty, and kills the beavers as they run out of their holes. 
He asks for the beaver eyes, which he wears as a head-ring Xtl. — In another 
connection Bluejay ties white bark around his wrists and ankles and attacks 
a lake monster Sh 661, 662. 

9. He kills the marmot (bush-tail rat) Sha 64S: Shh 5.1: Ntl Teit 
2.46; Chil 12. 

The Transformers go to kill the marmot. Le'esa kills two young ones and 
puts them into his belt. The Marmot is in the habit of killing people by 
letting the door of his house cnish them. Le'esa keeps the door open with his 
arrow-flaker, and transforms the marmot into an ordinary animal Sho. He 
follows the woodchuck into its hole, which he spreads by putting hLs lance 
across. He slays it with a hammer hanging down from his wrist. The 
brothers eat all the meat. He transforms the monster animal into a wood- 
chuck Shb. In the Thompson version there is a long introduction telling 
how the Bush-Tail Rat was in the habit of stealing ]iro\ Lsions, and excused 
himself by saying that his younger brother, the Long-Tailed Mouse, gave 
him provisions. A fight ensues, in which the people are killed. The Rat 
moves away, and then follows the story referred to here Xtl. The Dog Trans- 
former wants to make a tobacco-pouch. He enters Marmot's house, and finds 
inside a woman weaving a basket. A\Tien the stone door begins to close, he 
holds it up by means of his staff, jumps out, but when he pulls out his staff, 
his little finger is squeezed off. Therefore (he fourth Jinger is short Chil. 

10. Encounter with a skunk Sha 649; Shh Dawson 35: Ntl Teit 2.45. 

Tlie Transformer kills Skunk, whose bag he empties into a lake. For this 
reason the water of the lake is discolored Sha. Skunk, who kUls people, 
discolors a lake by squirting his fluid into it. The Transformers change the 
monster skimk into an ordinai-y animal Ntl. Skunk, who is married to 
Short-Taile<l Mouse, lives at PavOion Lake. The Eagle steals Skunk's wife. 
Skunk pursues them, and reaches them whUe they are sitting on a cliff. He 
sees their reflection in a lake, thinks they are in the water (see p. 741 1. and 
.shoots at the water with his fliud ShJ. 

11. Encomiter with the Eagle Sh 5.4; Sh Dawson 32; Sh 649: Xtl<( 

Teit 2.45; XtU* Hill-Tout 1.213; Ntlc Teit 3.340: XtkZ Teit 
2.75; Chil 12. 

The Transformer sits down under an eagle's eyry on a cliff. He has red 
and white paint in his mouth. His purpose is to get eagle feathers. The 
eagle cairies him up and tries to knock him against the rock. He puts his 
staff against the cliff and spits out red paint. AMien the eagle repeats it. he 
spits out white paint. The brothers believe that this is his blood and his 
brains. He is carried into the nest, and threatens to kill the young eagles 
with his hammer. He orders them to tell the mother eagle to .-it on the edge 
of the nest. There he clubs her and throws her down. Tlie brothers take 
her feathers; the eaglets carry him down Sh 5. He gets paint from Adams 
Lake. He is carried up into the nest, as described before, and kills the 
eagles when reaching their nest. The eaglets cany him down and are trans- 
formed into normal eagUs Sh Dawson. He meets the cannibal eagle, who 



614 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann.KI 

carries hiin into his nest, where the Transformer kills him with his arrow- 
flaker. The eaglets carry him down, and he pnlls out their wing and tail 
feathers Sh 649. This incident is also referred to briefly in Ntla. In both 
the Thompson and Shuswap versions the skunk and eagle incidents are con- 
nected. When the Dog Transformer needs feathers, hemakesacoatof moose 
skin. Two eagles carry him up into their eyry. He ties a stone to the foot 
of one, the heavy weight makes the eagle tired, and he kills it ^rith his staff 
when it returns. The mother and the young ones are also killed, except the 
last one, which carries him down, and is then transfonned into a regular eagle 
ChU. Tlie Transformer is put into a basket by his brothers. He takes some 
white and red paint in his mouth. An eagle carries up the basket and lets 
it drop, in order to kill the Transformer. By squirting the red and white 
paint on the ground, he makes the eagle believe that he is dead. He is 
carried into the nest, seizes the eaglets, who carry him down. He shakes 
the bones out of their bodies, and orders his brothers to juit on the skins NtH. 

At Spences Bridge this story is told independently, \\ren, who lives at 
the mouth of Nicola River, covers himself with birch-bark armor, puts red 
and white paint in his mouth, is lifted by Eagle, who d;ishes him against the 
cliff. The Eagle tries to break through his armor; and while he is doing so. 
Wren stabs him and transforms him into an eagle. The cliff where this 
happened, about half a mile east of Spences Bridge depot, is marked with 
red and white streaks Ntlc. 

A similar incident occurs in the Wren story Ntl(/. A boy puts on birch 
bark for protection, Ls carrieil by eagles into their ne.st, and pulls out their 
feathers, which he needs for his arrows. 

12. Woman with toothed vagina Sla« 650; Shh 5.1; Shr Dawson 32; 

U 221; Chil 13. See No. 63, p. 604; 773; 809. 

At Pavilion Creek lives Tsakelsxene'lxa, who kills men with her toothed 
vagina. Le'esa breaks out the teeth with his arrow-flaker Sha. The Dog 
Transformer passes through the same adventure (Jhil. The Transformers 
meet a woman whose privates are [the mouth of] a rattlesnake. One of them 
chews a leaf, spita on her privates, and thus transforms her into an ordinary- 
woman U. At Ducks he sees a woman singuig on a rock. As he climbs up, 
she retires upward. He gathers pine cones, \\lien he reaches her, many 
rattlesnakes attack him, which he kills with his pine cones. He transforms 
her into an ordinary woman Sh6. Two bad women dancing on a cliff trans- 
form into stone those who look at them. The Transformer,'^ change them into 
stone She. 

13. The Transformers make hollows in a rock Sli« 5.4; Shh Dawson 

32; Shr 649; NtlTeit 2.45. 

In a trial of strength the Transformers carry a rock on their heads. Attempt- 
ing to move it aside, the head of the youngest one slips into the rock. In 
another version they push their heads into the rock, and the youngest makes 
the deepest impression Ntl. The brothers Le'esa and Tkumenaa'lst try who 
can make the deeper impression in a rock. Le'esa penetrates down to the 
ears; Tkumenaa'lst, to the shoulders Sha. In the version Sh6 the place is 
given near the mouth of Hat Creek, and KwUie'lt is more successful than 
Le'esa and Tkumenaa'lst. Accordihg to She the test was made a little above 
the mouth of Hat Creek by the brothers and Le'esa, who pushed in his head 
to the ears. He left a red mark in the cavity. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDV OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 615 

14. The bird forming a bridge witii its leg Sh 650; Chil 11. 

Coimected \vith the story of the theft of the harpoon (No. 67, j). 606) is 
the incident of the Gull stretching across a river his leg, which is used by the 
Transformers as a bridge, ^^'hen a traveler reaches the middle of the leg, the 
Gull wUl shake it and throw him down ChQ. Among the Shuswap the same 
incident is connected with the encounter between the Transformer and the 
monster woman. He crosses the river on the leg of the bird Sokwa'z. By 
threatening to kill him with his flaker, he prevents him from tur nin g his leg. 
The bird is then (ransfonrud into an ordinary bird Sh. 

This tale is widely distributed; but since it does not form an essential part 
of the Transformer tales, I shall not discuss its variants and distribution. 

15. The kicking hare Sha 650; Sh& 5.2. 

A cannibal Hare who lives at Pavilion Creek lies on his back near a spit on 
which he is roasting meat. As soon as any one asks him for food, he kills him 
by kicking him in the breast. Tlic Transformer covers his chest with mica 
and transfonns the monster into a hare. In the North Thompson version it 
is said that the Hare broke his leg Sha, b. 

16. The Transformers meet a badger Sh Dawson 3.3. 

Tlie cannibal Badger is transformed into an aniinal. 

17. The end of the Transformers Sha 647, 650; Sh6 5.4; She Dawson 

33; Ntla Teit 2.45; U 224; Lil 296; Chil 14. 

When they see the Chipmunk Chil 14, who is an adolescent girl Sha [a girl 
Sh6; Ntla] of whom they have not been warned, they are transformed into 
stone Sha, b; Ntla; Chil. \Mien they see four women dancing on a high 
rock, they become stones She. After traveling all over the country, they 
return to the coast Lil. 

In the Cliilcotin version it is said that the Dog Transformer tried to catch 
the Chipmimk, but only scratched it, thus causing its stripes. This is ordi- 
narily an incident of the story of the origin of day and night ' Chil. 

In the version U the brothers are transformed into stars. 

THK .MYTHS OF HOG FENNEL AND OLD ONE 

Characteristic of the Thompson ar(>:i and of the Shuswap is the 
occurrence of a number of different Transformers or groups of Trans- 
formers and of contests of their strength. Among the Thompson 
Indians we find a second transformer, the son of the Hog Fennel. 

1. Hog Fennel Ntla Teit 2.42, 45; Ntl6 5.16; Ntlc Hill-Tout 2.564: 
NtM Teit 3.319; U 224; LUa Teit 2.95; LUb 350. 

In'Ntlo this man Kokwe'la is said to have come from LiUooet, transforming 
bad people into stones. On meeting, the Transformers test their powers, 
but prove to be equally strong, Ntl Teit 2.42. 

They meet Kokwe'la (Ciokoe'la) a .short distance below Lytton, try to 
overcome him, but instead they are defeated Ntli 5.16. 

They camp together one night, and the place where they lay may still be 
recognized by the marks of their bodies. After going down Fraser Eiver 



1 See Ntl Teit 2.f)l: Teit, Shuswap 625, 73S; also Ts "2,S. 



G16 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ikth. anx. 31 

as far as Kanaka Bar, Kokwe'la returned. Wherever he went, hog-fennel 
Rrew up Ntlo Teit 2.45. 

Hill-Tout gives an account of the storj- as heard in Lytton. Here the 
mother tells the boy that his father was drowned, then that he fell from 
a tree when trying to take a hawk's nest, then that he had fallen over a preci- 
pice. The hog-fennel plant twines itself around his feet. He trains to 
become a shaman, and in his dream learns tliat he is the son of tlie Hog 
Fennel. Ho sets out to look for the tribe to which his mother belonged, 
meets people who are watching a game of ball, in whic h he joins. He hits 
the legs of one of his opponents, and lie is then called Hog I''eunel. He goes 
fasting again, and becomes a powerful shaman. Then he meets the Trans- 
former brothers, and they test their [jowers. He makes with his fingers 
three small holes in a rock, causes them to be filled with soup, which the 
brothers can not empty. When he shakes the brothers, they find that they 
can eat some more. However, they can not empty the holes. He, in his turn, 
empties thera quickly. According to the Lillooet version Lil6 and the 
present version, tliis happened at Nka'ia, below Lytton Nile. 

Kokwe'lahii'it, the child of the Hog Fennel, asks his mother who hi.s father 
is. She says first that the rock, then the trees, last the water, killed his 
father. He trios to shoot them, but they tell him that they are not guilty. 
He leaves; and wherever he goes, the hog-fennel jdants shake their leaves 
and cling to his legs. A Catfish calls him by name, and he transforms him. 
Having learned who his father is, he kills his mother. In another version 
he transforms her into stone. He visits a village where Frog wishes to mairy 
him. The people marry him to another girl; and Frog, in revenge, jumi)8 
on his face, where he remains. The child of Hog Fennel is made the moon. 
The Frog may still be seen in his face U 224. 

It will be noticed that in this version the encounter with the 
Transformers is omitted. The end of the tale is oiclinarily an 
independent story. It would seem that the Hog-Fennel 
Transformer is not an essential j)art of the Transformer tales 
of the Lower Thompson Indians. 

In the Nicola Valley version he is described as a man of large stature and 
great strength. He quarrels witli liis companions, and then the peojile 
reproach him with his descent. According to some versions lie begins to 
travel in company with the Qwa'qtqwaL. A little above Lytton he ha.s a 
contest with them. The brothers are imable to produce a spring, while, when 
he kicks the ground, water flows forth Ntlrf Teit 3.319. 

The Lillooet version is almost identical with that of the Lower Thompson. 
A girl marries the Hog-Fennel Root; and her son, Tsu'ntia, becomes the 
ancestor of the Upper Lillooet. .\ number of boys quarrel with him, and he 
changes one of them into a cattish. His mother tells him that his father 
wa.s drowned. When he threatens to shoot the water, it informs him that it 
has never seen his father. She gives other evasive answers, and he finally 
throws her into a lake. Then he begins to travel, and transforms people 
into animals, fishes, and rocks. He also changes the features of many parts 
of the country. Below Lytton he meets the Qoa'qtqwaL, who were coming 
up the river. They try to transform each other, but are unsuccessful. He 
gives them a small dish of food, which they are unable to empty. When 
they try the same experiment, he empties theu' dish quickly. They lie 
ilown to sleep, and the marks of their bodies may be seen to this day. Tlien 



UOASJ COMPAKATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 617 

follows a story of a fabulous people, the ilesceiidants of Tsii'ntia's mother, 
who had been throwu into the lake Lila Teit 2.95. 

A slightly different version is told in Lilt 350. The girl was going to kill 
her son, but the people told her to rear him. The person whom he transforms 
into a catfish is the father of the children with whom he is placing. On asking 
his mother about his father, she tells him first that the water, then that the 
rock, killed him. He transforms the people who had mocked him, one into 
a grizzly bear, one into a wolf, one into a marten, others into birds and fishes. 
Aft#r this follow his contests with the Transformer brothers related before. 
Tsu'ntia ])laces a rock before them, and water gushes out of it. WTien he is 
traveling about, the hog-fennel plants twine themselves around his legs. 
In this version there follows a curious incident telling how the Transformer 
brothers and Tsu'ntia meet at the edges of the earth, where they tell him 
that in one country the powers were so strong that they could not produce 
any transformations. They tell him to stop the sun. He does so, and every- 
thing begins to bum. Tlien he makes the stm move again, and the earth 
cools off. 

2. Ca'wa. 

Probably corresponding to tliis talc we find among the 
Shuswap the story of the Transformer Ca'wa flvamloops), 
Samp (Eraser River), or Spelkamulax (North Thompson) Sh 
651. 

Starting from Churn Creek, he travels over the country. He reaches a lake 
where people catch frogs instead of fi.sh. He gives them a net, and teaches 
them to catch fish. He reaches a country where people who fall asleep are 
believed to be dead and are buried. He tells them that people sleep during 
the night and wake in the morning. Next follows the incident in which he 
shows people that they do not need to cut open tlie women when about to 
give birth (see p. 609). He reaches the Coyote people, who have knot- 
holes for their wives, and he gives them real wives (see p. 609). These last 
two stories have been discussed before in connection with the Transformer 
cycle. 

3. Old One Ntlr; Teit 2.49: NtlJ Teit 3.320-328; U 228; Sh«. 642; 

Shh 746. 

Besides these two types of Transformer tales, there is a very vague record 
of Old One. Coyote tries his strength with Old One moving the rivers and 
moimtains. Old One has greater strength, and Coyote retires to a house of 
ice in the extreme north. When he turns over, it is cold weather. Coyote 
and Old One are expected to return and bring back the dead Indians. In a 
contest with a boy, in which they try who can stay under water longest. Old 
One is thrown into the upper world, whence he is expected to return among 
clouds of tobacco-smoke. Old One transforms a man into a swan Ntki 
Teit 2.49. 

Among the Lower Thompson there is a similar v;igue tradition of a great 
chief who came from above, who punished bad people and established the 
villages. He transformed the wooden seats of some people near Fort Yale 
into stones. When the stones are rubbed, the weather changes U 228. 

In Nicola Valley it is told that Old One lives in the upper world. By 
throwing a round ball into the middle of an expanse of water he created the 
world. Then he came down and created trees and graso. Tlie Beaver is said 
to live next to him. There ar« a number of other creation tales referring to 



618 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

him, which, however, I do not discuss here, because they diverge from all 
the other tales, and may in part be due to Christian influences. \Mien 
Old One migrates, he ordains that the females of man and animals shall 
bring forth yoimg. He transforms an old man into a fish, and he gives 
people the use of porcupine quills, eagle feathers, shells, and woodpecker's 
scalps for ornaments Ntl6 Teit 3.320 et seq. 

On the whole, I am under the impression that the vague stories 
relating to Old One are in part expressions of old mythical concepts, 
in part developed by recent biblical teaching. 

4. Coyote. 

In the traditions of almost all these tribes occur encounters between the 
Transformer brothers and Coyote, who Ls the principal Transformer and 
culture-hero of the tribes of southeastern British Columbia and eastern 
Washington. Thus the brothers meet the Transformer Coyote, but are 
unable to transform him Ntl Teit 2.44; Nicola Teit 3.316. 

5. The Transformers of the Uta'mqt. 

It is important to note that two characteristic transformations — that of the 
deer and of the woodpecker — which are parallel to the feats of the Trans- 
former of northern Vancoiiver Island and of the coast of Washington are told 
by the Uta'mqt of a Transformer distinct from the one who performed all the 
other feats in that area U 226, 227 (see pp. 601 el seq.). 

COMPARISON OF CULTtTRE-HERO TALES OF THE NORTHWEST COAST 

We may now summarize the results of this analysis, and give a brief 
characterization of tlie culture-hero tales of the Northwest coast. 

The most prominent and widely distributed elements of the north- 
em Raven myth are the efforts of Raven to still liis insatiable hunger 
and to obtain what is needed for his purposes. The origin tales and 
many of the other tales of the cycle tell, therefore, how Raven 
obtains by force or trickery an object that he wants, or compels a 
person to give up the exclusive control of a privilege. Thus he 
secures daylight, water, fire, the tides, the olachen, the salmon, the 
soil, and fair weather. Some tales of this class are explanatory in 
an incidental way, in so far as some act of Raven or of his antago- 
nists or companions brings about the conditions that exist now. 
The crow is black, the cormorant dumb, bullhead's tail tliin, on 
account of such incidents. Most tales of this class, however, are not 
explanatory. 

Among the numerous tales that are evidently not very popular and 
have only local importance, many account for modern conditions. 
They include transformations of dangerous animals (No. 61, p. 572); 
transformations of objects into animals, and trifling acts by which ani- 
mals are given their present form (for instance, Nos. 65-79, p. 573) ; the 
transformation of men, animals, and objects into stones (Nos. 89-93, 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 619 

p. 574) ; the naming of places (Nos. 94-98, p. 574) ; the making of 
geographical features (Nos. 96, 99-123, pp. 574, 575). 

There is no connection whatever between the Raven myth and the 
social grouping of the people, except the vague statement, that is not 
found embodied in any version as an important- element, that Raven 
was the ancestor of the Raven Clan. This idea is certainly foreign 
to the Tsimshian. There is no mention whatever in the Raven myth 
of the ancestors of any of the local subdivisions of the exogamic 
groups. 

In this respect there is a fundamental difference between the Raven 
myth and the Transformer tales of Vancouver Island, the coast of 
Washington, and the delta of Fraser River, where the most important 
tales refer to meetings between the Transformers and the ancestors 
of village communities and tribal subdivisions. In the area of 
northern Vancouver Island the ancestors, many of whom are con- 
ceived as endowed with the powers of the winter ceremonial, prove 
themselves equal to the Transformer. Others are transformed by 
him into rocks or mountains, islands, or rivers. In still other cases 
he bestows on them food animals. This type of tale is common on 
Fraser River (Nos. 1-62, pp. 601-604), although there are also a 
number of tales (Nos. 63-68, pp. 604-608) in which the Transformer 
either is vanquished or has at least difhculty in overcoming the 
ancestor. On the coast of Washington the principal contents of the 
culture-hero myth are tales of his encounters with the ancestors of 
various villages, of the creation of food animals for their use, and of 
gifts of implements to the villagers. The close similarity between the 
Transformer myth of the Kwakiutl and the Salisli tribes wliich 
appears here, and their intimate relation to the village communities, 
corroborate my views, previously expressed, in regard to the recent 
changes in the social organization among the Kwakiutl.' The ancient 
paternal, or, better, bilateral family organization of the Kwakiutl 
tribe is also clearly brought out by the table of relationship terms 
given on p. 494. 

The whole southern coast region contains also, as part of the Trans- 
former legend, encounters with persons who are advised of the 
arrival of the Transformer, and who intend to kill him. These are 
changed into various kinds of animals. In form these tales are quite 
analogous to the meetings of the Transformer with the ancestors of 
village communities. 

Another point in regard to which the Transformer tale of this area 
differs from that of the north is that the Trickster tales, which play 
an important part in the mythology of aU these tribes, are entirely 
divorced from the Transformer tales. A few of these do occur in 

' Boas 5.334. 



620 TSIMSTIIAN MYTH0L0(;Y [eth. ANN. 31 

the Transformer legem! of the Fraser Delta, but they are always 
iissigned to Mink, who is a companion of the Transformer, and who 
appears as trickster among the tribes of northern Vancouver Island. 
I have discussed the significance of this plienomenon at another place. ^ 
The Transfonncr tales of the interioi- sliarc witli tliose of the south- 
em part of the coast the dissociation of (he culture-hero element and 
of the trickster. The separation, however, is not so complete, because 
we are dealing here witli different sets of Transformer tales. The 
Coyote as Transformer — a cycle which I have not discussed here, 
since it seems to be foreign to the Pacific coast — shares witli the 
Raven cycle the lack of ilifl'orentiation between culture-hero and 
trickster; but in the southwestern interior of British Columbia we 
find, besides Coyote, various Transformers who are essentially analo- 
gous to the culture-heroes of Washington and Vancouver Island. 
Their function, however, is different. They transform the animals 
wliich were in ancient times monsters or caimibals into the useful 
animals of our present period. At tlie same time, transformations 
into stones are very numerous. There is, of coui"se, no relation to 
village communities, since these tribes are not organized in well- 
defined village groups. Botli tlie Vancouver Island and intei'ior 
groups may be contrasted with the northern group by the complete 
absence of aU mytlis relating to fire, water, sun, moon, etc., as parts 
of the Transformer legends. 

The Raven Mmr ok the Tsimshian 

The Raven myth of the Tsimsldan is <piit(^ similar to that of the 
Tlingit and Haida. Among these three tribes most of tlic incidents 
that compose it are the same, and a few even occur in the same 
arrangement. jUthough many of tliem liave a much wider distri- 
bution, the myth, mth its elaborate introduction, is confined to tiie 
three coast tribes just mentioned, including, however, probably the 
Athapascan tribes immechately to the east of the Tlingit and Tsim- 
shian. Among all of them it com})rises the incidents that led to the 
establishment of the j)resent order of the world, and begins with the 
supernatural origin of Raven. 

In order to gain an insight into tlie probable liistory of this myth, 
it is necessary to reconstruct its forms from the various versions that 
have been recorded. 

We will begin our analysis with a discussion of the introduction, 
which includes the incidents leading to Raven's migrations. Four 
tyjies may be distinguished, wliicli wall l)e considered separately. I 
begin with a summary of the tale, wluch will be followed by a detailed 
account of its variants. 

1 Introduction to Teit 2. 



boas] comparative study of tsimshian mythology 621 

Introduction to the Raven Myth 

type i. tlingit 

(6 veraiona: Tla 3; T15 80, 119; Tl 2.1,189; Tl 3.304, 372; Tl 4.254; Kai 5.306 [cited 
respectively Tla, T15. Tl 2, Tl 3, Tl 4, Kai 5]) 

lu the beginning there was no daylight in this worki. Near the 
source of Nass River lived Raven At The Head Of Nass River (Nas- 
CA'ki-yel) with his sister Kitchuginsi and his wife G'ins^lia'noa (a 
Haida name), who spent all her time in the house or on the roclcs 
on the beach. Her husband was very jealous. She was guarded 
by a number of flickers, wliich were placed in her armpits, and which 
would leave her as soon as she looked at a man. When her husband, 
who was an expert canoe-builder, went out, he put her into a box. 
He was afraid that his sister's sons might covet Ids wife, and there- 
fore he kiUed all of them as soon as they began to grow u{). After 
the last of her sons had been killed, Kitchuginsi went down to the 
beach to wail. There a wise man advised her to heat a smooth 
pebble and to swallow it. She followed the advice, and buUt for 
herself a hut, in wliich she lived. After some time she gave birth to 
a son, who was invulnerable, like stone. His mother made bow and 
arrows for him, and he began to hunt. Fu'st he shot small birds, 
then larger and larger animals. The mother made blankets out of 
bird skins. Finally he shot a "heaven-bird" (a white bird with 
copper beak), and a diver (cd.i). He skinned the birds, and gave the 
skin of the diver to his motlier. Wlien he put on the skin of the 
" heaven-biid, " he was able to fly up to the sky; and when his mother 
put on that of the diver, she was able to swim like a sea fowl. 

Since they were aU alone, he asked liLs mother for her relatives, 
and she told him that her brother had killed all her sons. Then the 
boy resolved to take revenge. He went to the house of the cliief, 
his uncle, to whose wife he made love during the chief's absence. At 
once the bii-ds flew away from her; and thus her husband, upon his 
return, knew what had happened. He resolved to kill his nephew. 
He ordered lum to fell an obsidian tree, wliich feat he performed 
without being hurt. Then he made hun crawl into the crack of a 
spht tree wliich he had felled to make a canoe, knocked out the 
spreading-sticks, so that the tree closed on the boy, who split it by 
moving liis elbows, and carried tlie two halves home. Then he invited 
him to hunt devilfish; and while tlie boy made ready to spear the 
animal, the uncle made him fall overboard. Wlien the boy returned 
unliarmed, Ms imcle let water pour out from the top of his hat. The 
water fiUed the house. The house t)f Raven At The Head Of Nass 
River, however, was the world, and its retaining-boards were the 
mountains. Wlien the water rose in the house, the whole world was 
being inundated. Mother and son climbed from one retaining-board 



622 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

to another, until the water hiled the house and covered the moun- 
tains. Then the boy put on the skin of the "heaven-bird" and flew 
up until his beak struck the sky, where he remained hanging. His 
mother put on the diver skin and swam about on the water. After 
many days the waters began to subside ; and when they had receded to 
half the height of the mountains, the boy pulled out his beak and 
fell down on a piece of kelp. 

I will give now the data from which the tale as given before has been 
reconstructed. 

Only Tl 3 and Tla, b open with the statement that in the beginning there was no 
daylight in this world. In T16 80 Raven At The Head Of Nass River (Nas-CA'kt-yel) 
created the Heron, and later on Raven (Yel) came into being as told before. 

In Tl 3 the name Nas-schakie'l ( = Nas-cA'ki-ye}) is given to the 
place to wliich Raven retires after liis migrations, and where the 
East Wind Uves. This is obviously an error, since the translation 
given above signifies "a raven," not a place. 

Raven At The Head Of Naas River TI6 [a jealous chief Tl 3, Tl 4 ; NAfikilsLas Kai 5] 
* guarded his wife [G'ins^ha'noa, her Kaigani name, in Kai 5] carefully. She did no work, 
and staid at home or on the rocks of the beach. She was guarded by eight hum mingbirda 
(kun) [translated in T16 119 as "flicker"], which she carried, four on each side [four 
hummingbirds, two on the outer sides of her breasts, two lower down on her body], and 
which flew away as soon as she would as much as glance at a man Tl 3.* [In Kai 5 she 
carries robins in her annpits. The identification of these birds is probably erroneous.] 
Her husband was an expert canoo-builder Tl 3. ^^^lenever he left the house, he put 
her into a box. [In Tl 4 he suspended the box from a rafter, tying the rope with a 
peculiar knot, which showed whether the box had been handled. In T16 he kept 
her in the box in which sun, moon, and stars were originally kept, and she had 
flickers (km) under her armpits T16 119.] 

In Tl 4 and Kai 5 the description of the jealousy of the husband and 
his precautions is inserted after the birth of the Raven; in Tib 119 
it is evidently misplaced. 

He did not want liia sister [Ivitchuginsi Tl 3; in Tl 2 the brother is called Kitkh- 
oughin-si] to have sons. [They died. At the same place it is stated that the woman 
may have been his sister or some other woman. This remark is placed in tlie begin- 
ning, after the creation of the Heron T16 80.] He killed her ten Tl 4 [many Kai 5, 
T16 80; several Tl 3.372] sons by pressing them against his sharp neck-ornaments Kai 5. 
[He killed them to prevent the increase of mankind Tl 2.] 

Tl 2 inserts here the Deluge sent by Kitkh-oughin-si, in wliich 
people save themselves on mountains, to which they tie the canoes. 

In Tl 3 it is said that when tlie sister's sons were old enough to take notice of his 
wife, he would take them out in his canoe, and by upsetting it drown them; he would 
have a canoe that he was building close upon them. Tliis is probably misplaced, and 
refers to the uncle's attempt to kill Raven. [When her children were dead, tlie 
woman's husband sent her back to her brother NAfikl'lsLas Kai 5.] 



BOAsJ COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 623 

Version Kai 5 was told by a Kaigani Haida, which may account for 
thiii incident. It agrees with Type II, in which the woman and her 
child move from her husband's village to that of her brother (see p. 625) . 

The sister went [into the woods to kill herself Tl 4] to a rock on the beach to wail Tl 3, 
Kai 5 [separated from her brother during the flood Tl 2]. [WTiile her head was cov- 
ered, she heard some one say, "Arise!" but on looking up did not discover anyone. 
The fourth time she looked through a hole in her blanket and saw a gull Kai 5.] 
The Gull Kai 5 [the Killer AMiale Tl 3; large hand.sfime man Tl 2; old man Tl 4; 
Heron T16 80] addressed her, and advised her to heat one [four Kai 5] small smooth 
beach-pebble until it was red-hot, and then to swallow it Tl 4, Kai 5, T16 80 [to get a 
small stone from the bottom of the sea, to swallow it, and to drink water after it Tl 3. 
and gave her a small round pebble, which she swallowed.] He said, "Do not be 
afraid!" Tl 4, T16 [after swallowing the stone, she drank of the waves which the 
whales caused when swimming away Tl 3]. She built a hut for herself Tl 4 [lived in 
hiding from her brother Tl 3], and gave birth to one son Tl 3, Tl 4, T16 81 [four sons 
Kai •")] after eight months Tl 3, who was Raven ( Yel). 

Being the son of the Stone, he was called ItcA^k!" (''a hard rock") and TA'qlik!-ic 
("hammer father"), and could not be easily killed T16 81. [She put a stone that she 
had received from an old woman under his throat, thus making him in\Tilnerable. 
She washed him twice every day in the lagoon, which caused him to grow up quickly 
Tl 4; she bathed hhn in the sea Tl 2.] 

Uis mother made bows and arrows for him Tl 3, Tl 4 ; and he shot first small birds, 
and then larger and larger animals; his mother made blankets out of bird skins Tl 4. 
[NAnki'lsLas made bow and arrow for him Kai 5; his mother taught him to shoot birds 
Tl 2.] He killed many hummingbirds for a blanket for his mother Tl 2, Tl 3. *From 
a small hut he shot a long-tailed bird with long, thin, bright beak as hard as iron — the 
"heaven-bird" Kuzgatuli [a large white bird Tl 2]— put on its skin, and flew upward 
until he reached a cloud, in which his beak stuck. Then he pulled it out again, 
returned, and hid the skin Tl 3.* 

It would seem that the events related later on, after the Deluge, are 
repeated here in advance of the passage where they belong. 

[He could not fly well, and wished himself back in his mother's hut. At once he 
was back there Tl 2.] He also shot a diver, whose skin he preserved Kai 5. He gave 
it to his mother, who, when she put it on, was al)le to swim Tl 3. [He shot a whale 
(j/d't) with his arrows. It floated ashore; and every day he saw many kinds of sea 
birds on the bay. He did not like them. Finally he shot a car and a large bird with 
a beak that looked like copper T16 119.] 

Then he learned from his mother about all his relatives, and proceeded to his uncle's 
house T16 110, Tl 2, Tl 3. 

In T1& 119 this return is placed after manj' exploits of the Raven. In 
Kai 5 it has been placed after the Idlling of the children, wliich appears to 
have occurred in their father's village. Evidently both these versions 
are not good, since the return in T16 is without any connection ^\-ith 
what precedes and follows, while in Kai 5, a version told by a Kaigani 
Haida, it docs not appear how and why the uncle should have killed 
his nephews, if his sister did not live -with bun, but in her husband's 



624 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

village. In this the Kai<j:am version agrees with other Ilaida ver- 
sions. In all other versions the motives and situations are clearly 
developed. 

His mother would not tell him what had become of his relatives. Meanwhile the 
people were starving in liis unde'.s village. The imcle sent two slaves to get the bones 
of his sister, whom he supposed to lie dead. They brought a coffin along, but found her 
well supplied with provisions, and discovered lier son. They returned, and reported 
what they had seen. The imcle then sent his slaves to invite his sister and his nephew. 
Only then the mother told her son that her other children had been killed by her own 
brother. The boy went with the slaves, carrying a fox blanket and marmot blanket, 
and an apron made of reindeer skin. His mother followed him Tl 4. 

These incidents seem also out of place. They belong to the tyjie 
of tales of people deserted by their tribe (see p. 78.3), but there is no 
such desertion of the woman here. 

He took his uncle's wife [some say daughter T15 119] out of the box while the uncle 
wasabsent, and let the flickers (kun) fly away from under her arms Tl 2, T16 119. [The 
four boys joked with her, and the bird flew away Kai 5. When Raven At The Head Of 
Nass River saw this, he said, "All those pretty things of mine are gone." Then lie 
asked him if he was Raven, to which he answered in the affirmative T16 119.] 

The chief uses the expression here quoted when he loses the day- 
light. Evidently it does not belong here. 

Then the uncle tried to kill his nephew. He tried to saw nff his neck with a gla^w 
(obsidian) saw, which broke on his stone neck. He asked him to fell a tree which 
stood beliind the house. Tlie boy's mother warned him, saying he would find his 
brothers' skeletons under the tree. When he began to chop the tree, pieces of glass 
fell down, for the tree consisted of glass. They did not hurt him. He carried the tree 
home, cut it up, and started agreat fire in the house Tl 4. [The uncle asked the boy to 
fellatree, whichfellonhim, butdid notkillhira becausehewas madeofrcick T\b 11!) ] 
Then the uncle took him out to a canoe he was building, and asked him to help him 
spread it. By knocking out the spreading-sticks he made the canoe close on him. 
The boy broke it, carried the halves home, and threw them down Tl 4 . [The uncle asked 
him to clean out the canoe that he was building, and made it close on him. The boy 
broke it with his elbows and carried it home for firewood. Then the uncle boiled him 
in a copper kettle; but he transformed himself into arock, and was unharmed T16 119.] 
The uncle took him out in his canoe to get the devilfish, and made him fall overboard . 
The boy, however, caught the devilfish, threw it down in the house, where it assumed 
enormous size Tl 4 [the boy was thrown overbcjard, but returned along the sea-bottom 
after four days Tl 3], [Then the waters began to rise and fill the house Tl 4.] Then the 
uncle called the rain; and the people began to starve, because it was storming all the 
timeTlfc 120. The uncle put on his dancing-hat, and water poured out of its top Kai -5, 
T16120. [Hecalled his uncle to .say, "Let the deluge come! "Tl 3. Hesaton theroof of 
his uncle's house; and when the latter entered, he closed all the openings and let the 
water rise, in order t<;) drown him Tl 2.] 

*As the waters were rising, Raven and his mother got on the retaining-timbers of 
the house, and, when the water reached them, climbed to the higher ones. There 
were eight of these. Raven At The Head Of Nass River's house was in reality the 
world; and while Raven and his mother were climbing the retaining-timbers, the 
people climbed up the mountains to save themselves from the flood, ^^^len the 
watere reached the fourth set of retaining-timbers, the moimtains were half covered 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 625 

by the water. When the house was nearly full T1& 120.* Raven put ou the skin of (he 
white bird Tl 3, Tlfc 120 [bird Tl 4, raven Kai 5]; his mother, that of the cax T16 120 
[diver Kai 5, bird Tl 4]. He flew up to the clouds or the sky Tl 4, T16 120, Kai 5, 
from which he hung by hia beak Tl 4, TI6 120 for ten daysTl 4 [nobody knows how long 
Tib 120] until the flood reached hia feet Tl 4 [his tail Tl 3]. [The uncle's hat rose up 
U> the sky; and Raven put hia feet against the hat, hia beak against the sky, and 
finally pressed his uncle down, thus drowning him Kai 5.] He waited for the water 
to run off, then pulled his beak out of the cloud or sky Tl 4, T16 120, and prayed to 
fall on a piece of kelp Tib 120 [fell on kelp Tl 3, Tl 4; on a stone, where he hurt 
himself; this is the cause of all stclness Tl 2]. The water had receded to half the 
height of the mountains when he fell down T16 120. 

TYPE II. HAIDA 

(5 versions; Jla 293, 296, 308; Skr; 110, 118; [Skfc 110]; Skg 138' [see also 8.74]; 
Hai 5.306; Harrison ^ [cited respectively Ma, Ska, Sk6, Skg, 8, Hai 5]) 

The Haida version of the Raven legend is not as clear as that of the 
TEngit. As stated before, the Kaigani Ilaida tale wMch I collected 
in 18S8 (Kai 5.306) agrees in form with the Tlingit tale, and must be 
classed with these. We have one version of the Haida form of the 
story, obtained in 1900 by Swan ton, from members of the Skidegate 
group Ska 110; another one obtained by me in 1 897 from a member of 
the Rose Spit group Skgr 138; furthermore, we have Hamson's version 
from Masset,^ Dawson's very brief account (1.149B), and fragments 
recorded by me in 1888 from Slddegato Haida 5.30G. Swanton's 
Masset series M and Kaigani series Kai do not contain the begin- 
ning of the tale. Incidents of the introduction are, however, referred 
to M 293, 296, 308. 

In both its fullest versions the whole story is characterized by 
repetitions, which are obviously not (hie to fault)^ telling, but which 
must belong to il, since they appear in these versions as well as in 
some of the fragments. These must therefore not bo excluded in the 
reconstruction of the essential form of the tale. All the versions 
also lack in one ])oint or another in coherence. We shall discuss this 
feature later on. 

I will give, first of all, a summary of the essential elements in their 
most plausible sequence; 

Chief Hole In His Fin, of a town on Rose Spit, and his wife Flood- 
Tide Woman, had an infant son who cried, and would not be quieted 
mitil his father's sister. Ice Woman, took him on her arms, so that 
he could touch her breast. By supernatural means he made the 
people sleep, and laj- %\4th his aunt. At the same time the chief's 
nephew, Fm Turned Back, was the lover of Flood-Tide Woman. 
Therefore the chief sent his wife and son back to her brother, Great 
Breakers. 

1 A Masyet version. 

2 See narrison, Religion and Family among the Haida (Journal nf the A -nOnapahigiml InslituW of Great 
Britain and Ireland, xxi, 1S92, pp. 14-29). 

.50633°— 31 ETH— If) 4(1 



626 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. axn. 31 

When they Uved in Great Breakers' house, the boy behaved 
badly, bangmg the door and soilmg the floor of the house. He 
mtended to seduce his uncle's wife, and prepared for this. First he 
desired to obtain a whale. His father and uncle were out in the 
shape of killer whales, getting whales, and he caused them to strand 
on the beach. Flood-Tide Woman tried to rescue her lover. Fin 
Turned Back ; but the boy let the tide rise and cover the killer whales, 
so that they were enabled to swim away. In return they gave him a 
whale. He watched the birds that came to eat of it, and shot a 
bufflehead, and then a bluebird. When ho put on the skin of the 
former, he was able to swim. When he put on the skin of the latter, 
he was able to fly like a raven. 

In order to gain the love of his uncle's wife, he obtamed gum 
from some women. He chewed it and gave some of it to his uncle's 
wife when she asked for it. This acted as a love-charm. She 
induced her husband to go sealing, and meanwhile the boy lay with 
the woman. Then it thundered, and by this sign Great Breakers 
knew what had liapj)oned. He put on his hat. A whirlpool rushed 
out of it, and the world was covered with water. Then the boy 
put on the sldn of the bufflehead and swam out; later, that of the 
bluebird and flew up to the sky in the form of a raven. He made the 
waters recede by kicking thsm, and then returned to the earth.' 
There he was adopted by the mountain Qi'ngi, and at a feast 
given there he was made voracious by eating scabs, and began his 
migrations.- 

Following is a detailed account of the various versions: 

The cliief of a town on Rose Spit was named Hole In His Fin Ska 118 [Dorsal Fin 
Lgangagin Skg]. His nephew was Fin Turned Back Ska 118 [Hole In Fin Ls;anxe1a 
Sk^]. The chief's wife was Flood-Tide Woman Ska, g, the sister of Great Breakers 
Ska [called Cape Ball in Sk Swanton 2; XAiikilsLa's Sk(/], They had a baby s<m. [In 
the evening Raven entered the child's body. Every morning they washed him, and 
his father held him on his knee. Wlien his father's sister came to the fire, she 
took him, and he pinched her breast. "Ha'oia!" she said. "Why do you say that?" 
asked they, and she replied, "He nearly fell from me" Ska.] He cried, and would 
not be qiiieted until a girl named Ice Woman (Qalgaitsadas) took him. When he 
touched her breasts with his hands, he was satisfied. The boy grew up rapidly Sk^. 
[After a while he wished that the children would go picknicking. They went, and 
his aunt took him, too. When the children left, she staid alone with him, and he 
seized her. She said, "Don't take hold of me! I am single because your father is 
going to eat my gifts" (that is, food to be given by the bridegroom's family). He 
resumed the form of an infant. His aunt was crying, Init he wished her to forget 
what had happened. Therefore, on being asked why she had Ijeen crying, she gave 
as the reason that the boy had eaten sand. Next the boy secretly made shell rattles 
and a dancing-apron out of a grave-mat, to which he attached shells. He wakened 
a corpse, to which he gave the apron and rattle. He ordered the ghost to shake the 
rattle in front of the middle of the town. At once all the people fell asleep and had 
nightmares. Then Raven took all the women, also his aunt. An old woman living 

' Referred to in M 308. = Referred to in M 304-306. 



BOAS] COMPARATH'E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 627 

in the house-comer (probably the woman who is rock from the hips down) saw what 
he did and liow he made tlie f,'host lie down again, and how he resumed hia form 
and his place in the cradle. The people learned that he had taken his aunt and his 
mother, and drove out Flood-Tide Woman and her son Ska.] The cliief's nephew 
was the lover of Flood-Tide Woman. Therefore her husband sent her back to her 
brother Sk^. 

The last of these versions seems plausible, since it explains the 
woman's later action when she saves her husband's nephew, and 
since it agrees with her brother's remark on her return referring to 
her habitual faithlessness. This whole passage is a repetition of 
Raven's love-making in his uncle's house, and is .supposed to have 
occurred m his father's village, whither Flood-Tide Woman had 
followed her husband. Tliis accounts also for the Kaigani incident 
of her return Kai -5, which would otherwise be quite uniutelhgible. 
The whole is an expression of the amorous propensities of Raven. 
According to Haida customs, the aunt whom he seduces in his 
father's town might become his uncle's wife, and the two personages 
might easily be identified in the narrator's imagination; so that the 
later attempts on the part of Raven to seduce his uncle's wife might 
appear as a contmuation of his previous endeavors, or, placiag the 
girl in her father's house, it would be an extension of liis courting to 
a previous period. The incestuous intercourse between Raven and 
his mother Ska does not seem plausible. 

On their way to Skidegate they found a young sea otter, out of whose skin the 
woman made a blanket fur her sm Ska. [On her way she felt hungry, and tried 
twice to start a fire with a fire-drill, but did not succeed. The boy struck the ends 
of two large sticks together, and thus procured fire Skg.] ^\'hen she reached her 
brother's house, somebody put his head out and saw her Ska. [A large pole stood 
in front of her brother's house in Skidegate. The slaves who were outside saw her 
coming Sk^. In Hal 5 (Skidegate version) the brother is called NAfikllsLa's; the 
sister is the Loon, cuva'c] When they informed her brother, he said, "She has 
done as she always does (that is, been unfaithful to her husband), and for that 
reason she comes back again " Sko, g. She staid near the doorway Sk^. 

Her brother a&ked her how she would name her child, and she replied, '■NaTi- 
hi'lsLas-lina'i." He objected, ''Name liim differently, lest the supematiu-al beings 
who are afraid to think of the one who bears that name hear that a common 
child is so called." The child would bang the door, and Great Breakers ordered her 
to stop that common child from doing so. She said .she could not do so Ska. The 
child would defecate in the house all the time Ska.jr, so that the uncle's slaves had 
to carry out the excrements in buckets Sk.9. Therefore his imele's \viie disliked 
him Sko. 

Once when his fathers went about on the sea, he ordered liis dog to ask the tide to 
leave the killer whales dry on the beach. They struggled on the beach, and Flood- 
Tide Woman poured water over her lover. Fin Turned Back, and refused to do the 
same favor to her husband. Then the boy made the dog call the flood-tide, and asked 
for a present in return for saving the killer whales. They were on their way to buy 
whales, and left one for the boy. He made a house of hemlock branches, and birds 
settled on his whale. Then he shot a bufflehead, put on its skin, and was able to 
swim. He tried to shoot a bluebird, and at last idt it. He put on its skin, and wa.s 
able to fly. He flew down against a rock, cried like a raven, and his voice split The 
rock Ska. [At night, when the people were asleep, he would go to shoot birds, 



628 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ikth. ANN. .HI 

and his mother made a blanket of their skins. Then lie shot wliiiles, wliich he took 
to a creek. A raven came down from the sky to eat of tlu^ whales, and after several 
vain efforts he shot it, and liid the skin between the branches of a large tree. One 
day he said, "My fathers are coming!" and his uncle reproved his sister, saving the 
boy would cause them trouble. Canoes arrived, and the boy sent a slave to call 
them ashore. WTien the killer whales reached the shore, they fell down. The 
mother sprinkled water with a bailer over her lover, but refused to rescue her hus- 
band. Then tlie boy let the slave call in the flood-tide, and his fathers went back 
to Rose Spit Sk^. In Hai 5 the boy grows up quickly. He asks his imcle for 
bow and arrows, and copper bracelets. The uncle refuses, but some other man gives 
them to him. He shoots birds, and makes a blanket of their skins, which he hides 
in a tree. As soon as he returns to the hoii.se he assumes the shape of an infant.] 

In order to gain the love of his uncle's wife, he went in search of a love-charm. 
He met women who were singing and at the same time chewing red gum Ska. [First 
he could not find them, then he asked them where they got their song. They an- 
swered, "We are singing of Raven, who is in love with his uncle's wife Sk^.] They 
gave him gum, sajdng, "This is woman's medicine. When you enter the house, 
pass to the right, chew gum as you go in. When your uncle's wife asks it of you, do 
not give it to her, but first a.sk for the thing her husband owns." He followed the 
advice of the women, and his uncle's wife gave him the round white thing that her 
husband owned. Then he gave her the red gum. She chewed it, swallowed the 
juice, and then began to love him SkH. 

Tho first version of the visit of the boy's fathers is more consistent 
than the second one, smco the visit of the killer whah^s gives the boy 
the opportunity to shoot the birds. It may well be, however, that the 
incident of the singmg women should bo placed in the sky, as is done in 
the second version (see below), and following the shooting of the birds. 
Then in his first attempt to fly he might have visited these women 
in search of a love-charm, and we should have here a repetition of 
the visit to the sky — a feature so characteristic of the Haida version. 

It is not explained what the white round object was that his uncle 
owned, and it is not referred to again. The brief and inaccurate 
version 1 suggests that perhaps this might have been the moon. 
The incident according to which the owner of sun, moon, and stars 
became disgusted because he was made to believe that Raven had 
obtained a moon is, however, so different from all other versions from 
the coast, that I hesitate to accept it. If this white object is at all 
essential for the future exploits of Raven, the love affair with his 
uncle's wife would appear here as serving a definite end, while 
ordinarily it is only the cause of the Deluge. 

The adventure with the sijiging women is treated in a different 
manner in Skg 142 . There the women are placed in the sky, which he 
reaches after the Deluge. The incident, however, is without con- 
nection with all that precedes and follows. 

Raven reaches a place full of berries, and rivers full of salmon. He hears people 
singing, and finds them with difficulty. He asks the women, "Where did you get 
your song? I like it." They laugh, and reply, "Did you never hear that there 
are five countries here, and that people use this song, which tells that NAiiki'lsLas-lina'i 
is in love with his uncle's wife? " Thus he obtained the nam« NAfikilsLas-lifia'i. 



HOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 629 

After he has obtained the love of his uncle's wife, the story goes 
on as follows: 

His uncle's wife induced her husband to go sealing. He left at midnight. The 
boy put on two sky blankets and painted his face. Then it thundered underground. 
It always thundered when Great Breakers lay with his wife. Soon the husband came 
back, and asked his wife, "'Uliy did it thunder?" She replied, "It liappens with 
your nephew as it happens with you" Ska. [The uncle's wife was sitting on the 
top platform, making mats, and the boy put himself around her, his feet under her 
right arm, his body on her back, his head under her left arm. (Compare Ska the boy 
seized his aunt in his father's village.) \\'hile his uncle is out, he goes to the woman, 
and it thunders. This proves to his uncle that his wife is faithless Skg. The boy 
changed into a youth and went to his uncle's wife, who did not believe that it was he. 
She went to look for the infant in his mother's bed; and since he was not there, she 
believed him. He made an appointment with her for the following morning in the 
woods. There he showed her his sqa'ltsit blanket. She told her husband's sister 
what had happened, and convinced her by showing her the blanket. Her husband 
came home without seals, and knew by this that his wife was not true to him. She 
told him what had happened, and the next day he observed his nephew from behind 
a point of land Hai 5. In Skjr it is said that the boy staid with his mother, and that 
his aoul went out hunting, flying, and seducing his aunt.] 

In Ska follows the deluge made by his uncle, who puts on his hat, the top of which 
turns, and out of which rushes a whirlpool. The boy puts on his raven skin and flies 
up to the sky after he has floated out of the smoke hole. He runs his beak into the 
eky, his tail floats on the water, which he kicks down so that it subsides. In flying 
down he strikes the smoke of his uncle's house. His uncle then calls him chief of 
cliiefs. [In Sk;/ this incident is placed after Qtngi's flood, which will be found discussed 
on p. 637. When the waters pour out of his uncle's hat, he puts on the skin of the 
bufilehead and floats out of the smoke hole, then the raven skin, and flies to the sky. 
He makes a chain of arrows reaching from the sky to the waters, and fastens his bow 
to the lower end of the chain. He climbs the chain and pierces the sky. He finds 
five countries and the singing women referred to before. In Hai 5 the incident 
follows immediately the discovery of the woman's faithlessness. In this version he 
also pierces the sky and finds five countries, one over the other (probably a five-row 
town). In Kai .5.306 he drowns his uncle by placing his feet against his hat. His 
uncle's wife is transformed into a whirlpool.] 

In Skjr follows Raven's transformation into a hemlock leaf, which the Sky chief's 
daughter swallowed. After two months she gave birth to a child, which at night 
gouged out the eyes of the people of four towns. He roasted the eyes in the ashes and 
ate them (see p. 746). An old man (probably better a woman, stone from her hips; 
down) observed him. Then the Sky chief broke the stone floor of his house and 
tlirew him down. The earth was still covered with water, only the top of a totem- 
pole being visible. The child landed on it, and the pole split. Then the water 
subsided. [In Sk 5.307 this incident is omitted. He merely returns to earth.] 

Here belongs also JI 296. He spoils a person's property and is tlirown into the sea, 
where he falls on a stone that he has prepared for himself. 

In Skffi this incident is placed at the very beguinmg of the Raven 
myth in which, as mentioned before, the Raven is not really the 
son of NAiikilsLas's sister, but merely enters his body; so that the 
whole important story appears as one of the exploits of his migra- 
tion — an arrangement that does not seem very plausible. We shall 
consider next, before a fuller discussion of these points, the bcgimimgs 
of the tale in Ska. 



630 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Raven was flying about, over the waters, and saw no land except a flat rock, on wliich 
the supernatural beings lay stretched out. [Loon lived in NAnkilsLas's house. He 
Would go out and shout, and sit down again. An old woman seated by the fire asked 
why he was acting thus. He replied that the suix-rnatural beings had no place in 
which to settle. Then the old man promised to attend to it Sk6.] Haven pierced the 
sky and found a five-row town. The chief's daughter had a baby, whose body Haven 
entered Ska. The grandfather pulled the infant to make it grow quickly. When all 
were asleep, Raven would come out of the skin and gouge out people's eyes, which 
he roasted in the fire. The being rock from the hips down saw him when the eyes of 
the people of four towns were lost. He told the chief. The people stood outside in a 
line and sang for the child. The person who held him let him drop, and he fell to our 
world, turning to the right. He drifted on the water, and heard some one say, " Your 
mighty gi'andfather invites you. " The fourth time when he heard the voice, he 
looked through a hole in his l)lanket. and saw the grebe, who dived after he had spoken. 
He drifted against a stem of kelp witli two heads, stepped on it, and it was a house- 
pole of stone. On descending he found a house, inside an old man while as a sea gull, 
who took out of the innermost of a set of five boxes two round [cylindrical] objects-^ 
one black, one covered with shining spots. He said, " I am you; that is you, " refer- 
ring to something slim and blue that was walking on the screens whose ends pointed 
toward each other in the rear of the house. He t^ild the boy to place the shining 
object on the water first, then the black one, to bite off part of each and spit it on the 
other. He did so, but in the wrong order, and the part that he had spit on the black 
stone rebounded. He now went back to the black one, bit a part off. and spit it upon 
the rest, where it stuck. Then he bit off a part of the pebble with shining points and 
spit it upon the rest. It stuck to it. This became the trees. The second stone ex- 
panded and became Queen Charlotte Islands. The first became mainland Ska. 

Here should be added the incident described in Sk 8.74, according to which, after 
the second deluge, the ancestors of the Haida families were seated on reefs that 
emerged from the waters. This incident is also referred to in Hai 5.307 (Skidegate 
version). 

The Masset version opens with the statement that in the beginning 
there was no land. Then there was a little thing on the ocean on 
which Raven alighted. He made the mainland and Queen Charlotte 
Islands out of it Ma 293. 

A version given by Mr. Harrison ' is very confused and evidently 
not a faitliful record of what the Haida told, but a generahzed state- 
ment of what the author remembered of the tale. Christian influence 
is brought out very clearly in his use of the terms Tietgwaulana {xetg" 
la'na " the one below") and shanungetlagidas {sa uau i'Lqgidas "chief 
above"), wliich, according to Swanton (8.14), are the names used for 
Christian concepts. The tale recorded by Mr. Harrison is based on 
the Haida version. Mr. Harrison begins his account with the state- 
ment that the chief below was cast from the region of the clouds into 
the depths below, but this part may well be omitted. 

In the beginning Raven lived in the gray clouds and had no place on which he 
could rest, the whole earth being covered with water. He beat the water with his 
wings, and the spray was transformed into tiny rocks, on which he rested. [In 
Hai 6.25 he creates Ijnd by the flapping of his winga.] These expanded and be- 
came Queen Charlotte Islands, and finally soil was formed on them. 

> See p. 625, footnote 2. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 631 

Raven collected two large mounds of clamshells on the beach near Sisk and trans- 
formed them into two slaves. By throwing limpets at one of them he became a man, 
while the other became a woman. He lived at Rose Spit, and married the slave- 
woman. Since she had no children, he drove the couple away, and they settled in 
Skidegate. 

Obviously the tale of the clams refers to the incident in which 
Raven finds human beings in a clam, referred to in the version 
Ma 324. The slave and the slave-woman would seem to correspond 
to Raven's wife and his nephew, and the incident of their being sent 
away would correspond to the departure of the couple to the house 
of the woman's brother. It will be seen, however, that this uacident 
is repeated later on. 

Raven, being left alone, decides to obtain a wife in the sky. He flies upward, 
makes a hole through the wall of the heavens, and enters the sky. He assumes the 
form of a bear, and is taken into the house of the Sky chief as a playmate for the Sky 
chief's youngest son. The Sky chief had created sun, moon, and stars. One day 
Raven sees three bears ou the beach, assumes the form of an eagle, steals the sun, 
which happens to be setting at that time, and the fire-drill, taking each under one arm. 
Then he takes the child of the chief in his beak and flies down. The heavenly people 
try to piuBue him, but soon give up. The child drops out of Raven's beak and falls 
down into the sea. Raven carries down sun and fire-drill. When the child drops 
into the sea, the fish come to his aid and carry him ashore. For (his reason the hind of 
Jish that aided him. is numerous near Rose Spit, and their forms are impressed in the blue 
clay of that district. 

The child grows up in Raven's house, and has control of all kinds of animals. These 
help him. Raven keeps sun and fire-drill locked up, because he is afraid that his 
former slave will steal them. 

After some time the slave-woman returns, and Raven Lives with her again. The 
heavenly child makes love to the woman, and they escape, i.arrying away the box 
containing sun and fire-drill. On their way south they find a dead land otter. Then 
with the fire-drill he makes a fire, by which they cook the otter. At Cape Ball the 
heavenly youth sings some of his songs, which cause the sea to recede, leaving a whale 
stranded on the beach. He barred in the whale by means of a wall of stones, which 
may be seen up to the present day. The couple settle at Skidegate, where a daughter 
is bom to them. The parents refuse to let her marry, and finally tlie slave created by 
Raven wooes her. The slave-woman, the mother of the girl, tells the slave about sun 
and fire-drill. The slave enters the house through the smoke hole, steals the box, 
and breaks it. He breaks up the sun; the pieces fly up into the sky and become 
sun, moon, and stars. 

The slave escapes along the west coast, and shoots a chain of three hundred and 
sixty-five arrows up into the moon. These become the days of the Haida year. He 
climbs up and passes through the moon into the sky. He sees a woman bathing in a 
pond ; and when she comes out, he seizes her. Together they drop down into the sea. 
Raven sees them falling, goes to the slave's house, takes away the woman, and trans- 
forms the slave into a spirit that looks after the growth of every living thing. 

It is interesting to compare the fullest Skidegate versions with the 
Masset version recorded by Harrison. 



63'2 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



iKTH. ANN. ;il 



Ska 
Raven finds a Hat rock in the watera. 



Flies up to the sky. 

Enters the body of a cliild in heaven. 



He gouges out the eyes of people in 
heaven. 

The people hold the child; it drops from 
their hands and falls hito the sea. 

The chOd (i. e., Raven) goes to a house m 
the bottom of the sea and is given the 
power to create land; he makes 
Queen Charlotte Islands and the 
mainland. 

(Break in story.) 

Raven enters the body of chief's child at 
Rose Point. 

The chief's son (i. e., Raven) makes love 
to the chief's sister; the chief's neph- 
ew makes love to the chief's wife. 

The chief's wife and her son Raven are 
sent back to her brother at Skide- 
gate. 

They find a sea otter, and Raven makes 
fire. 

Raven behaves badly in tlie house of his 
mother's brother. 

Whales strand. 

The child makes love to hi.s uncle's wife. 

Raven gets from his uncle's wife (he 
"white thing" that he owns. 

The uncle makes a deluge, and Raven 
flies up to the sky. 

He drops down, returns to his uncle, and 
is adopted by (Jingi. (Here begin 
his migrations.) 



M 

Raven finds a rock in the waters. 
He makes land. 

He creates man and woman of clamshells. 
He send.s thein to Skidegate. 
Flies up to the sky. 
Plays with a child in heaven. 
He steals the child, the sun, and the fire- 
drill. 



While Raven flies down with 
things, the child drops down. 



these 



The chUd is carried by fishes to Rose 

Point and grows up in Raven's house. 

The child makes love to Raven's wife. ' 



The chief's wife and the child who had 
dropped down from heaven escajjo; 
he takes along sun and fu-e-drill. 

They find a land otter, and the youth 
makes fire. 



Whales strand. 

Raven's wife and the youth have a 

daughter at Skidegate. 
The man whom Raven had created out of 

a clamshell elopes with the daughter 

and liberates the sun. 
The man who has abducted the girl 

makes a cliaiii of arrows and escapes 

to the sky. 
He takes a woman who is bathing in the 

sky and drops down with her. 



Shearing the myth of repetitions, wc may summarize the main 
incidents in the following order: 

1. Raven is the child of Flood-Tide Woman, 

2. Who is sent back to her brother by her jealous husband. 

3. He makes love to Ms uncle's wife, 

4. Wlio causes a deluge. 

5. When the earth is covered by water. Raven flies up to the sky. 

6. He returns. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 633 

7. He is adopted by a man, and becomes voracious by eating scabs. 

S. He begins his migrations. 

In this order there is a lack of connection between and 7, for 
there is nothing in this tale that leads up to the adoption. 

We must add as incidents quite analogous to exploits made during 
his migrations — 

9. The making of land. 

10. The appearance of the ancestors of the Haida after the Deluge. 

The A^ai'ious tT^^pes may be summarized in the following forms: 

Sequence of incidents in — 

Ska &kg Sk 5 

5 — — 

6 — — 
9,8 — — 

1 11 

2 2 — 

3 3 3 

— 7 — 

4 4 4 

5 5 5 

6 6 6 
(10) - - 

7 — — 

8 8 - 

— — 10 

Swanton, in 8.7.5, places the event 10 after the second deluge (as 
told in Ska 110), although it does not so appear in liis version of the 
Raven myth. 

It would seem that the tale of how people originated from a clam- 
shell belongs also to the introductory part of the tale. All the rec- 
ords we have belong to Masset. One version has been recorded by 
Swanton in his Masset texts (Ma 324) ; another one was obtained by 
me from Chief Edenshaw of Masset (Sk 320) ; a third one was recorded 
by Dawson (1.149 B); and a fourth one by Deans (Hai 6.30). 

Raven heard a noise in a clamshell. When he opened it, he found one half full of 
human beings, the other half full of animals. He told the people to make a town, the 
animals to gj up the mountains. Since Queen Charlotte Islands were too small for 
all the animals, he sent some to the mainland . At the same time he pushed the islands 
apart with his feet Ma 324. 

Raven found a Cockle, and heard a noise inside. He found people in it, and made 
towns for them. From these originated a number of Haida families Sk 320. 

Raven married a Cockle, which gave birth tj six children. These were sexless, 
and he made them three males and three females Hai 6.30. 

Raven married the Cockle, which gave birth to a girl, whom later on he married. 
According to another version given at the same place, a man and a woman originated 
from two live Cockles. These became the progenitors of mankind, Dawson 1.149 B- 
1.50 B. 



634 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ANN. 3] 

TYPE III. TSIMSIIIAN AND XEWETTEE 

(aversions: Ts 214; Ts 5.272; N 7; Nea 5.170; Ne6 9.209 [cited respectively Ts, Ts 5, 

N, Nen, Ne6]) 

The third type is found among the Tsimshian and some of the 
Kwakiutl tribes. In the followmg abstract four versions have been 
utilized— one from Nass Eiver N 7, one from the Tsimshian 5.272 
and two from Newettee (one obtained from the Lla'Llasiqwala 5.170, 
and another from the ^nagEmg'iHsala 9.200. Besides these, the in- 
troduction to the story appears as an independent story in the 
present collection, p. 214.' 

A chieftainess [of tlje Red-Bear Village of the Gi-spa-x-Ia'''ts at Motlakahlla Ts; at 
Ts!e'q6t Nea] had tlie chief's nephew (Ts) for her lover. In order to meet him easily, 
she pretended to die N, Nea, Neb. [The chieftaine.s8 died in midwinter before 
giving birth to her child Ts 5.] Before she died, she asked to be buried in a box on a 
tree N, and that her horn spoons, fish-knife, and marten blanket be put in her cofRn 
Net. She was buried on a tree Ts 5, N, Ne6 [a cedar at the mouth of Nass River. 
Ts5; on an island in front of the village Ts; on the burial-ground of the chiefs Ts 5]. 
For two nights the chief watched under the tree. Then he thought maggots were falling 
down out of the box. The woman, however, was scraping her horn spoon, and let 
the scrapings fall down. Every night after the people had gone to sleep, her lover 
climbed the tree and knocked at the box, saying, "Let me in, ghost!" Then the 
chieftainess laughed, and said, "On your behalf I pretend to make maggots out of 
myself" N, Ts. She came to be pregnant. A man found out what was happening, 
and told the chief, who asked his nephew to keep watch. When they saw that the 
report was true, they killed the man and the woman N. [A man who was silling 
with his sweetheart under the coffin saw and heard the chief's nephew go to her. 
He told the chief, who sent his attendants, with the order to throw down the coffin if 
they found the report true. They did so, and both were killed Ts. The people 
saw her lover coming out of the grave-housa, and told the chief, who sent a slave. 
He reported that the grave was open and the woman alive Nea. The slave saw 
what was going on, and reported to the chief. They opened the grave-box, and the 
woman was seen to be alive, although she kept her eyes shut Ne6. The chief then 
killed her with his knife, took out her child, and put it back into the grave Nea, 6.] 
Then her child was born, and lived by sucking its mother's intestines, Ts, Ts 5, N. 
The young men found that the child was alive when they came down from the tree. 
They reported to the chief, who ordered the child to be brought to him Ts. [The child 
grew up in the box Ts 5, N; the child grew up very quickly Nea.] [The slave dis- 
covered that the child whom the chief had put back into the grave was alive, and he 
took it to the chief's house. The child grew up and was called Qwa'qenit Ne5.] 
Children played shooting arrows in the woods Ts 5, N, Nea [in the spring TsS], 
andtheboy took them. [Finally they saw him coming from the grave Ts 5, N, Nea.] 
Suddenly a naked boy, shining like fire, appeared, and seized the arrows. They did 
not see what became of him; but finally one of the children peeped through a hole in 
its blanket, and, saw the boy come from the grave and return to it Ts 5. [Then the 
chief sent his nephews to watch. They caught the boy while he was walking about, 
and took him home N; the chief ordered the young man to place a bundle of arrows 
under a tree, and, when the boy came, to capture him and take him home Ts 5. The 

' See also p. 781. 



BOJts] COMPABATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 635 

chief sent a slave to see whether the boy was really alive in the grave, and ordered 
him to bring the boy home Nea .] The chief ordered the door and smoke hole of 
his house to be closed to prevent the escape of the boy. When he looked for his 
wife's body, he found it dried up Ts 5. The chief took a female slave to nurse the 
boyTs. The child grew up quickly Nea. The chief washed him to make him strong 
Ts 5. He was called Sucking Intestines Ts, N. [The boy would go often to the island 
to get chewing-gum from the spruce trees, and his uncle burned it for him. The 
slaves always took him over to the island to play. One day when they were burning 
gum, a flame of fire consumed the boy. The island is called up to this day Wliere 
She Pretends To Make Maggots Out Of Her.self. (Here the ver.sion Ts ends. It is in 
no way connected with the Raven myth. See p. 781.)] 

After two days the boy began to cry and would not eat. He asked another boy 
for gum that he was chewing, and then chewed and swallowed all the gum in the 
village. The boy who had given him the gum became his friend and companion. 
They went about together; and whenever they found a tree with gum on it, the 
boy would smear his body with it Ts 5. [Another boy of the village was his friend 
and constant companion Nea, Ne6. — Implied also in N.] The boys went about 
shooting birds, and finally siiot each a woodpecker Ts 5, Nea [a bird named 
g'itg'insa' and a woodpecker N. They put on bird masks Ne6] and flew upward 
Ts 5, N [to the upper world Ne6 to "our father" (this is not the proper term: 
it should be gVi "chief") Nea]. They came to the house of two kingfisher girls and 
began to peck wood. The girls said, "Is that you. Sucking Intestines?" He asked 
in reply, "Where is the hole of heaven?" They answered, " It is too far for you." 
The boys flew on, and came to the Mouse Woman. They heard her calling " X!" 
and when they began to peck wood, she said. "Enter, Sucking Intestines! " She 
set food before I hem; but he did not accept any, because he was still full of the 
gum that he had eaten, while the other boy ate. Then he asked, "How far is 
the hole of heaven?" She replied, "Four times it opens, four times it closes, 
count!" and then told him all that was going to happen in the sky. When they 
came to the hole of heaven, Sucking Intestines counted; and when it opened the 
fourth time, he flew through it. Then his friend tried, but he was caught in the 
hole Ts 5. [Sucking Intestines put on the skin of the g-itg-insa'; his friend, that 
of the woodpecker. As they flew along, the boy cried, "G-it, g-it, g-it g-insa- 
a-a-a'f ' ' and the woodpecker, ' ' Hau, haul ' ' They came to a town ; and some one said, 
"Sou of the ghost, it is not far where the heavens close." They flew on; and in 
every town which they reached, the people said the same to them. Finally they 
came to the hole in heaven, flew through it, and took off their skins. The boy's 
friend remained sitting near the hole N. They came to the upper world Nea.] The 
boy went on, and killed a duck {me'eq) and put on its skin Ts 5, and sat down near the 
well of the chief above N, Nea [of the sun Ts 5; of g-i'l the "chief" Net]. The 
chief's daughter came out N, Nea, Ne6 [accompanied by a slave Ts 5] to draw 
water Ts 5, Nea, N. She caught the bird [birds Nea] and took it into the house 
Ts 5, Nea, Ne6. [He transformed himself into the leaf of a cedar and floated on 
the water N (here the version N breaks off and continues as the tale of the liberation 
of daylight, see p. 641).] She took the bird [birds Nea] into her room, intending to 
keep it as a pet. Then the boy took off his skin and married her Nea. [Qwa'qenit 
took off his bird mask and married the girl Ne6. — In the night, when the girl was 
asleep, he took off his bird skin and embraced her. When she felt how soft he was, 
she remained quiet. He gave her some gum to swallow Ts 5.] In the morning, 
when the girl did not come out of her room, her father sent a slave-girl to call her. 
When she saw the young man, she was afraid, and told the chieftainess what she 
had seen. The latter informed her husband, who called his daughter and the youth 



636 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Ts 5. [The chief heard them talking, and asked hia daughter who was with her. 
Then he called them to come down Nea. — The chief called them Ne5.] The 
young woman warned her husband, saying that her father would try to kill him Ts 5, 
Nea. Her father made him sit down on the death-mat Ne6. [The floor was 
set with sharp spikes, which the youth pressed down with his feet Neo.] The 
chief made him sit down Ts 5. Soon the young woman gave birth to a child Ts 5, 
Nea, Ne6. When the child was born, it slipped out of her hands and fell down on 
some branches that were cbifting about in the sea Ta 5. [It fell into the sea Nea. 
She threw it down, and it fell into the sea Neb.] 

At this time the son of a chief of Metlakahtla had died, and he sent four slaves — 
two men and two women — to Q!adu' to get wood for cremating the body. They 
found the child and took it home. They gave it to the chieftainess, who adopted it 
by putting the child under her body, as though she had given birth to it. Its skin 
was very white Ts 5. [A slave of the father of Sucking Intestines who had gone out to 
get driftwood found the child and took it liome. The old chief gave it to his sister 
to bring up Nea. — A slave discovered the child on seaweeds aud gave it to his 
master Neb.] The people went to Nass River Ts 5. The child would not eat 
Ta 5, Nea, Ne6. (Here follows the story how he became voracious. This will be 
discussed later on.) 

Our presejit collection contains an entirely different introduction 
of the Raven legend, which I will give next. 

In the beginning the world was dark. At the south point of Queen Charlotte 
Islands lived a chief who had a son whose bed was over his own bed. The boy died, 
and his parents mourned for him. They took the intestines out of the body and 
cremated them behind the village, while they kept the dried body on the bed. 
Every day the chief wailed under the bed. One morning a shining youth was there, 
who said, "Heaven was annoyed by your constant wailing, so he sent me down to 
comfort you." The youth ate very little Ts 58. (Here follows the story how he 
became voracious.) 

Notwithstanding the difl'crences between the versions treated here 
as Type III, it is fairly clear that similar ideas underlie all of them. 
In the first form the child of a dead woman sucks dry her intestines, 
and has a sldn shining like fire. In the last version the intestines are 
removed from the body, which dries up, and from which proceeds 
the shining boy. 

Raven is Made Voracious 

(9 versions: Ta 59; T35.275; Nb ;i6; Tla 17; M6 306; Skg 141;' Ska 123; Ne 5.171; 

Ne 9.211) 

The introduction to the Haida and Tsimshian tales ends with the 
incident teUing how Raven was made voracious. The story is prac- 
tically the same in all the different versions. The supernatural child, 
which is the Raven, refuses to eat, and his parents or grandparents 
worry about it. They call the people together, and are given the 

' A Masset version. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 637 

advice to induce the cluld to swallow some scabs. After the cliild 
has done so, he becomes voracious and is deserted. 

The chief adopts the child that has been found by slaves adrift on the ocean. The 
child refuses to eat and takes only fat of deer and mountain goat and is making arrows 
to ])lay with. The grandfather invites the people to consult with them. An unknown 
person, Laxax-wa'se, passes by, is placed next to the boy, who is holding a piece of 
fat in his mouth. The visitor asks for a piece of salmon, roasts it, scratches a scab 
from his body, which he puts into the salmon, and wishes the boy to eat it. The 
boy swallows these scabs and becomes voracious Ts 5.275. 

A young man dies. His parents mourn, and his place is taken by a shining youth 
who comes down from heaven. lie refuses to eat, only chews a little fat. The chief's 
two slaves. Mouth At Each End, bring food and eat large chunks of whale meat. The 
parents discover that the youth is not their son, but has come down from the sky. 
The male slave tells him that they have eaten scabs from their shin bones, which 
makes them hungry. lie inquires whether eating is enjoyable, and says that he 
wishes to try scabs too. The male slave cuts off a small piece of whale meat and puts 
in a small scab. The slave-wife objects. The young man eats it and becomes greedy 
Ts 59. 

The girl who has swallowed a cedar leaf has a child, which refuses to eat. The 
grandfather calls two old men to chew food for the child. They chew salmon and 
grease. One of them scratches a scab from his shin and puts it into the salmon. The 
child eats it and becomes greedy N5 30. 

In the version Tla 17 we hear merely that Raven became greedy because ho ate the 
black spots of his owoi toes, and that he did this because he wished to become greedy. 

In all the Haida versions the incident occurs at a feast given by 
Qingi- 

Raven is adopted by Q^ng*. He acts like a noble person, who eats but very little. 
Qefig" asks his servants what makes people hungry, and they toll him that he must 
eat scabs four times. Raven does so and becomes greedy Mft 306. 

Raven is adopted by QiQg'. He is seated between Qifig' and his wife. He refuses 
to eat, and is chewing gum. Two Porpoise youths who stand at one side of the door 
eat ravenously. Raven wants to learn how to eat. The youths tell him reluctantly 
that he must bathe, scratch his skin, and eat the scab that comes off. Thus he 
becomes voracious Skg' 141 . 

After he has been adopted by Qtiigi, the latter invites the peo])le, and Raven refuses 
to eat. Two big-bellied persons come in. When they open their mouths, the people 
pour in boxfuls of cranberries. On the following day Qiiigi gives another feast. 
Raven goes to a place at the end of the town, where cranberries are being blown out, 
and stops up the holes. He asks the two persons why they eat so much. They tell 
reluctantly that in order to get greedy one must take a bath early in the morning, lie 
down, scratch off a scab that forms over the heart, and swallow it on the following day. 
Raven does so and becomes voracious Ska 123. 

An infant is found adrift at sea; is adopted by an old chief, whose sister nurses it. 
The child grows quickly, but refuses to eat. The chief asks the people for advice, 
and an old man tells him to send his people to catch sea fish. Then the old man cut.s 
out the stomach and gives it to the boy, who becomes voracious Ne 5.171 . 

A child is found adrift at sea. A slave wraps it up in his cape and takes it home. 
The child refuses to eat. An old man advises the chief to get two bullheads. The 
child eats them and becomes greedy Ne 9.211. 



638 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[ETH. ANN. 31 



COMPARISON OF THK THREE TYPES OF INTRODUCTION 

The principal contents of the three types of introduction may be 
summarized in the following manner: 

Type I Type II Type III 

Jealous uncle kills neph- Child of faithless woman is Child of faithless woman 

ews. His sister swallows taken to his uncle. born after her death is 

stone and gives birth to taken to her husband, 
a boy. 

Boy shoots birds, 



seduces uncle's wife. 
Uncle makes deluge. 



chews gum 

to seduce uncle's wife. 

Uncle makes deluge. 



chews gum 

to seduce daughter of Sky 

chief. 



Bov flies to the sky. 



Their child 



He marries the Sky chief's 

daughter. 
Their child 



drops down on kelp, 



is adopted, 
becomes voracious. 



is adopted, 
becomes voracious. 



Only the fiist of these versions has a consistent plot. In the two 
others the actions do not form a clearly intelligible series of events. 
In the third type no reason is given for Raven's flight to the sky, 
although the forms of analogous tales suggest that he wanted to 
marry the daughter of the Sky chief. There also appears no reason 
why he should marry her; for the girl, he himself, and his friend who 
accompanies him, seem to be introduced only to let the helpless chUd 
drop down into the waters. They do not appear again in the tale. 

Among the Haida (Type II) the lack of coherence is still greater. 
The principal peculiarity of this type consists in the weaving of the 
tale of the origin of land into the iiatroductory part of the myth. For 
the sake of clearness, I will repeat this series of incidents. In Ska 
the whole cycle begins with a scene representing the earth covered 
by water, and the events lead to Raven's fall from heaven, and his 
landing on drifting kelp. This sequence is identical with the Tlingit 
deluge produced by the jealous uncle, but the intervening incidents 
are more nearly related to the Tsunshian tale. In the Haida version 
the cause of the flood is not accounted for, and at the end the account 
of the creation of land is added. Later, however, follows another 
deluge caused by the jealous uncle, as in the Tlingit version, which 
ends in Raven's return to his uncle's house, whence he had fled to 



BOASl COMPABATIVE STUDV OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 639 

escape his uncle's Avi'ath. In Sk 8.75 and Sk 5.307 the ancestors of the 
Haida appear on the land after the second flood. 

The lack of cause for the fu-st deluge, which is in part introduced a 
third time in the mcident of Raven's adoption by Qingi — and the 
lack of coherence manifested in Raven's return to his uncle, from 
whom he had just fled — are the principal defects in the development 
of tills plot. The gi-eatest confusion, however, is mtroduced by the 
adoption ceremony, during which Raven's voraciousness develops. 
This is based in the third version on the incident that Raven is found 
as a helpless cliild, and taken up by the chief, while in the Haida 
version no reason is given for the adoption which is connected with 
Qingi's visit to Raven's uncle — a visit which is not connected with 
the preceding or the following part of the tale. 

It seems to me certain that the adoption incident in the Haida 
story can be due only to the hicorporation of the analogous Tsim- 
shian mcident. The settmg of the incident shows that we have 
here the Tsunshian story of the feast of the sea monsters (p. 718) 
introduced into the Raven story, and combined with the adoption of 
Raven, which is the most important feature of the Tsimshian Raven 
myth, because it accounts for Ms voraciousness. It is interesting 
to note here that the eye-eating mcident, which is so prominent in 
the Haida version, occurs also quite mdependently of the Raven myth 
in both Haida and Tsimshian tales. 

Although the Tlingit mtroduction to the myth seems most con- 
sistent, it lacks close relation to what follows. There is particular 
difficulty in all the versions relating to the origin of daylight. As will 
be set forth more fully presently, Raven transforms himself mto a 
small leaf, is swallowed by the daughter of the owner of daylight, and 
is reborn by her. Thus he is enabled to steal the daylight. In the 
Tlingit versions Tl the owner of daylight is identified with Raven At 
Head Of Nass River. Thus it happens that we have two conflicting 
hicidents. In one Raven seduces his uncle's (Raven At Head Of Nass 
River's) wife, an act which leads to the deluge and to Raven's flight 
to the sky and his return. In the other he revisits liis uncle, is reborn 
by liis uncle's daughter, and obtains the da^-hght. In the second tale 
no mention is made of the relationship between Raven and his uncle. 
In Tiff 3 the second incident opens the Raven tale. In T16 119 it is 
stated that he returns to Raven At Head Of Nass River. 

The owner of da}-light of the Haida is not identified with Raven 's 
uncle, so that the incident does not conflict with the introduction. 

In the Nass River legend X 7, which belongs to the third type, the 
boy fhes up to heaven and steals the sun, instead of being dropped 
down to earth. Later, however, N 36, he appears as the son of 
the woman who swallowed the cedar leaf, and who becomes vora- 
cious. No expUcit mention is made of his fall from heaven, but it is 
fah-lv certain that the tale discussed before is meant. 



640 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ietij. ann. .il 

Apparently in none of the Raven tales does a close connection 
exist between the introduction dealing with the lover of the faithless 
wife, or her son, and the subsequent myth. There are, however, a 
number of analogous tales that make it clear that the person who 
survives the machinations of his jealous uncle is considered unusu- 
ally powerful. Here should be quoted the tales of the jealous uncle 
(Thngit Tl 198, Haida Sk 277, Kwakiutl Ne 10.365),^ in which the 
boy is finally set adrift on the ocean, and then, by means of super- 
natural powers, takes revenge on his uncle. 

Important for the interpretation of the Tlingit version is also the 
story of Lakitcine' Tl 99 (Laguadji'na Haida Sk 2ry2, M,376), which 
is a culture-hero story l)clonging to the Athapascan cj'cle. In all 
these versions the husband, whose wdfe has cliildren by a dog, 
kills these, except the last, by pressing them against his cape, 
which is set with spines, in the same way as Raven's uncle kills his 
nephews; and only one, whose skin is hard hke stone, survives The 
same idea probably underlies the incident of the THngit version, in 
which Raven is born invulnerable because his mother conceived him 
by swallowing a stone. Since most of the Dog-cliildron stories do 
not contain this element, I presume it has been introduced into tliis 
tale from the Raven tale. 

It would seem, therefore, that the essential idea contained in all 
the versions is the acquisition of supernatural power by Raven. In 
the Tlingit and Haida stories tliis power is manifested in the boy's 
contest with his uncle. In the Tsimshian version it is acquired by 
his heavenly birth. The latter form accounts also, in a way, for the 
boy's refusal to eat. As a heavenly boy he needs no human food; 
and when he is endowed with human qualities by eatmg scabs, the 
transformation is overdone, and, instead of eating like an ordinary 
human being, he becomes voracious. 

Common to all the versions is the initial scene after Raven's return 
from the sky, the world being covered by water. In the Tsimshian 
legend this is merely expressed by the fact that the child is found on 
a bunch of kelp in the ocean. It seems to my mind that this opening 
scene should be compared with that of the Mink tradition of the 
Kwakiutl (Ne 5.173; Kll.80; K9.123; K5.157; Ri 5.215; H5.234; 
BC 5.246; BC 95). In the Kwakiutl version it is told that a woman 
conceives when the rays of the sun strike her back. She gives birth 
to a boy, who ascends to the sky, where he visits his father. He 
carries the sun in his place, descends too low, and sets the earth on 
fire. Then his father takes away the sun from him, and casts him 
down. He falls into the sea, and drops on some kelp, where he is 
found. After tliis begin his migrations, which differ, however, in 
their general character, from the Raven legends, in that the central 
idea is the amorousness of Mink rather than liis voraciousness, while 

I See p. 813. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 641 

the principal idea in the Raven cycle is his voracioiisness. Neither 
are any of the culture-hero traits retained by Mink. 

It seems plausible, therefore, that the opcnmg of the Raven and 
the Mmk tales is essentially a deluge myth which has been elaborated 
in different du'ections, but presents in all these tales the begiimmg 
of the present world. The loss of the deluge element in the Raven 
tales of the Tsimshian and Newettee (Ty]ie III) may be due to the 
occurrence of other deluge legends among these tribes: the deluge 
legend 1.243 of the Tsimsliian, the Mink talc of the Newettee. Among 
the Newettee, the Mink tale not only contains the element of the 
destruction of the world by fu-e, but refers also to that of all vege- 
tation, which is brought up by diving animals m the same way as the 
new earth is created after the deluge among the eastern tribes 5.173, 
9.223. In the Tsimshian deluge legend also stress is laid on the 
destruction of all vegetation. These incidents emphasize the close 
relation between the Mink tale and the deluge legend. 

It would seem thus that the Raven mythologies of the area from 
northern Vancouver Island to Alaska open with varying types of 
elaboration of the mythological concept that in the beguming the 
world was covered by water, and that Raven began his activities 
after the waters had subsided, or that he caused the water to subside. 
Among the Tlmgit the elaboration of this incident is based on the 
jealous-uncle story. Among the Tsimshian the true deluge story 
remains apart from the Raven story; and we recognize the deluge idea 
only m the general setting of the beginrung of the tale. The Haida 
form is a mixture of the Tlingit and the Tsinashian forms. The Mink 
tale of the southern tribes gives also clear evidence showing that 
the beginnmg of our world was believed to be the destruction of an 
older one, fu'st by fire, and then by water. 

Raven's Adventures 

(1)' origin of daylight 

{Northern Form) 

(29 versions: Ts 60; Ts 5.276; No 10; N6 21,36; TIa3; T1681, 82; T14.261; Tl 5.311; 
Tit 117; Kai 8.238; M6 308; Ska 116; Hai 6.25;^ H 5.232; Hap 884; BC 63; BC 5.241; 
Ria 5.208; Ri6 5.209; Nu 5.105; Nu ap 888; Car 126;^ Chil 14; Kodiak 85;* Ten'a 
304; Anvik 9;^ Esk Nelson 461). 

The world was dark [and when the sky was clear, there would be a little light from 
the stars Ts]. Raven [felt sorry for man T16] thought he himself rould not get food Ts. 
[The first daylight that had been obtained was not right BC 5.] 

1 Numbers in parentheses refer to corresponding numbers in list of incidents, pp. 5G7 ei scq. 

2 Stated by Deans to be a Tsimshian or Nass legend, containing, however, Haida names (see also Hai 
Dawson 1.151 B). 

3 Father Morice, Three Carrier Myths ( Transactions of the Canadian Institute, v). 
* F. A. Golder, Tales from Kodiak Island {Journal of A merican Folk-Lore, xn). 

i A fuller account of the Ten'a version from Anvik has been published in Chapman 2, pp. 22, 109. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 41 



642 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

A rich man at the head of Nass River [Raven At Head Of Nass River TIJ; an 
old chief who lived where Nass River flows now, Ts, Ts 5, Ilai (i; a chief Tl 5, II ap, 
Kodiak; one man Chil 14; a single woman called Moon Woman M; ME'nis Rio 5; 
%a'laqamalis Ri6 5; there was a chief's daughter who did not want to marry, Anvik 
8] kept the daylight for himself. Round bundles of various shapes and sizes hung 
about on the walls of his house Tla. [He had stars, moon, and sun in three boxes Tl 
4, Hal 6; light was hidden in three bundles containing sun, moon, stars, Tit 117; 
daylight, sun, and moon were in a box suspended from a rafter Tl 5; the box hung 
on the roof of the house Chil 14; he kept the moon M6; daylight was in heaven Ts. 
Chief kept daylight in a box called tuox N6; vm Ts; ms, which looked like a 
wasp's nest Ts 5; Snxhad daylight in a ball called "daylight-receptacle" {nusxe'mla), 
which was suspended from a rafter of his house BC 5; something that gave a great 
light hung behind the chief, Anvik 10; three caskets on a shelf; it was light 
near the vUlage, Kodiak.] The chief had a daughter [apjiroaching womanhood 
Tit 117; four daughters BC 5; in H 5 called t.'e'd'd, which means "i)rin- 
cess"] and two slaves — Old Man Who Foresees All Trouble Of The World (Adawiil- 
ca'nak"!) and He Who Knows Everything That Happens (Liu'wAt-uwadji'gl-can). 
These two looked after his daughter. They watched especially to see that her water 
was clean TI/i. [The chief always examined her dishes Tl 4; the chief knew that Raven 
would come as a hemlock leaf, therefore he burned all the dried leaves around his 
house Tl 5; the daughter was always watched Tit 117.] Raven wanted to get the 
daylight, and knew where it was (all versions). [He remembered that light was in 
heaven Ts; he felt sorry for man T16.] He thought it would be difficult for him.self 
to get food Ts. [He thought he could obtain the daylight if he could become the son 
of Raven At The Head Of Nass River T16.] Then Raven traveled northward Ska. 
[He flew a long time Tl 5, Ten'a 304. He traveled a long time in the dark. When he 
was tired, he became a raven and flew. \Mien his wings were tired, he walked again in 
the form of a man, Anvik 8. He put on his raven skin that his father had given him, 
flew through the hole in the sky, and left his raven skin there Ts. He flew with his 
friend through the hole in the sky, left his friend there, took off his own bird skin, and 
went on No. Suddenly he saw a light, flew toward it, and emerged out of the dark. 
He hovered over the village, Ten'a 304. Gradually it became lighter, and he saw a 
village where it was light. He went among the people, but they were so many that 
they did not notice him. He saw a ceremonial hou.se and a dwelling next to it, over 
which a pole was set up, having a wolverene and a wolf at the end like a vane. 
Women who do not want to marry live in such houses, Anvik 9.] 

Then he went to a pond in front of the chief's house. [The eldest one of the chief's 
daughters used to draw water there BC 5; he wished the chief's daughter to be thirsty 
N6 21, Kodiak] The chief's daughter [wife Chil 14] came to draw waterat the water- 
hole [behind the house Ska. She made him sit down at the water-hole, and he a.-^ked 
her to marry him; but she refused, being afraid of her father. Then he wished that 
she should come down again. \\'hen she started with her bucket, the chief said, 
"^^^ly do you go yourself? I have many slaves." She replied, "They always bring 
muddy water" Tl 5; she came out dressed in marten skins, with a long ruff of deer 
fur, and went to get water, Anvik 9; she drank at the water-hole, Ten'a 304, Kodiak]. 
Then he transformed himself into a hemlock needle TIJ, Tl 5, BC 5 [cedar leaf Ts, 
Na,N6 21, 36; conifer needle Ska, Chil; tiny leaf. Tit 117; tiny spruce leaf Ten'a 304, 
Hal 6; down, Kodiak; grass Tl 4; piece of dirt Tla; fir needle Chil] and droi)ped into the 
water [on the rim of her bucket Tl 4. He became a spruce needle and fell into the 
meshes of the doormat. \Vhea the girl entered with her pail and lifted the doormat, 
the needle fell into the bucket, Anvik 9]. Hefloated on the water, and, when she dipped 
up water, he went into the bucket. [Twice she tried to throw out the leaf, but could 
not do so. Then he thought, "Drink it!" Ska. She tried several times to throw it 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 643 

away, Tit 117, Anvik ' 24.] She swallowed it [felt it, but could not dislodge it Tl 4; 
it hurt her, Anvik 9], and she became pregnant. [Raven made himself dead to be 
reborn by this woman. She became ]jregnant M5.] Her father had her lie on 
beaver skins and other furs Tl 4 [copper plates and beaver skins Tl 5; a hole lined 
with furs Tla]. The child did not want to be bom there Tla [she could not give birth 
there Tl 5, Tla]. Then her father ordered the people to put moss in the hole, and 
then she gave birth to the child Tl 5, Tla. [An old woman took her to a mossy place 
in the woods Tl 4 ; T16 omits that the daughter could not give birth on costly furs, but 
states that she is placed on a layer of moss; in M6 he is bom out of her thigh.] Then 
the chief cut a basket in two and made a cradle out of one-half of it. Eicrsincethal 
time cradles of iMs type are vsedTlb. [Raven At Head Of Nass River knew what was 
the matter, still he asked his daughter what had happened. He asked Him WTio 
Knows Everj'thing That Happens, "\Mieredoes that child come from?" He replied, 
"His eyes look like those of Raven." Therefore he was called Raven. They named 
him Raven At Head Of Nass River T16. The child re.=embled a lit tie raven, An\-ik 10 ] 
His eyes were bright, and moved about rapidlv Tla [he stared with great eyes, Anvik 
10]. 

The grandfather [chief and chieftainess Ts, No, 6] was glad Tl 4 [thought a great 
deal of him T16, Tl 5, Tit 117; and could refuse him nothing, Tit 118.— He quickly 
grew up, and his grandfather loved him, Hai G]. The boy was washed regularly No 
[and pulled by head and feet by his grandfather, in order to make him grow Ska; 
they washed hini and dressed him nicely. — His grandparents, uncles, and aunts 
cared for him, feeding him on deer fat only, Anvik 10]. He began to creep about 
[back of the people Tla]. The chief smoothed and cleaned the floor of the house for 
him Na, and let him play with everything T16, even with costly skins Tl 5. [He 
played with the bundles of light as a baby, Tit 118. When the child was old enough 
to walk, he dragged about the things in the house, and took them from under hi~ 
mother's pillow, Ten'a 305.] 

One day the boy began to cry. He did not accept anything that was offered to 
him, but pointed at the bundles Tla [boxes T14; box Tl 5]. Finally the grandfather 
feared that he might be sick, because he would not stop crying. [He took clo\vn the 
box and let him look into it T! 5. He took down the first box Tl 4. The boy pointed 
earnestly toward the shining thing. They thought he might want it, and put it near 
him, then he stopped crj-ing, Anvik 10.] The grandfather ordered his men to give him 
the bundle that hung at the end, which contained the stars. Then the child became 
quiet and played with it, rolling it about back of the people. Suddenly he let it 
go through the smoke hole, and the stars arranged themselves in the sky Tla. 
[He took it out of the door and opened it, and all of a sudden it was empty Tl 4; 
he rolled it about, became a bird, and flew away with it Chil] After this he 
cried for the second box. which contained the moon [l)ig moon Tlo], and the 
same happened [in T16 the moon is first mentioned]. Then he cried for the last 
one until his eyes turned around, showing different colors, so that the people 
thought he must be something other than an ordinary baby Tla. [After much 
crying, he got the last box, which contained the sun. He ran out with it in the form 
of a raven or in the form of a man Tl 4. He cried ''Gd!" and flew out with it Tla, 
put it under his wing Tl o.] After getting everything else, he cried for the daylight. 
His grandfather said, " Bring my child here," and spoke to him. "My grandchild, I 
am giving you the last thing I have in the world " T16. [As the boy grew older, he 
was not allowed to play with the bundles. He cried incessantly, until they were 
given back to him. Then he relea-ed the light from the bundles and threw it into 
the air, to take its place in the firmament Tit 118. — Once he took thesun from the 
southeast corner of the house to the middle of the floor, moved it about, and rolled it 
into the entrance passage. When the mother put it back, one of his uncles said, "T 

1 Chapman 2. 



644 TSIMSHIAN MYTITOLOOY [BTH. ANN. 31 

think he ia crying for tho sun." The child said, "Yes." The niothor ga\o it to 
him, he rolled it about and out, lifted it out of the entrance, liecame a raven, and 
carried it home, Ten'a 305. — Even when he was quite large and able to go out, he 
cried for tho shining thing. He asked lo have a string tied to it and have it put 
around his neck. He ran with it into the woods, wished that they might forget it, 
and carried it home, sometimes flying, sometimes walking, Anvik 10.] 

Tlie Haida version is a little diileront in form. 

He cried, "Boo-hoo, moon!" Ska, M; and his mother said, "One talks about a 
thing beyond his reach, which supernatural beings own" M. Then she got tired, 
and stopped up all the holes in the house, also the smoke hole M, Ska [before open- 
ing the box wider to let the boy look in, the old man closed all the holes in the house, 
also the smoke hole Tl 5]. Then she untied the string from the box M [pulled out 
one box from another four times, and pulled out a round thing, then it became light 
in the house Ska]. She took the moon out and let him play with it. \Vhen she 
went out, the boy became a raven^ took the moon in hi.s beak, and flew about with it. 
Before she came back he resumed the form of a child M. After a while he cried, 
"Boo-hoo, smoke hole! " until she opened it. [First he was satisfied, but cried more 
until the smoke hole was opened completely Ska, M, Tl 5, Then he played with the 
box, using it like a ball Tl 5.] Then he flew away with it. A marten pursued him 
below, TaLatga'dAla above Ska. He carried away the moon in his armpit Ska. 
[When hia mother went out, he hold the moon in his beak and flew out. He sat 
down on the top of a house, cawing like a raven, and then flew away, holding the 
moon under his wing M.] ' 

The Tsimshian voreion contains still another incident. 

The boy cried, " Hamaxd'!" Na ["Hamaha'!" N6; "Hamal" Ts; cried for daylight- 
receptacle BC 5]. The chief did not understand him, and called his wL-^e men. One 
of these understood him, and .said, "The boy wants the sun box" Ts, Na, Ni. [When 
the child heard thiii, he stopped crying N6.] Then the chief took down the box and 
put it near the child, who patted it N6. He rolled [smoothed N6] it about in the 
house for four days Na. [On the following morning he arose from his mother's bed 
and played with it N6; rolled it about in the house Ts.] The chief forgot about it 
Ts, Na. [So rolled it about on the street, took it, and ran away with it N6; put it 
on his shoulder and ran away with it Na; after much crying he was allowed to play 
on the street with it, where he broke it and flew away as a raven BC 5.] Then he ran 
away with it, pursued by the hosts of heaven. He came to the hole in the sky, put 
on his skin, and flew down with it Ts, Na. 

1 Dean's version (6, p. 25) is evidently incorrect. He tells that first NAfikilsLas begged the chief for the 
boxes, but that he declined to give them up. Then Raven assumes the shape of a handsome man, with 
whom the girl falls in love. At her request the chief gives to the youth the three boxes. Dean's version 
6.27 is also evidently a confused account of several tales. Here Raven goes to the chief's house, takes the 
stm in his mouth, and wants to fly away. He finds the smoke hole closed: and some one, at his request, 
lets him out. The Tsimshian version given by Deans on p. 26 is also probably incorrect, as is indicated 
by the use of names belonging to diHerent languages in the same version. The beginning of the tale is 
practically the same as the ordinary version, telling how Raven went to the chief, who lived where the 
Nass River now flows, and who had light in three boxes. The first one is obtained in the familiar way. 
The old man first refuses to let the boy play with the bo,\; and when he cries, it is given to him. Then he 
rolls it about until he gets it outside, where he dashes it to pieces, letting out the sun. Then the story 
goes on: "Having he^ird that the old chief had gone up the river fishing for oulachans, he made for himself 
a false moon, and took a canoe and went up river to meet Settin-ki-jess (the old chief's name). While the 
chief was fishing he usually took the moon out of its box in order to give him light, because he always fished 
after dark. Before getting near to the chief's house the raven cawed and hid the false moon under his 
coat of feathers." He makes the old man believe that he has a moon, and later on stars, of his own, which 
induces the old man to lose all interest in the moon and the star box, which the Raven then opens and 
iets out the contents. The form of this tale is identical with the procedure followed by Raven in obtain, 
ing the ohchen. Practically the same version is told in Dawson 1.151 B. I presiune this is due to 
the fact that Dr. Dawson received his information from Deans, who accompanied him at least during 
part of his travels on Queen Charlotte Islands (see p. 663). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 645 

The old man's remark here recalls the uncle's remark in the Ten'a version. Evi- 
dently he alone understands 'n'by the child is crying. 

A peculiar conclusion occurs both in Tlingit and in Tsimshian. 

WTiile running away -B-ith the daylight, Raven At Head OJ Nass River said, "That 
old manuring Raven has gotten all my things! " Tin. fWTiile he Was carrj-ing away 
the box, a man said, "Giant is running away with the nKur," and thus he received 
the name Giant Na; a man said, "TxamsEm is running away with the max!" Nb 23.] 

The introduction in some of the Eskimo versions is quite different 
in character. Nelson 461 gives tlie following accoimt: 

Raven had taken away the sun and put it in a bag. He would let it out only 
for a day or two at a time. Raven's brother, who wished to secure the sun, pre- 
tended to die and was buried. Then he took his Raven mask and coat from a tree 
and went to a spring where the villagers drew water. Raven's wife came to get 
water and drank a little. Then he fell into the ladle in the form of a small leaf, 
which she swallowed. She coughed, but could not dislodge it. After a few days 
she gave birth to a boy, who very soon crept and then ran about. He cried for 
the sun; and his father, who was very fond of him, let him have it, but then put 
it back again. WTien no one was looking, he took it out, put on his Raven mask, and 
flew away with it. His father .shouted, "Don't hide it! " Then he tore off the skin 
covering from the sun and put it back where it belonged. 

In the Kodiak version the child cries until the chief who is asleep tells the people 
to let him have the boxes. In the first one is the night; in the second, moon and stars; 
in the third, the sun. He takes away the second and third, gives them to his people, 
and receives in return the house chief's two daughters (Golder). 

The version told by the Bellabella is closely related to the Tsim- 
shian, Haida, and Tlingit versions. 

A chief keeps the rays of the sun, rainbow, fog, and sun in four boxes suspended 
from a rafter. Raven transforms himself first into a small fish, then into a needle of 
a conifer. These are taken to the chief's wife in water, but she throws them out. 
He transforms himself into a berry, then hides in a clam, but the chieftainess does not 
eat either. Finally he lets himself drop into mountain-goat tallow, and the woman 
swallows him. After seven months she gives birth to a child. The child wants to 
play with the sun box. He creeps about in the house pointing at it. The people 
make toys for him, which do not satisfy him. He is given one after another the box 
containing the sun's rays, rainbow, and fog to play with, last of all the sun box. 
which he rolls about. He cries, wanting to play on the street, where he assumes the 
form of a raven and carries the box away H ap 884. 

Attached to this stor}' is the incident of Raven and the fishermen, 
which is characteristic of the Tsimshian versi.ons (see No. 2, p. 649). 

The version told by the Rivers Iidet tribe is closely related to those 
of the north. 

Raven, called here He'mask-as or K!wek!waxa'we^, goes to the house of ME'nis, the 
owner of the sun, whose daughter is Lata'q'ai'yugwa. He drops into the spring in 
the form of a leaf of a coniferous tree, and is blown aside bj^ the girl. He takes the 
shape of berries. She sees them reflected in the water, picks them, and swallows them. 
After four days a boy is born, who grows up quickly, talks after the first day. He 
begins to cry, and his grandfather makes for him successively, according to his request, 
a salmon weir, bow and four arrows, paddle and canoe of sea-lion skin. Then the boy 
asks for the box hanging on the rafter, which is first let down. Finally it is put into 
the bow of his canoe. He opens it, and it becomes daylight Ria 5. 



646 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

In auothor version the owner of the sun is called %a'laganilis; his daughter, ^na'laii. 
K!wek!waxa'we^ goes with his sister Ai'x-tslEmga. He first transforms himself into 
berries; when she does not look at these, into a conifer leaf, which she swallows. 
When he ha?i the sun in hLs canoe, his sister cuts the line, and he takes the sun away Ri6 5 . 

In the Carrier version told by A. G. Morice,' Astas, the culture-hero, becomes a 
spruce needle, is swallowed, bom, rolls a barrel of water about (stress being laid on 
the rolling), and thus secures the water. 

Mr. Hunt has recorded the following version from the Nootka: Chief Gwawete 
of the Mowatclath" lives at Heltsaes. He keeps the sun in a box, and opens only 
one comer so as to have daylight in hus own village. Raven lives at Yogwat. He 
calls a council and decides to get the sun. He sits in the branches of a hemlock 
tree over the spring from which the daughter of Gwawete draws water. He drops 
in in the form of a hemlock leaf, is scooped up in the bucket, and swallowed by 
the girl. On the fourth day she gives birth to a boy. The chief recognizes Raven 
by his great nose, black feet, and long black claws. He threatens to kill him, but 
the child's mother protects him. After four days he can sit up. After four days 
more he walks about. He cries, wanting to play with a canoe. Then he cries for the 
chief's magic paddle, which is given to him notwithstanding the chief's objec- 
tions. Next he asks for the sun box. The chief gives it to his daughter. He does 
not give it to the child himself, because he hates him. The mother takes hold of the 
anchor-Une of the canoe, and the child cries until she lets go. He pushes off the 
canoe, takes his natural form, and moves away with one stroke of the paddle, ^^■hc■n 
he arrives at home, he lifts the box-cover a little, and there is light. Then he shuts 
it again and settles at another place, determining that people shall pay him to bring 
light into the world Nu ap 888. 

A Nootka version which I collected does not tell of the sun at all, but merely 
mentions the incident of the leaf in another connection. Kwo'tiath tells a woman 
who is wishing for a child to drink out of a bucket of water which he places by her 
side. He drops in in the form of a small leaf, which she swallows. She can not 
dislodge it. When he is inside, he says, "Swell up!'' He does not want to be born 
in the normal way, but finally is born like other children. He has a hole in his 
cheek, by which he is recognized. He grows quickly and runs away Nu 5. 

In Kai 238 and BC 63 we find merely references to the tale. 

{Southern and Inland Forms) 

(9 versions: Ne 5.173; Ne 9.233; Ne 10.393; Cow 6.25; Na 5.55; Squ Hill-Tout 
3.545; Chehalis Boas 191;^ Puget Sound; Lil 300; Loucheux Fort McPherson') 

Farther south the Gull is described as the owner of daylight, and 
only the mcident of the sun being kept in a box is retained. 

O'^meal becomes the child of Day-Receptacle Woman (^na'laatsle), the Gull. He 
grows up quickly and asks for a toy canoe. He wants to paddle, and then cries for 
the sun box, which he puts in the bow of the canoe. Then he wishes the people to 
forget it, and steals it Ne 9. 

0''meal hides in a log of driftwood in front of Day Owner's (^na'lanuk) house. 
The chief sends his daughter to bring up the driftwood. She lifts it, and O'^meal, 
who is hidden in it, embraces her. She drops it and takes it up again. He enters her 
womb, and after two days is reborn as a child, who grows quickly. He wants to play 
with the box in a canoe. ^Mien he has it, he cuts the line. The chief tells him not 
to open the box, but he lets out the sun. When he does not know how to make the 
night, the chief causes day and night to alternate Ne 5. 

1 Tranx. Roy. Soc. of Cariada, x, 1893, Sec. H, p. 126. 

- Frana Boas, Znr Mythologie der Indianer von Washington und Oregon (Globus, Lxm, 1893). 

'^Ctiarles CamseU, Loucheux Myths (Journal of American FoJk-Lore, xxvm, 1915, p. 2\^). 



BOAS] COMPABATTVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 647 

The G-a'p!enox version is the following: K!wexala'lag-ilis goes with Tsla'qaxsto- 
g\ri«Iak" to the Koskimo village Xude's, where Day-Receptacle Woman (%e^nalaa'ts!e- 
^) keeps the sun. They go ashore. He goes inland and meets Squirrel, who advises 
him. He sends his friend back, enters the body of the girl, who feels squeamish, and 
after four days gives birth to a child, which walks the first day, speaks on the second 
day. After four days he asks for the box and for paddles, and, when he receives them, 
carries away the daylight. The girl's father rebukes her. When he opens the box, 
the sun goes up to the sky, and gives him a mask and other dancing-paraphernalia 
that were in the box. This is the origin of daylight and of o dance Ne 10. 

The following Loucheux tale from Fort McPhersou undoubtedly 
belongs to our series: 

Grizzly Bear takesthe sun from the sky and hides it in his medicine-pouch. Raven 
ia sent to recover it. He hides near Grizzly Bear's tent. The grandchild of the latter 
cries until he gets permis.sion to play with the sun, but is forljidden to take it outside. 
Finally the sun flies out, is caught by Raven, and put back in the sky.' 

Certain new elements enter into the following tales: — 

The Gull keeps daylight in a box. Raven wishes to have it, and wishes a thorn to 
enter Gull's foot. ^Yhen he tries to pull it out, he pretends not to be able to see. 
He asks Gull to open the box. ^Mien he opens it a little, he pushes in the thorn; 
and only when it is wide open does he pull it out. Thus daylight originates Na 5. 

In the Lillooet version Raven places hawthorn branches on the trail that led 
to Gull's canoe landing-place. Then he shouts that the canoe is adrift. Gull rushes 
down, and the thorns enter his feet. The story continues as before, except that Raven 
pushes the receptacle over and breaks it Lil 300. 

To this group belongs also the Squamish version Hill-Tout 3. •54.5. Sea Gull pos- 
sesses the daylight and keeps it shut up in a box. Raven, the brother of Gull, gets 
some sea eggs, eats them, and puts the shells in a dish. Then he spreads the shells 
on the doorstep of Gull, who steps on them and runs the spines into his feet. Raven 
offers to take them out, and asks Gull to let him have light in order to enable him to 
do so. Gull opens the box a little, and Raven pushes in the spines. Finally he 
throws the lid of the box wide open, and daylight comes out. In his distress the Gull 
cries " Fnnii!" and /or this reason they continue to cry that way. 

A certain kind of duck (Queenia) has the heavenly bodies in three boxes. He 
always keeps the boxes in his canoe when out fishing, so aa to have light and to pro- 
tect them. Raven drowns him, goes ashore, and opens the boxes and liberates the 
heavenly bodies Cow 6. 

I collected another story from the Lower Chehalis which is related 
to this one, but which in details resembles the Bluejay tales of the 
Quinault, Chehalis, and Chinook. 

The chief keeps the sun in a box. His daughter takes it out when she goes berry- 
ing, and opens it a little in order to see. The people hold a council in order to get 
the sun, and send Chief Kalixo, who takes the form of an old slave. Bluejay claims 
that he is his own slave, but his brother Robin does not recognize him. They take 
him paddling, and Bluejay claims that he used to paddle for him, which Robin 
denies. When the girl opens the box, he takes it away and runs home and opens it, 
then it gets daylight, Chehalis. 

Quite independent is a Nootka tale telling that Woodpecker's daughter marries 
the Sky chief. Their children are let down and bring the daylight box Nu ap 913. 

W. S. PhUhps, in his book "Totem Tales" (Chicago, 1S96), page 
212, gives a version which evidently belongs somewhere on Puget 



648 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ANN. 31 

Sound. The tales in the book are so much mo(Hfied by the literary 
interests of the author that they must be used with great caution. 

Speow and Bhiejay climb up into the hole of the sky. Speow takes the form of a 
beaver. He is killed by the Moon, who enters the house carrying sun, stars, and a 
box containing the daylight. Eventually the Beaver revives, takes sun and stars 
under each arm, the daylight in the hands, calls his grandmother Bluejay to follow 
him, pulls up three pine trees, and climbs down. He drojis the stars, which scatter 
all over the sky. Below he opens the daylight-box and throws the sun up. The 
Moon pursues him, but the rope dangling down from the sky breaks, and the Moon 
falls down. It forms rocks with the form of a face on them. Speow throws the sun 
up every day, and shuts the light-box every night. 

{Other Versions) 

(4 versions: Esk Boas ' 205; Esk Nelson 483; Asiatic Esk' 431; Chukchee' 155) 

The Eskimo versions differ strongly from the typical talc, but 
nevertheless show dear indicatiojis of a remote relationship. The 
following was recorded from the Eskimo of Port Clarence, Alaska. 

Wiile the people were dancing in the .singing-house, the sun disappeared. They 
searched for it, following the seacoast. Wien their boots were used up, they put on 
new ones. One after another they came to five places, each of which teemed with 
game. While on the way from one to the next one, it was cold, and they found noth- 
ing to eat. The people in these places spoke languages that they did not understand. 
Nevertheless they learned from them that a woman called Itudlu'qpiaq, who lived 
in the fifth place, kept sun and moon. One of them entered her hut and saw her sit- 
ting in the middle of the house, her father in the middle of the right side, her mother 
in the middle of the left side. In each of the two rear corners was a ball. The mother 
of the girl advised her to give the small ball to the visitor, who, however, insisted on 
having the large one. Then the young woman kicked it out. The people tore it, 
and it became daylight Esk Boas 205. 

The sun has been taken away. The shamans are unable to recover it. An orphan 
boy mocks them. He learns from his aunt that the sunlight is being kept in the 
south. He assumes the form of a raven. He travels on his snowshoes, and after 
a while sees a ray of light. He reaches a hut. A man is shoveling snow, and each time 
he tosses it up the light is obscured. When near by, the Raven discovers the light, 
which appears like a huge ball of fire. The boy is taken into the house. Wliile the 
house owner is entering, he follows, seizes the ball of light and the snow-shovel, and 
flies northward. On his way back Raven breaks off pieces of the light and throws 
them away, thus making day, Esk Nelson 483. 

Still more remote is the foUowmg Eskimo and Chukchee tale: 

In the beginning there is no light. Raven offers to go and get it, but the Creator 
says he will forget his errand and eat excrement instead. Hare goes. He reaches the 
hut of the man who owns the sun, and kills him with his own hatchet. He enters the 
house, and the children want to eat him. He sees the sun ball, kicks it out of the 
house, and jumps after it. Then he dresses in skins the body of the man whom he 
has killed, and lets him down into the house. Then the Sun's wife and children 
recognize the body, Bogoras. 

' Franz Boas, Notes on the Eskimo of Port Clarence. Alaska (Jaurnal of American Folk-Lore, vn). 

2 W. Bogoras, The Eskimo of Siberia (Publications of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, rm). 

3 W. Bogoras, Chukctiee Mythology (Ibid., \Tn). ' 



BOAS) COMPARATIVE STUDV OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 649 

(2) RAVEN THREATENS TO LET OUT THE DAYLIGHT 

(15 versions: Te 61; Ts 5.276; Na 15; Nfc 23; Tk 5; T16 82; Tl 4.263; Tl 5.313; Hai 
6.27; ' Ma 329; lib 310; Ska 117; Hai Dawson 1.151 B; H ap 885; Nu ap 891) 

This incident appears in the same form in the Tsimshian, Nass, 
and Bellabella versions. 

The Raven, who is called here Giant, carries the sun box down into our world. 
He goes down Nass River until he arrives at its mouth, and turns back. A Uttle 
way up he hears people catching olachen, and asks them to throw ashore some of 
their catch. They scold him. He threatens them, saying that unless they give 
him one of the fishes he will break the sun box. After asking in vain four times, he 
breaks the sun box, the north wind begins to blow, daylight appears, and the fisher- 
men, who are Frogs, are drifted to an island in the mouth of the river. They are 
frozen and become stone Ts. 

In Ts 5, which is told after an oral account given by Mr. A\". Duncan, the well-known 
missionary who has lived for a long time among the Tsimshian, Raven visits the Frogs, 
who live in darkne.ss. He ;isks them for some food, which they refuse. In order to 
revenge himself he resolves to procure the daylight. Then follows the story dis- 
cussed on the preceding pages. When Raven returns, he says to the Frogs that un- 
less they give him some food he will produce thedayUght. They scorn him, saying 
that the daylight is in the possession of a great chief. In order to convince them, 
Raven lets them see a little of the light from under his wings. The Frogs continue 
to scorn him. Then he lets go the sun, day comes, and the Frogs have to escape 
into the darkness. 

The Nass versions are quite similar to the Tsimshian form of the 
tale. 

Raven comes down with Logobola' at the mouth of Skeena River. He goes up Nass 
River until he comes to a place where ghosts whistle in front of him. This makes 
him afraid, and he turns back. There/ore the tides in Nass River change. Going up 
a little distance, he hears people catching leaves in their nets. Then follows the 
same conversation as before. After he has four times requested the people to give 
him food, he breaks the sun box, daylight comes out. and boxes are seen floating 
on the water. The fishermen are the ghosts Na. 

When he arrives at the mouth of Na.ss River, he hears people catching olachen. 
The people refuse to give him food, he opens the sun box, it becomes daylight, and 
large boxes are seen floating on the water. He shuts the box again, and the ghosts 
continue to catch olachen Nfe. 

The version told by Deans is undoubtedly distorted. 

After obtaining the sun, he tries to get the moon from the same chief. He makes 
for himself a false moon and goes to the chief's house. The chief, when fishing, 
usually takes the moon out of the box in order to have light Hai 6. The other inci- 
dents of this version have been referred to before (p. 644). 

Raven travels about and reaches a large town where people are fishing olachen in 
the darkness. He asks to be ferried across, and threatens to break the daylight box 
if they do not comply with his request. The people ask him whether he comes from 
Nass River, and in order to convince them he opens the box a little, and the daylight 
appears. The people quarrel with him. Then he opens the box, and the sun flies 
out. The peopU, who wear skin bkinkets, are transformed into the animals irhose siting 
they wear Tla. 

' See footnote 1, p. 644. 



650 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

After Raven has obtained the sun, he walks down along the banks of Nass River 
until he hears the noise of people catching olachen. At that time all the people of 
the world lived at this place. They were afraid that Raven would bring the day- 
light. He tells them to stop making noise, saying that else he will break the day- 
light box. They disbelieve him. In order to convince them he opens the box a 
little; and when they are not yet convinced, he opens the box completely, and there 
is full daylight in the world. The people become the animals whose skins they are 
wearing Tib 83. 

He meets people, and inquires whether they wish for daylight. They scold him. 
Then he opens the box, the sun appears, and the people scatter. They become 
animals Tl 4. 

He asks fishermen to give him some fish, and promises the daylight in return. 
They scold him, and he raises one wing and lets them see the moon, which he is 
holding under it. The people believe him, give him a few herrings, which at that 
time had no bones. Because they had disbelieved him first, he puts pine needles 
into the fish, which since thai time has many bones. The people are transformed into 
animals Tl 5. 

In all these versions it is specifically stated that some of the peo- 
ple become land animals, others sea animals. In Tl 5 the birds are 
also mentioned. 

The Masset version Mb is quite similar to the preceding forms. 

He sits on the banks of Nass River, where people are fishing olachen. He says 
that if they will give him spruce needles (meaning olachen) he will make daylight. 
The people scold him, and he lets them see part of the moon. The people then give 
him many olachen, and he puts the moon under his arm or wing. The transformation 
incident is here omitted Mb 310. 

Another Masset version is quite fragmentary. 

He reaches ^odjii'was in Masset Inlet. People are fishing for olachen, and he asks 
for some evergreen needles. They refuse to give him any. At that time there was 
no daylight Ma 329. 

He meets fishermen fi.shing with rakes on Nass River, and promises light in return 
for a fish. They do not believe him, and he shows them a small part of the moon. 
Then they give him several canoe-loads of fish Ska 117. 

In the BeUabeUa version Knight Inlet is sul)stituted for Nass 
River. 

He promises to open the box if the people will give him olachen, but they decline. 
He flies to Rivers Inlet and Skeena River, but nobody gives him anything to eat. 
Finally he opens the box on Nass River, daylight appears, and the people become frogs 
and water birds. At night a blanket is drawn over the sky in order to make it dark 
H ap 885. 

The Nootka version has an ending that is only remotely related 
to those here discussed. 

After Raven has taken possession of the sun, the people deliberate how to obtain it. 
During the council. Wren and Elk have a dispute, which belongs to incident 46 (pp. 
570, 718). Then Wren suggests that the people shall catch an abundance of fish, clams 
and game, which is presented to Raven, who in return tells the sun to travel along 
the sky in the daytime. He opens the box-cover, and the sun goes up to the sky. 
From that time on the Raven is allowed to pick out his own food. He picks out the 
eyes of the fish, and parts of the clams Nu ap 891. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN M-iTHOLOGY 651 

(3) HE BREAKS VT THE MOOX AND PITS IT IN THE SKY 

(3 versions: Tl 5.313; Ub 311; Skn 118) 

When Raven puts the sun and moon in the sky, he cuts the moon iu halves, makes 
the waxing and waning moon out of one half, while he breaks up the other half, of 
which he makes the stars Tl 5. 

He throws down the moon, so that it breaks. He throws up one half, which 
becomes the moon; he throws up the other half, which becomes the sun. Finally 
he throws up the fragments, which become the stars M6. 

He bites off part of the moon, chews it, and throws it up, and says, "Future 
people will see you in fragments forever." He breaks the moon in halves, and 
throws first one half up into the air; then he throws up the other, which becomes 
the sun Ska. 

(4) RAVEN OBTAINS FRESH AVATER 

(19 versions: N6 2.5; Tla 4; T16 83; Tie 4.259; Tlrf 4.260; Tl 5.313; Tl 6.27; Kai 
235; Ma 318; M6 293; Ska 115; Hai Dawson 1.150 B; H 5.232; Ri 5.209; Ne 5.174; 
Ne 9.225; K 9.167; Nu 6.108; Nu ap 892. See also Ts 65, 69; N6 17; K 10.322) 

Most of the northern versions of this tale are incomplete. The 
fuU story must be as follows: Raven causes the owner of the water 
to go to sleep, makes him believe that he soiled his bed, and by 
means of the threat that he will tell on him, Raven obtains permis- 
sion to drink. 

Ganu'k [the Petrel Tic 4; in Tl 5 and Ua, b, translated "Eagle"] lives in Deki'nu 
TI6 [misprinted Nekyinn in Tl 5]. At the same time he owns the tides Tl 5 [the 
owner is described as an old man in H, Ri; a chief N6; the Eagle Ma, M6; a woman 
at Bull Harbor Ne 9; a woman called Virgin Ne 9; one of Raven's sisters Ne 5; Crow 
at T!aci'^ Nu ap; according to Tlo, the cnvner of the water lived on Nass River]. 
Raven N, Tl, Kai, M, Sk [K!wek!waxa'we« K 9, O'^meal Ne 9, the Crow Nu 5], tries 
to get the water which the owner kept iu a covered stone vessel Tlrf 4, Tl 5 [in a 
hollow cut in the rock Kai 8; covered up Tla; in a box Tic 4, Nu ap]. [Raven calls 
a council, asks for a .'^mall mat, which he fills with excrements. He goes to Crow, 
and asks her for water, but is refused. He asks for permission to sleep in her house 
in order to get warm Nu ap.] He sits with legs drawn up on the water T15 [sleeps on 
it TW 4; he sleeps by it Tla]. \\'hen he is awake, his eyes are closed; when he 
sleeps, his eyes are open Tl 5 [when Raven enters, he sits 'B'ith the back to the fire 
asleep Ne 9]. 

Raven begins to tell stories until the owner of the water falls asleep Tld4, Kai 8 
[he says, "Brother-in-law, how are you?" and tries to induce him to go out by 
telUng him what is going on outside Tla; he wishes him to sleep Tl 5; at night he 
sleeps with him Tlo; he calls up sleepiness Nu ap]. 

In N625, Tla, Tic, TW. Ne 9, K 9, and Nu ap. Raven makes him believe that he 
soiled his bed. [He puts dog dimg under the cover Tl«, Tic, Th/; dung K 9, 
Ne 9, Nu ap; he chews rotten cedar bark and makes him believe that he soiled his 
bed; he says he will get moss to wipe it N6 25. He threatens to tell on Crow, 
who then allows him to drink. He poms out the water, which becomes a lake 
Nu ap.] The owner of the water goes out to wash his blanket Tic 4, Tlrf 4. 
Then he drinks and flies away with the water. Eis trail may be seen at Ata, at the 
mouth of Stikine River Tl 5 [he flies away with the water N6 27]. 

The incident of the soiled blanket occms in another connection in Sk 137. 



652 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

From Bellabcllii to northern Vancouver Island he uses another 
trick to deceive the owner of the water. 

Before going to the owner of the water, he puts ashes in his mouth Ne 5, Ne 9 [he 
takes cedar bark to wipe his tongue with Ri 5] He has the bladder of Klegilbala 
Ne 9 [the stomach of a sea lion H r,] under his blanket. He asks for water; and when 
the owner does not want to let him have it, he threatens to tell on him Ne 9, K 9. 
After he has taken a littlj, the owner takes away the water, but he shows his dry 
tongue H, Ri, Ne 5, Ne 9, K 9. He pours all the water into the bladder [blanket 
N6 2(i] and escapes [he takes the water in the folding canoe K 9]. 

When he goes to the owner of the water, he pretends to be an nUl man; he is given 
to eat, asks for water, and afterwards the story continues as given here U 5. 

In some of the Tlingit talcs the incident is introduced here explain- 
ing why Kaven is black. 

He alights on a pitch tree, and Petrel makes a fire under the tree. In the smoke he 
becomes black Tic 4. In the other versions Petrel tells the smoke hole of his house to 
close. Raven is held there and is blachened Tla 4, Tlfi, Tlrf 4.261. 

In Ne 9 the owner of the water is then transformed into a bluejay. 

After he has thus obtained the water, he creates the rivers. 

He spits out the water and first makes Nass and Stikine Rivers; last, little brooks 
Tla 4. [He spits out water, which is tracsformed into rivers Tic 4.2.V.), Tk/4.201, Kai 8; 
he makes Chilkat River first Ma; he makes Qala'n, the oldest brother of the rivers; 
then he makes all the rivers of Masset. Those which he made last are red M6.] He 
drops water and it becomes rivers H 5, Ri 5. He makes the rivers by urinating Ne 5, 
K 9 [the Crow makes rivers in this way Nu 5; he carries some of the water all round 
the world, and turns each drop into a river Nu ap]. 

The introduction to the myth of the creation of salmon (K 10) may 
be mentioned here. O'^meal orders the animals to make a ditch. 
Then he goes to a river, drinks water, and spits it out into the ditch, 
thus creating a salmon river. — In Ne Dawson 22 it is said tliat the 
Transformer stole water.^This is probably an error. 

Dawson's version is confused with the tale of the origin of the sun. 

Raven becomes the lover of the daughter of the sun owner, Setlinkijash, who also 
owns the water. He asks for a drink; and when the girl is asleep, he flies away with 
the water basket. The water that he spills forms the rivers. Only a few drops fall 
on the Haida country, therefore the rivers of Queen Charlotte Islaruls are small Hai 
Dawson. 

In a few cases passages are added in which it is told why rivers run 
m the way in which they run now. 

He fiew up Nass River and then turned back: therefore all rivers run into the sea 
Na 15, N6 27 [when he first makes the rivers, they run dry; then he paints them in a 
circle, so that the water flows back, and /or this reason they are always full Ma]. See 
also Ts 65. 

A Skidegate tale belonging to this group is quite different in type. 

Raven and Eagle first drink sea water. Eagle, however, carries a small basket 
fiilled with fresh water, and drinks secretly. Raven next fUes out and gathers root- 
sap. When Eagle tries it, he says it tastes of pitch. In the evening, wliile in the 
house, Raven makes a fire of hemlock branches, causes the lire to collapse, and thus 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 653 

frightens away Eagle, who leaves his water. Raven then carries the basket away 
pursued by Eagle, and in flying along spills it out Sko. 

The reference to the sap of the roots which occurs here and in 
the Tsimsliian version Ts65, 69, suggests that we have here a story 
wliich is closely related to another group of tales relating to the origin 
of water, all of wliich are remarkably obscure. It appeare that in 
some way the water was lost, and could be obtained only from the 
roots of alder trees. In some cases it is not clearly stated from what 
source the water was then obtained. 

The Tide Woman causes the water to disappear, and Raven can find water only at 
the roots of trees Ts 65. Lagobola' causes the water to disappear, and Raven can 
obtain only sap of the roots of alder trees N6 17. The water running at the roots 
of trees is mentioned also in Ri 5.209, Ne Bawson 23, K 9.167, Nu 5.108. 

(5) GIANT OBTAINS THE OLACHEN ^ 

(a) Origin of the Olachen (p. 65) 

(10 ver-sions: Ta 65; Ts 6.29; Na 27; N6 32; Tla 13; Tl 4.263; Ska 117; Hai Dawson 
1.151 B; H ap 888; Ne 9.235. See also Kai 236; Ma 326; and Till 144) 

The essential point of the story is that Eaven is unable to catch 
the olachen or herring, while Gull can do so. Then he obtains a fish 
from Gull by means of a ruse. 

This single fish is then used for inducing the owner of the olachen 
or herrings to give them up. Raven smears his canoe and clothing 
with the scales of the fish which is obtained from Gull, and makes 
the owner of the olachen believe that he has succeeded in obtaining 
fish. This makes liim ilisgusted, and he lireaks down the barriers that 
hold the fish in his house. 

The details of this story are somewhat differently developed in the 
various parts of the country. Among the Tlingit the ruse used by 
Raven to obtain the fish from the Gull is to make Gull and another 
bird quarrel. 

Raven makes a stone house N [he makes a house Ts]. He sees gulls flying about Ts. 

He flies to G\ill, who lives at Yakutat. Gull says he catches herring because it is 
February Tl 4. [He meets Gull, and asks what month it is. Gull says Yadaqlo'l 
(eighth month). Raven doe.-i not believe Gull, and asks liim to get a herring. Since 
they did not agree in regard to the month, people up to this time differ about names of 
months Tla.] Gull bring.^ a herring and swallows it Tla, Tl 4. He goes to Crane on 
Nass River, and says that Gull calls him "Long-legged, long-necked fellow;" suggests 
that he knock down Gull and strike his stomach \vith his bill. He tells Gull that 
Crane speaks ill of him Tl 4, He goes to Heron, and says, "Gull calls you Big Long 
Legs Always Walking Upon The Beach." He goes back to Gull, and says Heron tells 
about him that he has a big stomach and gets red eyes sitting on the beach looking out 
upon the ocean for something to eat. He tells Heron that he always hits men of his 
size in the stomach Tla. He makes Gull and Cormorant quarrel Ska. 

The Skidegate version confuses here the tale with' the quarrel 
between Raven and Cormorant (see p. 678) . He tells Cormorant that 

' Including the stories Giant gambles with Gull (p. 65), Giant learns how to cook Olachen, and Giant 
and the Gulls (p. 60). 



654 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

people make him brace himself with his tongue against the ground 
when he is fighting. Thus he induces Cormorant to do the same, 
bites off his tongue, makes it into an olachen. 

In the Tsimshian, Nass, and Newettee versions the incident is 
brought about by a quarrel between Raven and Gull, which he inten- 
tionally brings about while they are gambling. 

He calL? Gull No, makes gambling-Hticks Ts, No. They gamble together Ts, No, 
Ne. Corneal (that is, the Raven) stakes hLs bear-skin blanket and loses. Then he 
says he i.s hungry Ne. They quarrel, and he throws Gull on his back Ts, Na. 

The Bellabella version is as follows : 

He tells Beaver that Sea Gull is slandering him, and induces him to hit Gull's belly. 
When Beaver doesso, the herrings come out, and Raven eats them H ap 888. 

The end is the same in all the different versions. 

He steps on Gull's stomach Ts, No [the Crane or Heron strikes Gull's stomach Tla, 
T14; he points at Gull's stomach Ne 9], and the Gull vomits the olachen Ts [two 
olachen No; the herring Tla, Tl 4, Ne 9]. 

Here begins the second part of the stoiy, how he tises the single 
olachen to liberate the rest. 

He makes a canoe of elderberry wood Ts, Na; lands in Kuwa'sk Ts. [He puts 
rocks into his canoe and goes to Qada<lja'n (owner of olachen, a mountain south 
of Nass River) Sk; he goes to Qlo'mogwa Ne 9.] He rubs the spawn of olachen 
over the inside of his canoe Ts [he smears the inside of the canoe with olachen, 
leaves the tails under the stern-sheets Na; he rubs the inside of his canoe with 
herring roe N6; he rubs his canoe with scales of herring Tl 4; canoe and clothing 
Sk, Ne 9]. He enters the chief's house, and is asked to gamble. He replies 
he is too tired becaiuse he has been fi-shing No [on entering he says the Tsimshian 
worked hard getting olachen; they caught many canoe-loads Ts; he says he got cold 
fishing Sk; tired fishing for herring Ne 9]. The Olachen chief replies, "How can 
they get here? They wUl come foiu- months and a half [six NoJ hence" Ts [he says, 
"Where should they come from?" Ne 9]. In order to convince him. Raven shows 
the in.<ide of his canoe, which is covered with spawn, and also a tail of the olachen 
under the stern-sheets Ts. [The Mouse is sent to look at the canoe, and reports Ne 9; 
two youths report that olachen spawn and tails are in the canoe No, N6; Qadadja'n 
sits with back to fire, and sees the canoe full of slime Sk.] Then the chief calls his 
sub-chiefs Burst Under The Stern Sheets, Stick To The Hot Stone, Half Eaten By The 
Goose, Dried In Olachen Box Ts [Little Captain Of The Canoe, Dry On Boxes In 
Which Olachen Is Kept, Grease That Is Sticking To The Stones With Which The 
Fish Are Boiled No]. All agree that the fish should be liberated Ts. The chief orders, 
the men who stand in the corners of the house to break the corners Ts, Na [he is angry 
and jjulls the screens down toward the fire Sk; the chief says, "Let us pidl down the 
room faced with, boards Ne 9]. Then the Olachen (Herrings) rush out Ts, No, N6, Sk, 
Ne9. 

In the Tlingit version Tl 4, the owner of the herrings is omitted 
entirely, and, instead of that, we have here an attempt on the part 
of Raven to cheat a wealthy fisherman out of his property. Wlien 
the fisherman sees that the canoe is covered with scales, he believes 
that the fish have come, and distributes his stores. 

Raven tells the fish to go up on both sides of the river Ts, No.- Therefore olachen go 
up early in spring Ts. [Raven throws the stones out of the canoe, and pushes the olachen 



BOAS] COMPAKATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 655 

in. He puts some into Nas3 River, and leaves a few in the canoe. Here follows the 
story of Fern Woman, which is not related to the present tale Sk.] 

A remotely related incident occurs in the As'ai'yahatl story of the 
Tillamook, in which As'ai'yahatl takes an icicle into the house, 
which is taken for a herring, and induces the people to liberate the 
herring. 

(6) The Siiuws of the Tomtit (p. 63) 

(10 versions: Ts 63; Tk 11; T16 93; T16 103; Kai 236; Ma 320; Ma 326; M 378; Sk 

255; Sk 192) 

The Tlingit, Kaigani, and Masset have a story telling of the libera- 
tion of the fishes which the Raven finds drifting on the ocean inclosed 
in a house or another receptacle, which he pulls ashore by means of 
a magical cane. The same idea is contained in our collection in the 
story of Raven hauling in the sea eggs. 

Raven sees sea eggs on a mass of seaweed away out at sea. He borrows the sinews 
of various animals, but all break. Finally he takes the sinew of the tomtit, which 
is as thin a.s a spider web. He throws it out to the sea egg, and hauls in the whole 
mass. For this reason the tomtit is a chief over all the animals Ts. 

At the end of the story it is said that Raven kept the shell of the 
sea egg. This rather suggests that he intends to use it later on to 
obtain the tides (see p. 656). No reference, however, is made to the 
use of the sea eggs in the version of that tale. 

The corresponding Tlingit versions are as follows: 

He sees something looking like a large animal far off on the ocean, with birds all 
over it. He cuts a cane resembling two tentacles of the devilfish, announces that he 
is going to give a feast because his mother died, and then pulls in the floating object 
with his cane while the people are singing. It is a house containing sea food. The 
people fill their canoes, and since that time they know how to boil olachen Tla. 

Raven At Head Of Nass River keeps all kinds of fishes in a houi^e floating far out 
at sea. Raven goes there and marries the daughter of a monster who owns the devil- 
fish arm spear. He harpoons the hou.-^e from which the songs are learned that are 
sung hi the fishing-season. The harpoon-Une wraps itself around the house, and he 
takes it ashore, ^\'hile doing so, he has to sing "I think so." As soon as he stops, the 
house goes back T16 93. 

The Masset story refers to the origin of olachen; that of the Kai- 
gani, to the origin of salmon. 

At Laxai'ik' there is no olachen. Raven sees half a house far out at sea. Butterfly 
brings him something black, and he pulls in the house by its means. It is full of 
olachen, whom he tells to go up the river Ma 326. 

He sees a house called Abundant House floating in the sea near the river Gima'x". 
The Salmon live in it. A man who lives on shore owns a canoe with devilfish suckers. 
He borrows it and tries to pull the house in (here follows the creation of man from 
leaves, see p. 663). The peojilo are to help him. He pulls it ashore, liberates the fish, 
and sends them up the rivers Kai 236. 



656 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The Masset version is very brief, and intelligible only in the light 
of the Tlingit and TsLmshian versions here discussed. 

Raven, accompanied by Butterfly, goes to the beach at Me'akun. He comes to a 
large pond, goes into the water, throws his cane at great numbers of fish, and kills 
them. He tries to string the fish on a small kelp; he is is unable to do so, and asks the 
Screech Owl to hel]) him TSin 320. 

The idea that the sinews of the wren are stronger than any other 
kind of fiber is repeated in a number of otltcr stories. Here be- 
longs the incident of the capture of the supernatural eel. 

A number of brothers strangle their sister and fasten her to the end of a pole to use 
her as bait. This is placed in front of the supematiu-al eel's den, but the rope of 
cedar limbs gives way. Next they try a root rope, which also gives way. Finally a 
Wren tells them to use sinews. They use a thin line of wren sinews, by means of 
which they pull up the monster. The line stretches, cuts a rock, and finally brings 
up the monster Sk 255. 

The same incident occurs in T16 103, Sk 193, and M 378. A man 
tries to catch the sea monster wa'sgo, wliich breaks a trap made of 
cedar withes. The Wren tells the hero to use his sinews. Thus the 
wa'sgo is captured Sk 192. 

(6) THE ORIGIN OF TIDES (p. 64) 

(7 versions: Ts 64; Tk 9; TI6 120; Tl 5.313; M6 303; Skrf 128; Hai 5.308. See also H 

5.2S2; Ri 5.215; Ne 5.175; Ne 9.229; K 5.158; K 9.493; K 10.278; K il.88, 94; Nu 

Swan' 65) 

Raven jiuts on his blanket and flies along Ts; lie travels with Eagle Hai 5 [implied 
in Sk, M]. lie comes to the house of the Tide Woman Ts [Qanu'q (the petrel) Tl 5; 
the old man TcixusxanEgoa'i ("Low-Water Man") Hai 5; old woman who owns the 
tide M; an old woman Tla, T16]. 

The old woman holds the tide-line Ts; sits with knees drawn up Tl 5. At that time 
the tide turned only once in several days, and the people could not get sea food Ts. 
Raven pulls off leaves of .salal bushes and sticks spruce needles into them Sk. He 
hides something rough under his blanket Hai 5. He goes to get spruce needles M. 

The version Tla introduces a somewhat longer elaboration of this 
incident. 

Raven hides behind a point where Tide Woman lives. He sees the door that leads 
to her house in the cliff. Far out at sea is a stem of kel]), which he climbs down. 
He gets sea lu-chins at the bottom of the sea and goes back. He slits the cliff open 
with his knife and goes in: 

All these rough objects are to be used to deceive the owner of the 
tides. 

He finds the old person with his back to the fire Sk. Four times he says that he got 
cold getting sea eggs Hai 5. [In the versions T16 and M he also refers to sea eggs. 
He makes noise eating sea eggs Tla. He says that he got cold getting something Sk. 
He says he has had all the clams he needed Ts.] The old woman .says he can not 
have had clams Ts [diu-ing what tide did he get them? Tla; she says he is a liar Hai 5; 
what is he talking about? T16; one talks of the things of the supernatural beings 
which are beyond his reach M; the old man said, "Did I stretch out my legs?" Sk]. 
He pushes her over, and she falls back [he llirows dust into her eyes and mouth Ts]. 

• James 0. Swan, The Indians of Cape Flattery, p. 65. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 657 

In most of the versions he makes the owner of the tides believe that 
he has gathered sea eggs. 

He rubs the spruce needles down his back Sk, Hai 5 [he puts the jioints on the 
woman's back, and she thinks they are sea eggs M; while Raven is eating, Mink 
passes, and Raven calls him; the woman does not believe him, and he says, "Be 
quiet, or I will stick the spines into your back!" since she continues, he slits open 
the cliff -svith his knife and sticks the points into her Tin; he threatens to put the sea- 
urchin spines into her body if she does not keep quiet T16]. 

The tide-owner is siiqirised, and lets the tide-line go Ts [stretches out his legs M, 
Sk, Hai 5; the woman promises to let the tide down Tlo. As soon as the tide-line ia 
let go [or the legs stretch out], the tide falls, [ilink runs out and says, "The tide is 
just beginning to fall." This is repeated three times Tla.] He goes to gather .shell- 
fish Ts [Raven and Eagle get sea eggs Sk; eatables il]. The tide-owner then promises 
to let the tide turn twice a day Ts [jiromises to let the tide fall regularly Tla]. He 
asks the Eagle, "How far down is the tide?" That tide was the lowest that ever 
happened Tib. 

Vei-siou T\h introduces here a new Flood which was predicted by 
the shamans. This is not referred to in any other tale of this group. 

[Becaitse the Raven did this to the ovner of the tide, ivhen a woman gets old and can 
not do much xmrk, there are spots all over her bach. He also says to Mink that hif food 
shall be sea urchins. The tides originated in this u-ay Tla.] 

In accordance with the distinctive cliaracter of the tale, the Ts ver- 
sion tells next how the woman whose mouth and eyes had been filled 
with dust asks to be healed. 

The Tsimshian version joins here immediately the incident of the 
loss of fresh water. 

Evidently the Tide Woman makes the fresh water disappear, and aska Raven, 
" How can you get water to drink?" He says, "Under the roots of alder trees." 
He can not find water, because Tide Woman has dried up all the brooks and creeks. 
This story is given as the reason U'hy the tide turns twice a day Ts. 

Farther to the south the legends relating to the origin of the tides 
are of a quite different ty])e. The Bellabella and Rivers Inlet people 
tell of a being Ya'exoeqoa who lives at the bottom of the sea. At 
one time I\Iink kept him under water until he gave him the tides Ri 5. 
The Bellabella (H 5) tell that at one time he let the sea go back, and 
the Raven then caught Red Cod. His sister Halx"a' (Rook) caught 
Black Cod (see p. 692). 

Still farther south, among the Kwakiutl tribes, the tide is obtained 
by Mink or Raven, who cut off the Wolf's tail and keep it until the 
Wolf promises to give the tides (Xe 5; K 5; Ne 9.229; K 9.49.3; K 
10; K 11.88, 94). 

Swan has recorded a tide m^'th from Cape Flattery, in which the 
tides are accounted for in the following manner: Raven marries the 
daughter of East Wind and is given the tides as a marriage present, 
after the discussion wliich is characteristic of Vancouver Island, as 
to the amount of recession of the ebb tide. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 42 



658 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. an.n. 31 

(7) txa'msem makes war on the south wind (p. 79) 

(10 versions: Ts 79; Ska 129; Sk(?143;' Ne 5.186; Ne 9.227; Ne 10.350; K 9.494; 
K 11.98; Nu 5.100; Nu Swan 92 2) 

In all the versions the story begins with the statement that the 
wind is blowing very hard, and the animals try to obtain good 
weather. Most of the tales tell of a contest with the South Wind or 
the Southeast Wind. Only the version K 11 tells that the animals 
first try to overcome the Northwest Wind. 

At the request of the sea moa.sters, Mink goes with the animals to fight Northwest 
Wind ; the Wind discovers them, blows very hard , and their canoe is driven back K 1 1 . 

The Tsimshian version is in form very much like the Kwakiutl 
version. Evidently Mr. Tate tried to imitate the style of the latter, 
and for this reason the deliberations in the council of the animals 
presumably occupy an important position in the tale. 

It is blowing, and the people can not get food and bait for fishing; Raven'aeyes are 
sore on account of the smoke in the house; therefore the fish hold a meeting and 
decide to make war on Southeast Wind Ts. 

O'^meal and his brothers make war agaiiist the Southeast Wind; he tells his folding 
canoe to unfuld in order to accommodate all of them, and they start Ne 9, No 10. 

The people live at Bull Harbor [at MElaba'na K 9]; it is blowing all the time, and 
Deer and his brothers ask O'^meal to make war on Southeast Wind Ne 10. 

Mink invites his friends to make war on Southeast Wind K 11. The animals can 
not get clams; they hold a council, and resolve to kill the Winds Nu 5. 

The Haida version introduces here an element quite foreign to the 
tale. 

Raven asks the birds to accompany him; Bluejay, who offers himself, is found too 
old, but he insists; then Raven pulls his head lone, and thus gives it sts present form 
M (=Ska). 

The next incident of the tale is the journey of the animals to the 
Winds' house. 

They resolve to borrow the canoe of the Killer Whale, and send Red Cod to get it; 
Devilfish and Ilalibut are placed in the stern of the canoe Ts, Ne 10. The Cockle 
brags, saying that he will kick the Wind, and is placed, together with Red Cod, in 
the bow of the canoe; Raven tells De\ilfish, HaUbut, and Cockle to go ashore first 
when they reach the house of the Winds, and he instructs them what to do Ts. 

HaUbut and Devilfi.sh go along, and the Merman and Sea Bear are also in\'ited; 
they land and make a plan; Deer asks them to start before dark, but they can not do 
so; in the night they reach the house K 11. 

In one of the Haida versions Raven, after calling all the birds to accompany him, 
goes to th.' HaUbut people and asks them to go along; HaUbut is placed in the bottom 
of the canoe, and before daylight the travelers reach the Southeast Wind M (=Sk«). 

Quite different is the Haida introduction, in which the incident 
occurs of the attempt to make a successful canoe of different kinds 
of wood (see p. 822). 

Raven goes to the rock from which Southeast Wind is blowing; he tries to make 
canoes of various kinds of wood, but does not succeed; he asks the birds to carry him 

' A Masset version. = James G. Swan, The Indians of Cape Flattery. 



Buis] COMPAEATIVE STUDV OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 659 

there, but they are unable to do so; finally he makes a canoe of a maple tree; the rest 
of the story is not given in detail, but it is simply stated that he enslaves the Wind Skg. 

Some of the versions have here accounts of futile attempts made 
by various animals. 

In Ne 9, ilink, Fui Seal, and Seal try to reach the house, but they are unable to do 
so on account of the smell. 

Kute'na, when going with the animals to make war on Southeast Wind, finds the 
door open and the wind blowing out; Southeast Wind is sitting inside, with back 
turned toward the dour; Mink is sent in to shut the door, but faints on account of the 
smell; Raccoon, Marten, and a small bird have the same fate; Eagle takes hold of his 
back, but faints Ne 5. Deer tries to enter, but is blown back when he opens the 
door Ne 10. 

They land on a point this side of the Wind's house; Loon,Sawbill Duck, Cormorant, 
Eagle, and Fisher try to round the point, but are unable to do so on account of the 
violence of the wind; Robin flies along near shore and succeeds; he enters the house, 
sits down near the fire, therefore kis breast is red; the chief orders a small fish to try, 
and Kwo'tiath delivers the wrong message, saying that its eyes shall be near together, 
therefore the eyes offish are close together; while the animals are eating, the Rock Snipe 
makes a noise; the chief orders them to be quiet, but Kwo'tiath delivers a wrong 
message, telling them to continue making noise, therefore they do so at the present lime; 
the Gull, notwithstanding its weak eyes and broken wings, rounds the point, and 
the wind ceases; then the canoes are hidden in the woods Nu 5. 

The Cockle enters; the Wind lies with his back toward the door; the Cockle tries 
to kick him, but is unable to do so, therefore Raven breaks him Ts. 

After these vain attempts to overcome the Wind — m some cases 
before these attempts — the animals place themselves with a view of 
catching the Wind. The Haliliut lies down in front of the door (T.s, 
Ne 5, Ne 9, Ne 10, K 11). Tliis incident is used also in the story of 
a war against a dangerous man Ne 10.358. 

The Halibut lie down in two rows in front of the house; the birds hide behind 
them Ska. Heron and Kingfisher, who are good spear-throwers, are placed at the 
entrance of the house; Halibut and Skate, near the front entrance Nu 5. 

The final attack on Southeast Wind is given in two different forms. 
In one type of tale an animal flies into his body, lights a fire, and the 
smoke compels the Wind to come out (see pp. 611, 687, 718, 868). 

Wren (?Golden Eye) enters the Wind from behind, starts a fire in hia stomach; 
the Wind coughs and comes out of the house Ne 9. Golden Eye goes in, carrying his 
fire-drill; he finds Southeast Wind with his back turned toward the door; the Wind 
has a bad odor; Golden Eye jumps into his mouth, produces fire, and makes him 
cough Ne 10. Red Cod takes his fire-drill; he makes smoke in the house of the 
South Wind, so that the Wind has to go out Ts. 

In all these versions the tale contmues, telling how the Wind, on 
coming out of the house, slips on the halibut and is caught. 

In the Tsimshian version he slides into the canoe, where he is held by the Devilfish. 
Raven then asks his warriors to kill him. In Ne 5 he slips and is carried into the' 
canoe. In Ne 9 and Ne 10 Deer is asked to kill him. In K 11 Devilfish, Sea Bear, 
Merman, and Deer Ue in wait for him and threaten to kill him. 

In other versions the attack is made in a different form. 



660 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. Ann. 31 

In tlie version M (Sk^ 143) no reason is given why he comes out, but he appears 
outside of the house, wearing his dancing-liat. The Ilalibut throw liim over with 
their tails, pushing him down one after another. — In the Nootka version the house is 
attacked. Those who escape behind are killed by Heron and Kingfisher. The others, 
who come out in front, slip on the Hahbut, and are killed by falling on the tail of 
the Skate. The West Wind is overpowered by the Bear Nu 5. 

A much, distorted version from Cape Flattery has been recorded. 

Mouse, Flounder, Cuttlefish, and Skate visit the South Wind. They find him 
asleep. Cuttlefish hides under his bod, Flounder and Skate lie flat on the floor. 
Mouse bites his nose. South Wind jumps up and slips on the fish, while (kittlefish 
holds him. Then he begins to blow, and blows his tormentors home. The perspira^ 
tion from his exertions forms the rain. Swan. 

After the Wind has thus been overpowered, he promises to make 
good weather. 

In M this is merely implied. The Tsim.shian version tells that he offers alter- 
nations of one fine day anil one bad day, then two good days in succession, next 
always summer; Raven says this is too much, and asks for four days' good weather at 
a time; this is granted Ts. 

The version Ne 10 is identical with the Tsimshian, probably because it served as a 
model for the latter. 

In No 9 the \\ind offers that it shall be calm sometimes, then one day good weather 
at a time, next always summer, then a change between summer and winter. 

In Ne 5 the animals threaten to cut off the Wind's head, and he promises good weather. 
In the Kwakiutl version he promises first that it shall be always calm; Mink says that 
is too much, and then he promises to blow not more than four days at a time K 11. 

In the Nootka version he promises light winds and the tides. 

The story of the war between Master Carpenter and Southeast 
Wmd (Skc 32) does not seem to be related to this series. 

(8) ORIGIN OF FIRE (p. 63) 

(20 versions: Ts 63; Na 31; Tk 11; T16 83; Tl 4.263; Tl 5.314; Ma 315; Sk/135; Hai 
6.31; n 5.241; BC 62; Ri 5.214; Ri MS; Ne 5.187; K 9.494; Nu 5.102 [2 versions]; 
Nu ap 894; Nu Sproat 178; Co 5.80. See also K 5.158; Naa 5.54; Na6 5.54; Sts 
5.43; Squ Ilill-Tout 3.544; Chil 15; Car » 125; Lil 301) 

Giant remembers that there is fire in the village of the animals. He puts on his 
Raven blanket, tries to get the fire, but the animals refuse to give it. He sends Sea 
GuU, his attendant, to advise the animals that a good-looking chief will come to 
dance. They assemble in their dancing-house Ts. 

The fire-sticks are floating in a whirljjool, "the navel of the ocean;" a girl who has 
a supernatural bow is told by her father to shoot them; she does so, and for this reason 
her father owns the fire, which is kept burning in the middle of his house Co 5. 

The fire is kept on an Lsland, Tl 4 [by Snow Owl, who lives in the far west Tl 5]. 
In the beginning the Wolves own the fire Nu 5, Nu ap 894. According to the Chil- 
cotin version, the fire is burning in the hoiLse of one man; the owner is sitting by its 
side, guarding it. The fire is in a house at the bottom of the sea; a piece of kelp goes 
out from the house to the surface of the sea, and sparks come out of it M. The fire 
is owned by Nalibika'x Ne 5. 

•Father A. G. Morice, Are the Carrier Sociology and Mythology Indigenous or Exotic? (TraTis. Boyai 
Soc. Canada, vol. x, Sec. II, pp. 109 et seg.) 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHUN MYTHOLOGY 661 

The animals want to get the fire, therefore the bird Kute'na trends out the LaE'l- 
eux.^ta f])robably a rhiton); he takes a coal in his mouth and wants to carrj- it away, 
but the owner of the fire strikes him, so tiat it falls out Ne 5. 

No'aqaua wishes Masmasala'nix to get the fire; he is unable to do so, but sends 
Ermine, who takes the fire in his mouth; he is asked where he wants to go, and can 
not answer; therefore the owner strikes his face, and the fire falls down Ri 5. 

In most versions Deer succeeds in getting the fire, sometimes after 
the attempts of other animals have been frustrated. 

Giant kills a deer, skins it, ties pitch wood to its long tail, borrows the Shark canoe, 
the crew of which are Crows and Sea Gulls. He goes to the chief's house. When the 
people sing, he dances around the fire, puts his tail into the fire, and runs out. His 
companions fly out. At the same time the Shark canoe leaves, and the people are 
unable to catch him. He strikes the trees with his tail: therefore tvood burns, and Deer 
has a short black tail Ts. 

Raven skins a deer, puts on its skin, and fastens pitch wood to the tail. He goes 
to the owner of the fire, dances around it until the tail begins to btUTi. When run- 
ning away, he strikes the butts of the trees, therefore the trees burn Na 31. 

The Owl Q!6k' lives west of the ocean and owns the fire. Raven sends the animals 
to get it. Finally he ties pitch wood to the tail of tlie deer, who dances around the 
fire, puts the tail into it, and runsaway. The deer's tail is burned, and /or thisreason 
the deer has a short tail Tl 5.314. 

Since he can not get fire, he borrows a deer skin of a person who haj bought one, 
ties pitch wood to it, dances around the fire, and carries it off. Then he puts on his 
own skin and flies off, carrj-ing the fire. Therefore the deer has a short tail, and the 
raven's beak is burnt Sk/. 

No'aqaua shaves the legs of Deer in order to make him fast. He ties pitch 
wood to Deer's tail. Deer dances around the fire and carries away the fire. He puts 
the fire into the trees there. They burn Ri MS. 

Sea Otter is carrjing the fire on his tail. Deer enters Sea Otter's house wearing 
his dancing-hat. He puts it into the fire and runs away K 9. 

Deer puts pitch wood in his hair, ties two canoes together, and approaches the house 
of the owner of fire, dancing and singing. The owner's daughter asks that he be 
invited. He jumps through the snapping door of the house, lets his head sink down 
over the fire, the pitch wood catches fire, and he runs away Co 5. 

Chief Woodpecker sends Deer to the Wolve.^' hoiL«e to dance, tells him to tie cedar 
bark to his tail. The animals sing, and Deer put--! his tail into the fire. The Wolves, 
however, catch him and take it away. Then Chief Woodpecker sends the bird 
Tsatsi'skums. The animals sing and dance; some unknown to the Wolves, who look 
at the dancers, climb the rafters. They take the fire-drill, which is hidden on the 
rafters, give it to Woodpecker and Kwo'tiath, who carry it away. Then the animals 
give a shout and run away. At home Kwo'tiath produces fire, and bums a hole in 
his cheek Nu .5. 

According to another version, a chief of the Tokoa'ath o\vns fire and life. C!hief 
Woodpecker sends Deer, who has cedar bark tied around the calf of his leg. He 
stands next to Otter, who sets fire to the cedar bark. \\'hen he runs away, the owners 
take the fire back. Then the Bear jumps on the rafter, breaks it, and finds the box 
containing life inside. It is taken back. The people move away, and /or that reason 
there is death in this world Nu 5. 

The floor of the house is set with sharp spikes. Cedar bark is tied to Deer's elbows. 
His feet are rubbed with stones. He jumps out of the smoke hole and escapes. 
Then follows the Magic Flight or Obstacle myth. Deer gives the fire to Periwinkle, 
who holds it in his mouth. Then follows a curious remark, stating that an eagle on a 
pole in front of the house cries whenever the fire-drill of the Wolves is turned Nu ap 
894. 



662 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. ann. 31 

The fire is owned by the Cuttlefisli, is carried away by Deer, who hides it in the 
joint of his hind leg, Nil Sproat 178. 

Chief Kute'na sends the Deer, who puts dry wood in his hair, dances around the 
fire, and then carries it away. The animals jnirsue liim. Here the Obstacle myth 
is introduced Ne 5. 

No'aqaua sends the Deer to get the fire. Masmasala'nix makes his legs thin and 
swift. In accordance with No'aqaua's thought, Masmasala'nix puts pitch wood on 
the Deer's tail. He dances, the pitch wood catches fire, and he runs away. He 
hides the fire in wood: therefore wood burns H 5, Ri 5. 

In a Carrier version the people put a ceremonial headdress of pitch wood on a year- 
ling caribou, and give a marmot apron to the muskrat. The two perform a dance in the 
hoiLse of the owner of fire. Caribou ignites the shavings, but the fire is jiut out twice 
by the chief. Meanwhile the muskrat biu'rows underground and takes away the fire.' 

Raven is sent down by the Sun to the top of the mountain Sqtsl. He has lost the 
fire-drill. He assumes the shape of a deer, runs up the mountain, and finds the fire- 
drill there BC. 

In the following versions a bird takes away the fire. 

Raven goes down to the bottom of the sea, and, upon his request, is given fire in a 
Btone tray with a cover over it. He puts the fire into a cedar: therefore the fire-drill 
made of cedar gives sparks M. 

Raven puts jiitch wood in his hair. He and other animals dance a long time, until 
the fire-owner falls asleep. Then he puts his head into the fire, flies away, and starts 
fire in various spots. The woods begin to burn, and all animals escape except the 
Rabbit, who bums his feet; therefore Rabbit has black spot^ on the soles of his feet. Since 
the trees burned, icood burns today, and fire can be obtained uith the fire-drill Chil. 

Raven sees fire floating on the sea. A chicken hawk who has a long bill flies out 
to get it. Coming back, the bill is burned off. Raven puts the fire into white stone 
and red cedar Tla. — Raven puts pitch wood to Chicken Hawk's beak before he flies 
away T16. — Fire is on an island. Raven flies out and carries it away in his beak, 
which is biuned; the fire falls on stones and wood, which for this reason give fire (after 
Veniaminoff) Tl 4. — Raven flies out to the ocean, where fire is kept in a house, seizes 
a brand, and lets a spark drop among wood and stones: therefore they burn. Part of his 
beak is burned ojf Hai 6. 

South of the Kwakiutl the type of stories accounting for the origin 
of fu-e changes. On the Gulf of Georgia the origin of lire is accounted 
for by one of the exploits of Mink, who obtains it from the Ghosts. 
The type of this tale is quite analogous to the tale of the origin of 
the tides as found among the Kwakiutl (see p. 657). 

Mink steals the child of the chief of the Ghosts. The Ghosts try to recover it, but 
axe unable to overcome Mink, who returns it in exchange for the fire K 5. 

Mink steals the child of the owner of fire. Before entering he causes the chief's 
watchman to fall asleep. T\Tienever they pass a village. Mink's grandmother pinches 
the child so that it cries. The chief follows them, and is directed by the villagers, 
who have heard the child crying. Mink a]3pears dancing in front of his house, wearing 
first one hat, then another. The chief does not dare to attack him, but is given the 
child in exchange for the fire-drill Naa !j. 

Another Nanaimo version states that the Ghosts owned the fire. When Mink reaches 
his house carrj-ing the child, and the Ghosts come to attack him, he dances, his head 

' The end of this version is related to those of the Salish tribes of the interior, telling how Eagle and 
Beaver obtained the fire. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 663 

being covered with, bird's down. The Ghosts offer the clothing in which they were 
buried, and finally give the fire-drill in exchange for the child Na6 5. 

In Fraser Delta (Sts 5) this tale is combined with another one. 
As in Comox, fire is first obtained by one person, and is then taken 
away from him. 

Beaver has obtained the fire and gives it to the Ghosts. Mink goes to the house of 
the Ghosts. After a dance they want to bathe, and he goes to fetch water. He upsets 
one bucket after another, so that the fires are extinguished, cuts off the head of the 
Ghost chief, and runs away. The Ghosts come to recover the head. Mink has ten 
houses, and dances on the top of each in another kind of dress. The Ghosts offer 
blankets, bows, and arrows in exchange for the head. When Mink's grandmother 
refuses all these. Ghosts and trees weep. This is rain. Finally they exchange the 
head for the fire-drill. 

In a Lillooet version Raven and his servants, — AVorm, Flea, Louse, and Little LoiLse, — 
after obtaining daylight, set out to get fire. The servants' canoes are swamped, and 
they borrow Gull's canoe. After going down.stream for four days, they come to the 
people who own the fire. They deliberate who is to steal iheir child, and Worm tun- 
nels to the cradle and takes it. The sea animals go in pursidt, but can not find them. 
Only a small fish sticks to their paddles, but he, too, has to give up. The child's 
mother produces rain by weeping. Finally they try four times to ransom the child. 
The last time it is given up in exchange for fire Lil 301. 

The Kwakiutl have the tale of the theft of the Wolf's tail in a form 
similar to those here discussed. The Wolf, however, is the owner of 
the tides (see p. 657). 

Hill-Tout has recorded a similar legend, wliich accounts, however, 
for the origin of rain. 

There is no rain because the owner of rain keeps his house closed . Raven goes out 
with Flea, Louse, and Mouse, and all their relatives. Raven sends in his companions, 
who creep through cracks in the boards. They keep the people awake, and in the 
morning Raven goes in and carries away the daughter of Rain Owner. When the 
latter awakes, he pursues them. Rain is fallin.g, but his own canoe remains dry. 
The child is returned in exchange for a regular rainfall Squ Hill-Tout 3.544. 

In Ne Dawson 22 it is said that the Transformer stole the fire. This is probably 
an error. In Ilai Dawson 1.151 B the origin of fire is confused with the origin of 
daylight. 

(9) STONE AND ELDERBERRY BUSH (}). 62) 

(8 versions: Ts 02; Ts 5.278; Na 72; Tl« 18; T16 81; Tl 5.319; Kai 236; Ma 319. See 

also Ri 5.214; Kai 238) 

Txa'msEm meets Stone and Elderberry Bush on Nass River. They are quarreling. 
Stone says, "If I give birth first, people will live a long time; if you give birth fir.^t, 
they will live a short time." Txa'msEm touches Elderberry Bush, who then gives 
birth first. For this reason people die early Ts, Ts 5, N [the nails on fingers and toes 
show what our skin would have been if Stone had given birth first Ts 5. The Nass version 
is not connected with the Raven legend.] 

Raven At Head Of Nass River tries to make men out of rocks and leaves. The 
work on rocks is slow; on leaves, rapid. Therefore he makes man of leaves, and they 
die quickly. If they had been made of rock, they would not die T16. 

Raven makes man out of leaves, therefore he dies like leares arid flowers in the fall. 
Because he made a new generation in this way, he must have changed all the previous 
people into stones Tla. 



664 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. ann. 31 

Raven makes human beings of stone, bone, soil, and wood successively. He blows 
on them: they come to life, but die again. Then he makes man of grass, and he 
lives: therefore people die Tl 5. 

He asks the stones to get up and helj) him; they can not stand up. He says, 
' ' Remain stones! " Then he tells the grass and salmonberry bushes to get uj) and help 
him; they do so, and they become human beings: therefore people die M. 

He asks the stones to get up and help him; they move, but can not stand; then he 
tells them they shall always lie down; then ho shakes a ma])le (Idas) tree; the leaves 
drop down, arise, and become human beings: therefore people die Kai 236. 

The following two incidents are presumably related to the story of 
Stone and Elderberry, although they show a closer relation to the 
numerous stories of the interior relating to the introduction of death 
through a controversy between two animals. 

N6ar;aua and Masmasala'nix desire to be immortal. A small bird wishes to build 
its nest in their grave. They agree that they will die, but revive after four days. 
The bird is not satisfied, and they agree that they will die and not revive. After 
death they go up to the skj'. The people mourn for them, and they return in the 
form of drops of blood, which the women inhale and they are reborn Ri 5.214. 

Related to this is a brief mcident told in a Kaigani story: 

When Raven first makes human beings, he ordains that they shall be immortal. 
Wren, however, who lives iinderneath graves, objects, because he will have no 
place in which to live. Therefore Raven makes man mortal to give the bird a ])lace 
to build its nest and to call Kai 238. 

The tales explaining how death is brought into this world, Ntl Teit 
3.329, 330; Lil 356; Quin 111; Wish 115; Coos 43; Takelma 99; also 
K 10.106 — do not belong here. 

(10) RAVEN PAINTS THE BIRDS 

(11 versions: Tla 6; Ska 127; Skc 128; BC 5.241; Nea 9.233; Ne6 9.287; Co 5.64; 
Fraser Delta [Chilliwack] Hill-Tout;' Kath 44; Quin 92; Chippewayan 7.3.50) 

In some of the versions of the Raven tale an incident is found in 
which it is told that Raven painted all the birds, while in others the 
origin of certain birds is explained by particular incidents. 

In the Tlingit version the painting of the birds is made part of the story of the 
killing of the salmon (No. 19 of list, p. 568). After Raven has killed the salmon, he 
sends the birds to get leaves. When they bring leaves from near by, he tells them 
they are not clean. He sends them across two mountains. Meanwhile he roasts the 
salmon, eats it, and puts the bones back into the ground. When the birds come 
back, all the salmon is goue. Then the birds dress. Bluejay's hair is tied up. 
Another bird has a braid tied into his hair Tlo. 

In the Skidegate version Skc it is said that he decked out the birds when he first 
started. All the birds were in his house, which was crowded. For this reason the 
birds that were in the most crowded parts of the house have thin heads. lie refuses 
to decorate two birds, which go to Master Carpenter and are made the most beautiful 
of all. 

In Ska there is a particular account of the reason why the eagle has peculiar nos- 
trils. Raven induces the animals to throw sea eggs and abalone shells at him, and 

• Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1902 (Belfast), p. 368. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 665 

then pierces their noses. Eagle makes him tired, and for this reason he pierces his 
nose without taking any pains. 

Among the Newettee we fiiid a somewhat elaborate account of the 
painting of the birds. 

After O'^meiil has obtained the tides from the AVolves, the birds go down to the 
beach to gather sea food. Then O'-meal paints the birds. After he is through with 
most of them, he rubs coal over the raven, clay over the sea gull. At this time the 
tide rushes in: and those who could not escape become sea birds, the others become 
land birds Nea. The version Ne5 is more elaborate. O'^meai invites all the people 
to his house and paints them for two days. Then he asks his brothers to continue 
with this work while he goes out to burn the bottom of his canoe, in preparation of 
war against the fishes. After his brothers have painted the birds for one day, they 
call him, saying that they are tired. Raven is in a hurry, and rubs some with coal, 
others with clay. This is the origin of the black and white birds. Then Fern is told 
to dress up and to act as dance-leader. Meanwhile his canoe is burned. He becomes 
angry, and requests Deer to call all the people, whom he orders to scatter all over the 
world. 

In the Bellacoola version the four servants of the deities, Masmasala'nix and his 
brothers, paint the birds, who live in the sky. Raven wants to be painted first, but 
is not satisfied with the colors given to him. Finally the deities become tired and 
make him black BG 5.241. 

The Comox tell that the Transformer painted all the birds; that Raven wanted to 
be made very beautiful. Finally he makes the deity tired, who paints him black Co 
5.64. 

In the same way the raven is made black by the Chippewayan hero Di^ne, because 
the colors given to him do not satisfy him. 

The Bellacoola and Comox versions differ from the others, in so far 
as they account for the black color of the raven. Nevertheless, in 
the Newettee version, O'^meal, who takes the place of the northern 
raven, paints the raven, so that there is a certain relation between 
this Newettee version and that of the Bellacoola and Comox. 

The Chilhwack tale recorded by Hill-Tout differs considerably from 
the others. 

During a famine the men desert women and children, make a weir, and catch 

some salmon. A boy ties salmon roe to his leg and informs his mother of what has 
happened. The women thereupon beat their husbands' beds and call upon the 
Transformer XExii'ls to transform the men. The feathers and paint of the men fly 
towards them, and they are painted and transformed into birds, Chilliwack 368. 

In cormection with tliis tale might be mentioned the Chinook 
account of the painting of the birds (Kath 44). 

A shining copper appears at sea and is harpooned. It is cut up and distributed. 
The birds are given the blood, which they put on their heads. Some are painted 
green, others white, others black. Bluejay is given the best part; but when he 
shows off his beauty, Clam takes it away from him and jumps into the water. Then 
Bluejay is painted with the refuse. 

An analogous story is told by the Quinault. 

A beautiful duck appears. It is shot by two girls. The feathers are distributed 
among the people. This gives rise to the bright feathers, crests, and patches in the 
plumage of the birds. Bluejay is rolled about in the feathers left over, Quin 92. 



666 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

(11) txa'msem and lagobola' (p. 68) 

(6 versions: Ts68; N61G; Tl« 10; T14.260; Kai 8.235; Co 5.77 [cited respectively Ts, 
N6, Tla, Tl 4, Kai 8, Co 5]) 

Raven travels with Oyster Catcher (Kai 8) and goes to visit Chief Eagle, called here 
GAno'g Kai 8. [He meets Petrel (G.\n6'g) Tla, Tl 4; he meets Lagobola' Ts, N; the 
Raven P'a goes shooting birds with his three sons, and the Gull Ha'iom is shooting 
birds at the same time; the Gull kills many, Raven none Co 5.] Raven lands just 
l>elow GAno'g's house Kai 8. He asks him, "How long have you lived? " Tl 4, Kai 8 
["^"here are you from?" Tlo]. The other replies, "Since the livers of the sea began 
to float" Tl 4, Kai 8 (that is, since the first death by drowning in the sea Kai 8). 

Mr. Louis Shotridge informs me that the Tlingit phrase in question is " tchl hiyi- 
l!uqk!'' dak ciil hic-dji kat qiixdzitl;" ' i. e., "our under milky water's edire was yet 
to drift out, when I existed." He interprets this as meaning that Raven claimed to 
have existed before the first run of olachen, and that he refers to the fact that during 
the olachen run the water generally turns milky. He states that another version has 
"L!ux!k!"" instead of "lluqk!''." This would mean "our post under (us) was yet to 
decay when I existed," referring to the post supposed to support the world. 

Raven replies that he existed before the world was made (Tl 4, Kai 8), and that 
therefore he is older Kai 8. [Ravensays, "My family is older than yours" Co 5. Inthe 
Tsimshian and Nass versions there is no quarrel of this kind; it is merely stated that 
they go in oppcsite directions around an i.-^land or that they are out hunting together.] 
Then GAno'g [Lagobola' Ts, N] takes off his hat and ])u.-^hes Raven's canoe off. A 
fog arises Tla, Tl 4, Kai 8 [Gull shakes his mountain-goat blanket and a fog arises 
Co 5], then Raven calls him brother-in-law Tla. He says, "You are older than I am" 
Kai 8 [he says, "You are more powerful than I am" Tl 4; he says, "Your family is 
older than mine " Co 5; he begs him to gather in the fog Ts, N]. Then the other puta 
on the hat again, and the fog di-sappears Ts, Tla, Tl 4, Kai 8 [he gathers the fog in the 
hat N]. 

The Comox version adds at the end that he meets his eldest son 
after the fog had disappeared, but he does not recognize him. This 
incident seems to be related to the end of the Sqcyo'l incident (see 
p. 708). 

The version Tla ends with the following form. Raven asks Petrel 
to let the hat go into the world. Therefore it is known that when sea- 
fog comes out of an open space in the woods and goes hack, the weather 
vAll he good. 

The discussion between Raven and his rival regarding the nobility 
of their families recurs in Raven's quarrel with Deer (see p. 704). 

(12) RAVEN CARVES SALMON OUT OF VARIOUS KINDS OF WOOD 

(4 versions: BC 5.242; Ri 5.209; Ri MS; Ne 5.174) 

Among the tribes of central British Columbia one of the incidents 
of the origin of the salmon tells about the fish being carved out of 
wood. Generally the attempt is unsuccessful, and the real salmon 
is later on obtained by an expedition to the country of the Salmon. 

In Rivers Inlet it is told that K!wek!waxa'we^ went to No'xunts. He requests the 
Grouse to carve salmon of cedar wood. He complies; but the skin and the bones of 
the fish are tough, because they are made of wood Ri 5. 

' The grave accent (') indicates low tone; the acute accent ('), high tone. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 667 

The Bellacoola tell that Masmasula'nix carved the salmon, which, however, was 
unable to swim, because it had no soul. Then the Raven is sent to get the soul of 
the salmon, which he obtains in the Salmon country BC 5.242. 

Another Rivers Inlet tale (Ri MS) is quite similar to the Bellacoola version. 
Raven makes a salmon trap; and when he does not catch anything, he carves a 
salmon of alder wood. It can not swim straight, because it has no bones on the 
nose. Then follows the story of how he obtains the bone. 

In the Newettee version, O'^meal is said to have carved a wooden fish, which he 
throws into the water. Instead of going up the river, as ordered, the fish goes out to 
sea and becomes a halibut. Next he tries the bloasom of a salmonberry bush, which, 
however, also turns and becomes a red cod Ne 5.174. 

{!?,) RAVEN MARRIES THE DEAD TWIN 

(6 versions: Ri 5.209; Ri MS; Ne 5.174; Ne 9.217; K 9.491; K 10.323) 

After his failure to carve the salmon out of wood or to make it out 
of other materials, Raven tries to revive a twin woman. The idea 
underlying this uicident is that twins have power over the salmon. 
Tills version is found among the Kwakiutl tribes from Vancouver 
Island north to Rivers Inlet. I have not obtained it from the Bella- 
coola. The tale is very uniform in all the versions that have been 
recorded. 

K!wek!waxa'we^ Ri 5, K 9 [He'maek-as^o Ri MS; O'^meal Ne 5, Ne 9], goes to the 
graves and asks whether there is a grave of twins [the graves direct him to another 
grave farther back; this is repeated three times Ne 9, K 9]. He hears a voice from 
one of the graves, saying, "I used to be a salmon." He opens the grave, finds the 
body of a woman, which he washes with the water of life [four times Ri MSJ. She 
rubs her eyes as though she had been asleep. He takes her home. She receives the 
name Omag'i^ga. He asks her to create salmon. She asks for a mat and gull feathers, 
swims in the river, which at once is full of salmon Ri 5. The woman sits down near 
the water, and puts her little finger into the river. At once there is a salmon going 
up the river. Raven roasts it Ri MS. The woman sends him for salt water. He 
brings a shell full of water. She washes in it, and a salmon is in the shell, which she 
requests him to throw into the river. He orders his brother, Me'mg'umlEmps, to 
take it to the river. The next day the same is repeated and four salmon are in the 
shell. Then he builds a salmon weir and catches fish Ne 5. She asks for water to 
wash her hands in, and then orders the water to be poured out into the river. At 
once a salmon jumps up. The following day there are two salmon. They increase 
in numbers, and the jieople make a salmon weir Ne 9. The woman asks him to 
collect fern roots, to strip off the leaves and throw them into the water at Osto'-wa, 
near Kingcombe Inlet. At once salmon are jumping in the river, and go into the 
salmon trap. Deer's salmon trap is not made in the right way, and is so full that it 
floats away K 9. 

The fullest version of this incident has been recorded from the 
Na'k!wax'da^x". As in the last version, the incident is located at 
Osto'^wa. 

O'^meal asks his brothers to dig a ditch. He drinks some water, and lets it run out 
on a prairie. It runs down the ditch and forms a lake and a river. He inquires of 
his aunt Star Woman how to make salmon, and she tells him to look for a grave of 
twins. Then he questions the graves, as before, and they direct him to one con- 



668 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. avn. 31 

taining the bodies of twins. He sprinkles the remains with water of life, marries 
the woman, and asks her to create the salmon. He requests his brothers to make a 
salmon weir. While her husband is away, the woman asks Deer to fetch water. She 
puts her little finger into it, and a spring salmon is in the bucket, which they roast 
and eat. On his return he notices that his brothers look well content. He asks his 
wife again to create salmon. When Deer laughs, he notices a piece of salmon meat 
in his teeth. He sends for a bucket of water, and his wife puts two fingers into it. 
At once there are two salmon in the bucket. He asks her to step into the river, and 
salmon begin to jiimp, and the salmon traps are full K 10. 

All these versions continue with the story of the offended Salmon 
Woman (see No. 14, p. 568). 

(14) txa'msem and the salmon woman (p. 76) 

(19 versions: Ts 7(i; N6 32; [Tla 14]; T16 108; Tl 6.31; Mb 303; Mc 330; Ska 120; 
BC 94; BO 5.246; Ri 5.209; Ri MS; Ne 5.174; K 5.159; K 9.491; K 10.329; Chil 18; 
Sha 637; Sh6 743) 

Raven goes out spearing. It is foggy. When the fog clears away, a beaut iful woman 
is sitting in the bow of his canoe. He wishes to marry her, and she tells him that she 
is Bright-Cloud Woman, the Salmon. They go home Ts. 

Raven marries the daughter of Fog Over The Salmon Tlfc. Raven makes a woman 
called Suwa's his sister M5 [he lives with his sister Sawa's Mc; Siwa's Ska]. He 
sees something in the water, and a salmon comes into his ca.>oe. This salmon is 
Salmon Woman pie marries Cloud Woman Ska]. He takes her to his sister, who gives 
them clams to eat. Salmon Woman's child cries for hunger Mc. 

Raven catches a spring salmon (sdml), which is transformed into a woman. She 
promises to marry him if he will ne\er look at another woman BC 5. 

Mink asks the Salmon to marry him K 5. 

Different from the preceding is another Bellacoola version, in 
which it is told that Raven goes with his sister to the Salmon coimtry 
in his canoe Tupa'nk"L. 

Before they land, his sisters make holes in the Salmon peoples' canoe by pulling 
out the knots. After he has been made welcome, he asks the cliief's daughter to help 
carry food into the canoe; and when she steps into the water, he takes her aboard. 
The sisters strike the sides of the canoe, and it goes off BC 94. This passage is parallel 
to vL:^its to the country- across the ocean, that occiu- frequently in tales of the middle 
part of British Columbia. 

A special form of introduction is the tale of Raven's marriage to 
the dead twin, that has just been discussed (No. 1.3, p. 667). 

After Raven has obtained the Salmon Woman, he proceeds to 
request her to make the salmon. In two versions the woman declines 
to do so, but, when her husband is away, produces salmon and gives 
them to the rest of the people. For the sake of completeness, I give 
here all the versions of tliis incident, although some of them have 
been discussed before. 

The woman makes salmon, and tells her sister-in-law to hide all the bones. Raven 
goes to work on his canoe without knowing that there are any salmon. The Salmon 
Woman warns her sister-in-law not to leave any fragments between her child's teeth. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 669 

She is not careful; and when Raven comes back, he dbcovers the salmon between the 
child's teeth Mc. 

O'^meai comes back, and notices that all the people look happv. 'When Deer 
laughs, he finds the remains of salmon between his teeth. Thus he learns that his 
wife fed the people K 10. 

In most versions the woman at once proceeds to produce salmon 
at the behest of her husband. 

He asks Salmon Woman to caiLse salmon to appear in the brooks. In the morning 
she puts her toes into the water, and at once sjjring salmon jump. Then she calls her 
husband. On the following morning she goes into the -water up to her knees, and 
it is full of silver salmon Ts. 

In winter the Salmcjn Woman makes a basket and wa-shes her hands in it. At once 
a salmon is in it, which the people cook and eat. The hoiuse comes to be full of 
salmon T16. 

She cooks something in a pan, and it becomes a salmon. This she gives to the 
people to eat. Later on she creates a salmon in a dish of water, and salmon begin to 
run in the river Mc. 

In Ska it is simply stated that salmon appear. In BC 5 there is also no statement 
telling how the salmon were produced. 

He asks Salmon Woman to get salmon. She asks for a mat and gull feathers, swims 
about in the river, and salmon appear. She is called O'mag'i^ga Ri 5. 

Raven asks Salmon Woman to make salmon. She puts her little finger into the 
water, and salmon appear. On the following morning she washes two fingers, and 
more salmon appear. Then he asks her to put her hands into the water, and finally 
she sits in the water, and they have plenty of salmon Ri MS. 

She asks for sea water, which is brought in a shell. She washes in it, and a salmon 
is there, which Raven .gives to his brother. He throws it into the river. The next 
day the same is repeated, and there are four salmon. Then a weir is built Ne 5. 

The people are starving. Then the woman asks for water, throws the pickings 
from her teeth into it, and they become salmon. She asks Mink to boil it, because 
she can not boil her own flesh. She orders the people to throw the bones into the 
fire. Upon Mink's request, she pulls her hair foin times through the water against 
the current, and it is full of salmon K 5. 

O'^meal asks the woman to make salmon. The people make a salmon trap. The 
woman puts her little finger first into her mouth, then into a kettle of water, and a 
salmon is in it. They throw the bones into the fire. Next the woman sends for 
water, and puts two fingers into it. There are two spring salmon in it. He asks the 
woman to go into the river, and she says the river will then be drj'. ^ATien she steps 
into the water, it is full of salmon K 10. 

She tells him to throw fern leaves Into the water, and salmon appear, which go into 
the salmon trap K 9. 

This last version is evidently an aberrant type. The production of 
fish from leaves appears in other connections in Kwakiutl mythology. 

Wlien the salmon have thus been created, Eaven and his people 
catch them and dry them. 

Deer, when building his weir, disobeys his brother Raven, and catches only one 
fish Ne 5. 

In a few versions there is introduced here an incident telling how 
the Salmon Woman makes her husband beautiful. She combs his 



670 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

hair, wliich becomes blond and long, anil she makes his skin white 
and beautiful (see also Ts 185, Sk 354). 

She combs his hair, which becomes blond, and makes his skin soft and white. Next 
a story that does not belong to this tale is introduced here: Raven leave.s the salmon 
in the canoe, and asks his eye to watch over it; thus he loses his eye. When he 
comes back home, the Salmon Woman washes his eye-socket, and at once he has 
a new eye Ts. 

The woman has long hair, and Raven asks her to make his hair long too; she replies 
that the salmon will become entangled in his hair, and refuses; he insists, and she 
pulls it long, first down to the shoulders, then down to his waist, and finally she makes 
it as long as her own BC 94. 

She washes his head, and his hair becomes long; she combs and pulls his huir until 
it is as long as her own; then Raven ties it up in a knot at one side of his head Ri MS. 

When the house is full of salmon, Raven becomes proud. One 
day, when the salmon catch in his hair, he scolds them. Thus he 
insults his wife, who disappears with all the fish. 

One day Raven dresses up, and his wife combs him. As he goes out, the backbone 
of a spring salmon catches hi;" hair, lie throws it into the corner of the house, saying, 
"You come from the body of a naked woman and catch my hair! " Then his wife is 
ashamed; and when the same happens in the evening, the woman calls her tribe, and 
all leave the house Ts. 

One day Raven goes home and beats his wife, and she leaves with all the salmon 
T16. 

He strikes her shoulder mth a piece of dried salmon, and she disappears in the 
water with all the fish; he asks his father-in-law to send her back, but is refused T16. 

The salmon pull at his forehead; and he says, "^\^ly to goodness is there so much 
salmon? " Then the woman goes away into the sea, and the salmon follow her Mc 

In the smoke-house salmon stick in liis hair; he scolds them, and at once she tells 
the dog salmon to swim away; a box of salmon roe on which his sister is sitting is the 
only food left in the house Sko. 

Going out. Raven moves his head about to show off his hair; the salmon become 
entangled in it; on entering, the same happens; he becomes angry and tlirows them 
down; then the woman jumps into the water, followed by all the salmon BC 94. 

MTien he is starting a fire, the salmon become entangled in his hair; he scolds them, 
and the woman who had been taken from the grave dies again; at the same time the 
salmon disappear Ri .5. 

lie puts up the salmon, and they catch in his hair; he scolds them, saying that 
they belong to the Ghosts; when liis wife becomes angry, he excuses himself, saying 
that he spoke kindly to them; however, she wliistles and disappears %vith the salmon 
Ri MS. 

He dries the aalmon. When one catches his hair, he gets impatient, and says, 
" How heavy are the bodies of the dead !" His wife is offended, and disappears with 
all the salmon Ne 5. 

Mink becomes proud and beats his wife; the salmon catch in his hair; he scolds 
them, and woman and salmon disappear K .5. 

Great Inventor gets fuel; the salmon catch in his hair, and he scolds them, saying 
that they come from the dead ; at once the woman is transformed into foam, and the 
salmon ilLsappear; Great In-\'entor tries in vain to call her back K 9. 

O'^meal becomes proud; the backbone of the spring salmon catches in his hair; he 
scolds it, saying that it comes from the Ghosts; this happens repeatedly, and Salmon 
Woman calls the salmon and goes back with them K 10. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 671 

One of the Bellacoola versions, in which the Sahnon Woman makes 
the condition that he is not to look at another woman, continues in 
accordance with this incident. After four days Raven looks at a 
pretty girl, and at once his wife goes away with all the salmon BC 
5.246. 

At the time when the woman disappears, his long hair also disappears Ts, N6, Ri MS. 
In the versions T16 and Ts it is also stated that when Raven tries to hold his wife, his 
hand passes through her body, because she is like a cloud. The same idea is inti- 
mated in K 9, where it is said that she is transformed into foam. 

In two versions another incident is introduced which tends to 
explain the departure of his wife. He has bad luck in gambling, and 
accuses her of being faithless. 

Raven clubs the salmon, and Salmon Woman carries them up; he goes to get wood 
for smoking the sjilmoii, and in the evening the woman givee him to eat; then Raven 
becomes proud because he is rich, ^\^^en Raven has bad luck in gambhng, he sj^eaks 
angrily to his wife. He ig gambling with a Stump, and his wife observes him; 
when he comes home, he scolds her, saT,-ing that he has bad luck because she was not 
true to him Ts. 

In Tl (i it is simply said that he gambles with a Stump while his wife is putting up 
the salmon. 

We have a short version from Nass River (Nb 32) which contains 
merely the statement that he visits a chieftainess, throws away the 
salmon, and becomes ugly, but obviously this is the same stor}^. 

Another Masset version is also evidently considerably distorted. 

Raven gets salmon for his sister, which she dries; finally he says, "I wonder how 
Suwas (his sister) happens to have such a great plenty of food!" he uses the wrong 
wi.irds; the salmon come to Ufe and go back M6. 

Related to this story is also a Chilcotin story. 

Raven gathers dried salmon, and fills skins with grease; he transforms roots into 
men and lets them dance; a salmon strikes his head, and he throws it out of doors; 
then all the salmon come to life and run away; Raven and the men whom he made 
try to kill them, but they are too slippeiy Chil 18. 

The Shuswap versions are related to the Cliilcotin forms. 

After Coyote has introduced the salmon, he gives a feast; and while he is practicing 
his dance, his hair is caught in the gills of some of the drying salmon. He gets angry, 
pulls the fish down, and throws them into the river. Immediately aU the salmon 
come to life and swim away Sha, Sh5. The version Sh6 closes with Coyote's state- 
ment that he is going to boil the drying-poles and splitting-boards, and that he will 
have fish soup. 

(15) RAVEN ABDUCTS THE DAUGHTER OF THE SALMON CHIEF 

(9 versions: BC 94; BC 5.242 [2 versions]; Ri 5.210; Ri MS; Ne 5.175; Ne 9.217; 
K 9.169; K 10.330; [Chil 16]. See also Tl 12, 116) 

In the region from the Bellacoola south to the Kwakiutl, including 
the Chilcotm, Raven finally succeeds in obtaining the salmon by 
abducting the daughter of the Salmon chief. 



672 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

The Bellacoola version BC 5 takes up this iiitident at the moment when Masmas- 
ala'nix had carved the salmon which is unable to swim. Raven sets out in his 
canoe with his four sisters. AVhen he reaches the villa,t;e of the Salmon chief, his 
sisters hide in the woods, and in the evening they gnaw holes in the Salmon's canoes. 
On the following day they are invited to a feast. After the feast Raven asks the 
chief's daughter to carry provisions aboard. There the Raven seizes her and carries 
her away. The canoes of the Salmon founder, and Raven reaches NulIe'1, where he 
throws the girl into the river K'llat. Since that time there are many salmon in the 
river. 

According to another version. Raven steals the salmon's soul from the house of the 
Salmon chief and hides it under his tongue. The chief, however, notices it, and 
takes it back. After that, Raven takes the salmon in a manner that is not told in 
detail. The same version is recorded in BC 94, in which it is said that he tries to 
marry the daughter of the Sockeye Salmon, and that his canoe moves when his sisters 
strike its sides with their hands. 

Among the Rivers Inlet tribe, the Newettee and Kwakiutl, the 
incident follows Raven's failure to obtain salmon from his twin wife. 

The Rivers Inlet version Ri 5 tells that he goes with his sister, Haliotis Woman. 
His canoe reaches the country of the Salmon chief in one day. K!wek!waxa'we« 
hides the canoe near the village, and his sister makes holes in the canoes. When 
they enter the house, the chief orders his four daughters to swim in the sea.' They 
return, each carrying a salmon. The guests are ordered to throw the bones into the 
fire. Suddenly the nose of one of the girls begins to bleed. This is due to the fact 
that Klweklwaxa'wc^ ha-s hidden a bone in his mouth. It is taken away from him, 
and the girl is cured. Raven pretends to be angry and leaves the house. One of 
his mats is left in the house, and the Salmon chief sends after him, telling him that 
he has forgotten the mat. The Salmon chief's daughter takes it down and walks down 
to the canoe in order to deliver it. Then K ! wek! waxa'we^ seizes her and escapes. The 
salmon canoes founder. Only a few continue the pursuit. K!wek!waxa'we^ throws 
his mats into the water, and the pursuing Salmon quarrel over them. Klweklwaxa'we^ 
returns to Wanuk, the large river at the head of Rivers Inlet. 

In another Rivers Inlet version (Ri MS) the incident of the visit to the Salmon 
chief and the attempted theft of the bone of the Salmon's nose by He'maak'a.i'o is 
placed before his attempt to revive the twin woman. 

In the Newettee version Ne 5, the Salmon Woman is said to be the daughter of 
the Killer-Whale chief. O'^meal dips his paddle into the water twice, and the canoe 
goes straight to the chief's house. He finds the slave of Killer Whale engaged in 
cutting down a tree, and gains his good-will in the manner discussed on p. 844, where 
this incident forms part of the Gunaxnessmg-a'd story. O'^meal hides in a log; 
and when the Salmon Girl carries the wood in, he embraces her. She throws away 
the piece of wood, takes it up again, and this is repeated four times. Then he 
marries her. The next morning, when Killer ^Vhale returns from hunting, O'^meai 
is scared, puts on his raven blanket, and sits down on the totem- pole in front of the 
house. He is invited in. He offers the chief, who is very stout, to remove his 
stoutness. The chief is afraid, but finally is induced to submit. 0'%ieal cuts him 
open and kills him. In the same way he kills his brothers. Then he takes the 
young woman and returns home. The people of the Killer WTiale pursue him, but 
are unable to overtake him. When near his home, he transforms his pursuers, the 
Salmon, and tells them to go each to a particular river. A small fish that continues 
the pursuit is transformed, and its eyes are placed very close together. 

I See a discussion of this incident on pp. 698, 773. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAIJ' MYTHOLOGY ■ 673 

Another version of the same tale has been recorded in Ne 9. He goes to abduct 
the wife ol the Killer Whale. His younger brothers accompany him. Wlien he 
reaches the house of the chief, he meets a slave. WTien the Killer ^^^lale returns, 
O'-meiil hides in the hoase post. 0'=meiit'3 brothers are called in, and the chief says 
(hat they are very pretty. 0'=meal offers to remove the chief's stoutness; and when 
the chief is afraid. O'^meal tells Bufflehead Duck, one of his brothers, to lie down. 
He cuts him open, and lets Harlequin Duck get up from under a mat in his place, so 
that the Killer "niiale believes that his stoutness has been removed. He then kills 
the Killer 'Whales' and takes away the chief's wife, the daughter of the Salmon 
cliief. ^Vhen he gets near land, he tells the salmon to go to the different rivers. 

The Kwakiutl version K 9 is not connected with the story of the reviving of the 
twin woman. After Raven has made the salmon, he goes with his tribe under water 
to the Salmon country. "When they reach the chief's house, K!wek!waxa'we^ pre- 
pares a tree so that the Salmon chief's slave should try to cut it down. Then fcdlows 
the story of the slave, as before. The girl's father discovers Klweklwaxa'wc' in his 
daughter's room and calls him down. He tries to kill him on the death-bringing 
settee, which is set with squid bones 9.173 (see p. 799). K!wek! waxa'we' overcomes 
this test by jiuttin.^ a sandstone on his back. The chieftainess sends her daughters 
to play in the water, and they become sockeye salmon.^ The guests are asked to 
throw the clothing of the gu-ls into the water. K!wek!waxa'we^ retains the coUai- 
l>one, which he hides behind his ear. The bones are thrown into the water, and 
the girls reappear, but one has no blanket-pin. Then follows the story of the killing 
of the parents of Salmon Woman (9.175) as told in Xe 9. The Salmon follow their 
chieftainess; and when they approach the land. Deer jumps into the Salmon canoes, 
breaks them, and the j^eople become salmon, wliich are sent up the rivers. 

The fullest version has been recorded from the Na'klwax'da^x" K 10. O'^meal 
goes with his brothers to marry the daughter of Killer ''rt'hale. Before starting, he 
takes aboard some ocher. stones, lime, and charcoal. When near the chief's house, 
he hides these on shore. He meets the slave of Killer Whale, who is about to cut 
down a tree. Here follows the same incident that has been referred to before. He 
asks the slave to put the fagot in which he is hidden on top of the fire. The girl car- 
ries in this log. and he embraces her. This is repeated four times, and every time she 
throws away the log. When put on top of the fire, he scatters it, and, without being 
seen, enters the room of the chief's daughter. The girl asks him who he is. and, upon 
learning his name, she says that her father, who is absent, wants her to marry him. 
After four days the Killer Whale comes back, finds O'^meal. and calls him to the 
center of the house. He is told to call his friends, who launch their canoe and go to 
the village. The chief asks his attendants to drive a stake into the floor of the house, 
to which O'-meiil is tied. A fire is made in order to binn him, but O'-meiil hides in 
the stake. The' following day he is tied to two stakes, but escapes again (see p. 806). 
Killer ^^'hale sends his attendants to kill seals for a feast. After the seals have 
been brought in, he tells O'-meiil that they will get stones for boiling seals. These 
stones are found only in Knight Inlet and on Skeena River. Killer Whale is to go 
north; O'-meiil, south. The chief wants to see who will be back first. O'^meal takes 
the ocher, lime, and charcoal, goes aboard the canoe, and becomes a Killer "WTiale. He 
spouts alternately red, white, black, and white and red mixed. He goes to his canoe 
and gets the stones which he has brought along. The people see that the stones are 
really from Knight Inlet. In the evening the Killer ^^'hale chief comes back. Next 
follows the tale how the stoutness is removed from the Killer Whales. Bufflehead 
Duck and Harlequin Duck are used to induce the Killer Whale to submit (see 
p. 762). Then O'^meiil takes the young woman home. They are pursued by dolphins. 
O'-meiil becomes frightened and throws his wife overboard 10.330 et seq. 

1 See p. 7ti2. - See pp. 69S, 77.3. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 43 



674 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The story as told here differs from the preceding ones in that this 
attempt also was unsuccessful. The salmon is eventually obtained 
in the following manner: 

O'^meal and liia brothers make war on Salmon Maker. They go aboard the folding 
canoe and go westward. They reach the house of the Salmon, who clubs four boys, 
who are at once transformed into salmon (see pp. 698, 773). These are given to the 
guests, who are requested to gather the bones and throw them into the water. Deer 
hides a bone from the chest in his head-ring: therefore, when the boys revive, one of 
them has no blanket-pin. The Salmon children are playing outside. The visitors 
take them aboard and carry them away. They are pursued by the Salmon, ^^^len 
near the coast, Deer jumps from one canoe of the pursuers into another and breaks 
them; the salmon jump into the water and go up the rivers K 10. 

The story of the cutting-open of the Killer Whale has a parallel in the Chilcotin 
tale of Raven and Tutq. The latter is the lover of Raven's wife. Raven searches 
for him in order to kill him. Tutq claims to have a longer canoe than Raven; and 
when they are comparing sizes, he seizes Raven's wife and paddles away. He 
makes a fog, in which Raven loses his way. Raven learns from his paddle the 
whereabouts of his wife, and goes in pursuit with Marten and Fisher, who climb 
about in the trees. Raven tells the people that they are able to do so because they 
have no intestines. The people submit to being cut open and die Cliil 16. 

In a Tlingit tale Raven makes the Killer Whales believe that liis friends have 
canes driven into their heads. They try to have the same done to themselves and 
are killed Tl 12, 116. 

(16) RAVEN GETS THE SOIL 

(2 versions: Ne 5.173; Ne 9.223) 

It seems that this incident is confined to the region around the 
northern part of Vancouver Island.' There is little doubt that it is 
related to the bringing-up of the soil which plays such a prominent 
part in the mythology of tlie Indians of the Northern Plains. 

(17) ORIGIN OF THE MONTHS 

In most cases this incident does not belong to the Raven tale. It 
will be found discussed on p. 72S. 

(18) RAVEN IS MADE VORACIOUS 

This incident has been discussed on p. 636. 

(19) txa'msem and the steelhead salmon (p. 67) 
(a) Raven Catches the Steelhead Salmon 

(13 versions: Ts 67; Ta 5.277;= N6 52; Tk 5; T16 8.5; Tl 4.264; M6 298; M 347; Skn 

112; Ne 5.176; Ne 9.213; K 9.141; Co 5.73 [cited respectively Ts, Ts 5, Nt, Tla, 

T16, etc.]) (See also Nez Perce;^ Lil 325.) 

Raven finds a piece of jade with a design representing a human head. He puts 
eagle down on it and places it in the ground Tla. 

He sees a steelhead salmon jumping in the sea Ts, N6, M 347 [spring salmon Tk, 
M6, Ska; a king salmon T16; a salmon Tl 4, Ne 5, Ne 9, K 9, Co 5]. [Instead of 

1 See also p. 641. The story is found also on Columbia River (Katli 24) and in California. It is, how« 
ever, essentially an Athapascan and eastern myth (see G. A. Dorsey and A. L. Kroebcr, Traditions of 
the Arapaho, p. 20, nole). 

2 The story is only implied in this passage. 

3 Herbert J. .Spinden, Myths of the Nez PerciS Indians (Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. xxi, 1908, 
p. 18). 



BOAS] COMPAKATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 675 

Ra\-en, a man M 347, Greedy One Ne 9, O'^meai Ne 5, Mink K 9, Co 5, is supposed to 
do this.] He kicks the rock four times, making four holes, one over another, and calls 
the Salmon to jtimp against his heart. He falls down when hit, and the Salmon escapes. 
The foiu-th time the Salmon falls into the hole, and Raven kills him Ts, Nb, Mb. 

Raven builds several stone walls in the sea, and fnially catches the Salmon Ska; 
he says to the Salmon, ''Aluiiyn', strike my heart with your head!" M6, M 347; he 
calls, saying, " Hayu'l" The first time the Salmon jumps in the tide ripple, then 
outside the kelp, among the kelp, landwanl from the kelp, near the rocks, on the 
rocks, then Mink sits on him and catches him K 9. In Sk 11 the Salmon also shout, 
"E'yo!" (Seep. 775.) 

Raven is in the company of his nephews the Crows, and invites the Salmon to 
play with him. The Salmon refu.ses and jumps against Raven's stomach. Then 
Raven makes holes and flies away. The Salmon jtimps from one into another, and 
is killed Tl 4. 

Mink says he wants to play with the Salmon, and calls him four times Co 5; he 
tells the Salmon that Jade is calling him a thing with dirty filthy back and gills, and 
makes the two quarrel Tla. 

In the Tlingit version, before killing him, he pretends that he has to go inland to 
defecate. He tells the Salmon to wait, brings back a celery stalk, with which he 
kills him. Because Raven made the Jade talk to the Salmon, people have since made 
stone axes, picks, spears, out of it Tla. 

He claims to be sick, asks the Salmon to jump over him, and clubs him Ne 5, Ne 9. 

It is curious to note that a version of this story occurs in Idaho, 
quite apart from the other regions m which it has been recorded. 

Coyote is hungry and calls the Salmon. He tries to cover him with his blanket, but 
the Salmon tears it. Advised by his stipernatural helpers, he makes a hole. The 
Salmon swims into it and he clubs it, Nez Perce. 

The following Lillooet tale probabh' belongs here: 

A boy says to a salmon that if he were a salmon, he would jump on the ground. 
The salmon wants to show that he can jump, and is caught Lil 325. 

After having killed the salmon, he does not know how to cook it. 
His excrements tell him to steam it in a hole Ts, N6. 

(6) The Stump Eats the Salmon 
(2 versions: N6 54; M8 299. See also Na 67; H 5.233) 

\\'liile he is steaming the salmon, a stump lies near the hole, and Raven makes ftm 
of it. While he goes to get skunk-cabbage leaves, which are to serve as dishes, the 
Stump sits down on the hole and eats the salmon. Raven comes back and moves 
the stump, but finds his salmon gone N6, M6. (A similar incident is introduced in 
Na 6G: he eats seals, makes fun of a stump, which then takes away the seal in the same 
maimer as told in the Salmon story and in the storj- of how Raven killed the deer 
H 5.233. See also p. 705.) 

This incident is related to tlie stealing of food, discussed on p. 676. 

(f) Raven Blackens the Crows 
(4 versions : Ts 67; Tla 5; Tl 4.265; Ska 112. See also No. 20, p. 677) 

In the TUngit version he takes all kinds of birds as Ms servants. \^Tien about to 
cook the salmon, he sends them to get skunk-cabbage leaves, to be used in a hole in 
which he intends to steam it. When they bring them, he refuses them because they 
have been soiled by his wife. [In Tl 4 he says that he has cremated his wife at that 



676 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY ■ [eth. ann. 31 

place.] He sends them back over two mountains to get clean leaves. AVliile they are 
away, he cooks the salmon, eats it, and puts the bones back. He cooks the "navel" 
of the salmon separately. \ATien the birds return, he says he himself has been ovej two 
mountains. They dig up the salmon, and find it all gone. [Wliile the birds are away, 
he eats the salmon and puts the tails into the ground. He plants sticks in the ground 
and goes to sleep. When the Crows return, he claims that they have eaten it, throws 
ashes over them, and makes them black Tl 4.] Tliis version is not very consistent, 
because Raven eats the salmon and cheats the Crows, while in most of the tales he 
himself is cheated. There is no mention of the blackening of Crow in Tla, but tlie 
incident is followed immediately by the painting of birds (see p. 664). The two 
versions Tl 4 and Tk, however, corroborate each other. 

M5 simply states that a stump of a tree sat on it, so that he could not eat it. 

WTiite Crows gather over the salmon which was cooking in the hole; he sends them 
for dishes; they brLiig first mussel shells, then clamshells and other kinds of shells; 
then he himself goes to get dishes, and meanwhile the Crows eat the salmon; the 
ground is covered with their excrement; Raven ordains that they shall he black Ts. 

After the salmon has been killed, Raven calls the ('rows to help him; he steams it 
on hot stones; then he goes to sleep with his back to the fire; and meanwhile the Crows 
eat the salmon, put some between his teeth, and, when he awakes, they tell him 
that he has eaten it; then he spits in the Crows' faces, and says, "Future people shall 
not see you flying about looking as you do now;" thus they became black Ska. 

(d) Raven's Feast 
(2 versions: Tl 5.277; Ne 5.176) 

Raven teases the animals, and gives some of them their present form. The Squirrel 
rubs off his eyebrows. The Thrush goes so near the fire that his stomach is burned 
black. Bluejay takes hold of a piece of salmon which Raven is about to take away 
from him. For this reason he becomes angry, takes hold of his hair, thus forming the 
crest of the bluejay Ne 5. The version Ne 9.213 does not contain this incident. 

The version Tl 5.277 is quite similar. One of the guests sits so near the fire that 
hLs cheeks become red, and he is transformed into a bird. The Squirrel rubs off hLs 
eyebrows, and Raven tears out Cormorant's tongue when he tries to eat of the fish. 

In Nu ap 934 we find a tale of Raven teasing the animals and stealing their food. 

I suspect that the Newettee version may not be quite correctly 
placed. It was told by a half-blood Indian, the daughter of a TlLn- 
git woman who as a young child had lived on Nass River, and grew- 
up and lived among the Kwakiutl. It may therefore well be that 
wo have here a mixtm-e of the TUngit and Kwakiutl versions. 

(e) The Salmon is Stolen 

(4 versions: K9.143; Co 5.74; Lil325; Nez Perce Spinden 18. See also Na 30, N6 35, 

M 348) 

In the Nass version this story is attached to that of the origin of 
the olachen. Raven talks to the Gulls, who eat his olachen Na, N6. 

■WTiile Mink is roasting the salmon, he sings, "AVlio will eat liis eyes, his head, his 
roe?" Then he goes to sleep. The Wolves steal the salmon, rub it over his teeth, and 
when, on waking, he finds some salmon eggs in his teeth, he thinks he has eaten it 
himself Co 5. 

In K 9 Mink borrows his mother's fish-knife, pretending that he wants to cut a piece 
of kelp. He roasts the salmon with the head attached to the backbone. He becomes 
drowsy and asks the trees to take care of it. Children who are sitting on the trees 
come down and steal the fish. They rub some of its blood over Mink's mouth, and 
jiull out his musk-bag. (Here follow.^ the story of the children playing ball with 
Mink's musk-bag, which may be compared with No. 38, p. 706.) 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 677 

The Masset version treats of a man who secretly observes the 
cooking food and who then eats it M 348. 

In the Nez Perc6 version Coyote goes to sleep while the salmon is cookinsj. The ani- 
mals steal it, and cut off flesh from his body, which they put on the fire. The Ant 
tells him that he is eating his own flesh. In return he steals the egss that the 
animals are roasting, and gives them their present form. 

The boy goes to sleep while the salmon is roasting. Boys smear his mouth with 
fat and run a stick into his anus Lil 325. 

This is a common incident in tlie folk-lore of the Plains Indians. 

(20, 20a) WHY CROW AND RAVEN ARE BLACK 

(a) Crows or Gulls are Blaclcened 
(4 versions: Na 30; N6 34; Ska 113; Tl 4.265. See alsoTla 5; T16 85; M6 299) 
There arc a number of single stories accounting for the colors of 
specific birds. 

The gulls are eating Giant's (TxamsEm's) olachen. He throws them into the fire 
place, and ever since that time the tips of their wings have been black Na 30, N6 34. 

After having killed the spring salmon, he roasts it and lies down on his back to 
sleep. The Crows steal the salmon and put some of the meat between his teeth. 
When he sees that it is gone, the Crows maintain that he has eaten it himself, show- 
ing him the pieces of salmon between his teeth. Thereupon he spits into their faces 
and says that they shall be black Sko 113 (see under 19c, p. 676). 

The TUngit version Tl 4.265 is evidently identical with the preceding. After 
having killed the salmon, he sends his nephews the Crows to get leaves, which he 
intends to use as dishes. He tells them to go across two mountains because his wife 
has been burned near by. Meanwhile he eats the salmon, puis sticks into the 
ground, and goes to sleep. UTien his nephews come back to call him, he claims that 
they have eaten the salmon. He throws ashes upon them, and they become black (see 
under 19c, p. 676). 

As stated before, the Tlingit version Tla 5 introduces here the painting of the birds 
In place of the blackening of the crows. In another Tlingit version (T16) no mention 
is made of the painting of the birds. It is merely stated that he took all kinds of 
birds for his servants, and through these it was found out that he was Raven. 

Some of the versions which tell of the theft of the spring salmon 
which has been killed by Raven do not contaui this element. The 
Masset version Mb simply tells how the stump lays itself over the 
salmon that is being steamed in a hole and takes it away^. 

{b) Raven is Caught in the Smoke Hole 
(5 versions: Tla 4; Tl 4. 261; Tl 6.28; also N6 64; Tl 5.314. See also Quiu 92; Wish 99) 

In a number of stories it is told how Raven became black by 
bemg caught m a smoke hole. 

In the version Tla 4, Tl 4.261, and Tl 6, Petrel, whose water Raven has .stolen, 
orders his smoke hole to catch him. He was white up to that time, but the smoke 
blackened him (see p. 736f/, 2). 

Smoke Hole orders the door and the smoke hole to close, and Txii'msEm is caught 
and smoked. He puts his voice in a bluff, where it forms an echo that scolds the 
chief, who becomes ashamed and lets Raven go, who holds alder bark in his mouth, 
the juice of which looks like blood. It is not stated in this version that he is made 
black by the smoke, but it is implied N6 64. 



678 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ank. 31 

One Tlingit version accounts for the blackness of Raven in a different way. lie 
marries the daughter of Woodpecker, who owns a large supply of gum or pitch. 
He puts hia finger in, intending to steal it, and can not get it off. Then he is 
smoked, thrown into a box, his eyes are closed with pitch, and he is thrown into the 
sea. The gulls void on him and throw fat over him until he is able to get off. In 
this manner he becomes blach Tl 5. 

A Wishram story has the following account of Crow's black color. 

Crow catches a salmon, which is stolen by Bald Eagle. Crow asks for a gill. Eagle 
strikes Crow witli it, and thus blackens him. His own head becomes white. Wish 99. 
In a Quinault tale Crow's dress is burnt when his house catches fire Quin 92. 

(21) txa'msem and cormorant (p. 92) 

(15 versions: Ts 92; Ts 5.277; N6 43; Tl« 7; Tl 4.266; Tl 3.317; M6 300; Ska 117; 
Sk/134; BC 5.244; Ne 5.176; Ne 9.215; K 10.291; Nu ap 902; Nu Sproat' 181) 

The story how Cormorant lost his voice appears in two different 
types. One of these is connected with the story of Raven going 
fishing with Cormorant and Grizzly Bear. The other one is isolated. 
In the former case, Cormorant's tongue is pulled out by Raven in 
order to prevent him from telling how Raven had killed Gi-izzly Bear. 
In the other form, he is made dumb in order to enable Raven to steal 
his halibut without his telling on him. The tale appears in connec- 
tion with the Grizzly Bear story among the Tlingit and Newettce, 
while it appears as an isolated story in the versions collected among 
the other tribes. 

In one Tlingit version Raven goes out with Bear and Cormorant. After he has 
killed the Boar, he says to Cormorant that a louse is coming down the side of his head. 
He puts it on Cormorant's tongue, wluch he then pulls out. Theji Cormorant finds 
himself unable to tell about the murder of the Bear. Raven tells him to speak, but 
he only gabbles. He says, " That is how Cormorant shall speak." Then he puts the 
Bear's bod)' behind a point and goes ashore Tla. 

In another Tlingit version the Cormorant incident appears in the same connection. 
Cormorant wants to tell the Bear's wives that the Bear has been killed, and asks 
Raven ashore. After they have landed. Raven tells him about the louse. Cormo- 
rant asks to have it put in his hand; but Raven says, "No, it bit you, bite it also!" 
Then he tears out Cormorant's tongue and asks him to speak. He says then, "Tliat 
is the way your ancestors spoke." The story continues here, telling how Raven gave 
the halibut bladders to the Bear's wives, and how he killed them Tl 4. 

In one of the Newettee versions the story appears in the same connection. First 
Raven kills the spring salmon, then he gives the animals the colors that they have 
at the present time, and next he goes halibut fishing with Cormorant and Bear. 
Raven catches many, Cormorant two, the Bear none. He causes Cormorant to Idll 
the Bear; but the incident of tearing out Cormorant's tongue is not mentioned, evi- 
dently because the story is rot fully told Ne 5. That it is known in this region is 
shown by the fact that it reappears in another New jttee version. 

After killing the spring salmon, he puts it on as a belt and goes halibut fishing with 
Bear, Cormorant, and Gum. Then he kills Bear. He puts the louse on Cormorant's 
tongue, pulls it out, and Cormorant can only .say "a'lElElE!" Ne 9. 

Cormorant appears in his own canoe while Raven is killing Bear. Cormorant asks 
for some of the gum that Raven is chewing. He pretends to want to put it into 
Cormorant's mouth, and tears out his tongue Nu ap. 

1 Scenes and Studies of Savage Life, London, 1S68. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 679 

A misunderstood version of this tale, in which Loon is substituted 
for Cormorant, is told by Sproat (Nu vSproat 181). 

The Bellacoola version seems to be a somewhat confused account 
of the Bear and Cormorant incident. 

Raven goes fishing for halibut with Cormorant, each in his own canoe. Cormorant 
catches many. Raven only one small fish. He says to Cormorant that he caught 
many, and tells him that he has been using his tongue for bait. Thereupon Cormo- 
rant cuts off his own tongue, and Raven steals his fish BC .5.244. 

The self-mutilation evidently does not belong in this story, but has 
been transferred from the Bear story. 

Wliile it is characteristic of these versions that Eaven, on account 
of the use he makes of the salmon tail, is successful, in the other grotip 
of tales Cormorant is always successful, Raven unsuccessful. 

Raven's sister, Loon, has married Cormorant, who is a good fisherman. Raven goes 
out fishing with him, and catches nothing. He says, "There is a big louse on your 
head." catches it, and then he says, "It bit you, now bite it also! " He makes Cor- 
morant put out his tongue, which he tears out. When he makes him epeak, Cormo- 
rant can sayonly "Wule." Raven says, "Thatis the way your uncles used to speak." 
Then he causes Beai to fall on his knif9; and after he gets back, he induces his sister 
to cut the backs of her hands, and kills her also Tl 5. 

Cormorant marries Siwa's. When they go fishing, he catches much halibut; Raven, 
only one small one. He says to Cormorant, who is in the bow of the canoe, "Let me 
see what is on your tongue!" Cormorant opens his mouth, and Raven pulls out the 
tongue ; therefore Cormorant has no voice. Then he turns the heads of all the halibut 
toward himself, and only one small one toward Cormorant, ^^'hen they get home. Cor- 
morant motions to his wife to take the halibut, and Raven e.xplains that he wants the 
head of a big one. He says, "His voice left him while we were fishing " Sk/. 

In this tale the incident of the louse is omitted. In all probability this is inten- 
tional on the part of the narrator. 

Raven \'isits Cormorant and his wife, who possess much halibut. Before daybreak 
they start, each in his own canoe, with a mat on his knee. Cormorant catches many 
halibut. Raven nothing. Cormorant offers to give Raven some of his halibut; but 
Raven decUnes to take them and asks him to go ashore. There he catches a louse, 
pulls out Cormorant's tongue, who then can not speak. He goes back. Cormorant lies 
in the bow of his canoe, covered with a mat. Raven says, "He caught nothing, there- 
fore he put the hook in his mouth and pulled out his own tongue. ' ' Cormorant explains 
by signs what has happened. Then the people strike and scratch Raven, peck out his 
eyes, and he flies off. Therefore the cormorant is black and can not speah Ts 93. 

The Nass River version is quite similar to the last one. Raven sees much halibut 
in Cormorant's house, and goes fishing with him. \Mien he catches the louse. Cor- 
morant asks him to put it overboard. Raven pretends that this will bring bad luck, 
pulls out Cormorant's tongue, so that he can say only "Gogogo!" After coming home, 
Raven says that Chief Cormorant fainted and lost liis speech. Cormorant tries to tell 
the people that he caught hahbut N6. 

The Masset version is almost identical ■nith the preceding ones. Raven A-isits 
Ciirmorant and his wife. They go fishing, and Cormorant catches many halibut. 
Then Raven takes his louse, puts it on Cormorant's tongue, which he pulls out. Then 
Raven takes the halibut for himself. \Mien they go ashore. Cormorant points at 
them, trvdng to tell them they are his, but he can not do so M6. 

The Kwakiutl version has a somewhat different introduction. Great Inventor 
gambles with Cormorant, who wins. Since Great Inventor has continued bad luck, 
Cormorant wishes to stop. Great Inventor, however, insists that they continue. 



680 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Finally he borrows Cormorant's blanket, and before daylight they go fishing, Raven 
steeiTjig the boat. Cormorant catches many halibut, Raven none. The heads of all 
the haUbnt are directed toward Cormorant. Raven asks him to go ashore. There 
he louses him and tears out his tongue. Then he turns all the halibut the other way 
and explains to the people why Cormorant can not speak K 10. 

There are two versions the forms of which are presumably due to 
misunderstanding, but which refer to the same tale. In one it is tokl 
that the Sea Gull and the Cormorant quarrel. Raven tells Cormorant 
that when fighting he presses himself against the ground with his 
tongue. Thereupon he bites off Cormorant's tongue and transforms 
it into an olachen. This incident takes the place of the character- 
istic part of the tale of the origin of the olachen, when a bird pushes 
Sea Gull's stomach and causes him to vomit an olachen or herring (see 
p. 653). It has probably been inserted here by mistake Ska. 

In the version Ts 5 it is told that during a feast Raven gave Cor- 
morant salmon to taste, and then tore out his tongue. While this 
tale fits in very well with other tales of Raven's feast, during which 
he teases the animals and gives them their present form, this is the 
only version in which the Cormorant is introduced in this connection. 
The version was told by a half-blood woman who had been away 
from her home in Alaska for a great many years. 

There is a remarkable analogue of this story in the Old World. 
W. Grube' translates (from P. Chimkevitch) a story of the Gold of 
Amur River. 

A cannibal ogre visits two orphan sisters. He induces one of them to put her head 
on his lap. lie louses her, pretends to find a louse, which he wants to put on her 
tongue. When she opens her mouth, lie tears out the tongue and thus kills her. 

More distantly related is the tearing-out of the tongue of the 
Raven by means of a thread, which occurs in Chukchee and Koryak - 
tales. 

Raven marries two Wolf girls. They ask him to show his tongue, which they tie 
with sinews.^ The Seals treat Raven's daughter in the same manner. 

(22) TXA'MSEM kills GRIZZLY BEAR (p. 87) 

(9 versions: Ts87; N65G; Tk6; TU.265; T15.317; MiSll; Ne.J.17(i; Ne9.21.5; Nu 
ap 900. See also Sk/133; Sh 752; Klitenai 87 *) 

In a number of cases the tale of how Raven killed the Bear is con- 
nected with the story of the Spring Salmon and of the Cormorant. 
In these cases it would appear that Raven kills the Spring Salmon 
in order to be enabled to kill the Bear by decejotion. 

Raven visits Bear and his two wives. Their house is full of pro\'isions. He asks 
Bear to go halibut fishing with him. Bear says he has no bait, and Raven maintains 
that then they will cut bait from their own bodies. Raven goes secretly to catch a 

1 W. Grabe, Das Schamanentum hei den Golden (^Globus, LX.xi, p. 92, 1897). 

2 W. Jochelson, Tile Koryak, p. 153. 

' W. Bogoras, The Folk-Lore of Northeastern Asia (American Anthropologist, N. .s., vol. 4, p. 044, 1902J. 
" Franz Boas, Kutenai Tales (Bulletin 59 of Ihe B iireau of American Ethnologj'. p. S7). 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 681 

cohoes salmon, and cuts off its tail (this is here substituted for the connection with 
the Spring Salmon story which occurs in the other versions). When they go fishing, 
Raven pretends to cut bait off his own belly (evidently his testicles), showing the 
piece of salmon which he holds in front of his body. He urges Bear to do the same. 
■When Bear does so, and feels that he is dying, he rushes at Raven and tries to kill 
him, but dies before he can get at him Ts. 

The Nass River version is practically the same, with the sole exception that Raven 
gives Bear his own knife to cut himself, and that when Bear attacks him he jumps 
overboard and clings to the bow of the canoe from underneath. It is also said that 
Bear has only one wife N6. 

The Tliugit tale opens with the s])ring-salmon incident. \\'hen the birds steal jiart 
of the spring salmon, they dress themselves; that is, they take their present form. 
Raven carries along the beUy of the salmon and visits Bear and his wife. He calls 
him his aunt's son. Before entering the house he buries the salmon behind the jioint. 
Here is introduced the Bungling Host incident, the Bear letting grease drip from 
his body in order to treat Raven (see p. 096). On inquiry, Bear .says that he does not 
know of any halibut fishing-ground. Raven knows one, and invites Bear togofiphing. 
Before they start Raven gets his salmon and steers the canoe. He tells Bear how to 
take sights in order to locate the fishing-ground. Raven catches many halibut, and 
Bear asks hini what kind of bait he is using. Raven says he cut off his testicles, and 
Bear wants to do the same. Raven sharjsens his knife and tells Bear to put his scrotum 
on the thwart. Raven then cuts it, and the dying Bear falls into the water (here 
follows the Cormorant tale Tla, see ]). 678). 

In another Tlingit version tlio order of events is reversed, evidently 
erroneously. 

Raven goes with Bear and Cormorant halibut fishing. He makes Cormorant dumb 
and causes the Bear to fall on his knife Tl .5. 

Bear has two wives. Raven goes fishing with Bear and Cormorant. Bear has no 
bait. Then they make a fish-line of spruce twigs. Raven uses the salmon which he 
had killed and which he had hidden under his blanket to bait his hook. He tells 
the Bear that the bait is taken from his testicles, gives him his own sharp knife, and 
causes him to kill himself (here follows the tearing-out of Cormorant's tongue') Tl 4. 

Raven goes fishing with Bear, and Bear asks him what kind of bait he shall use. 
Raven says he gets much because he uses "other things" as bait Mb. 

Raven goes fishing with Bear and Cormorant. He uses as bait the salmon \^hich 
he has caught, and catches many, but Bear none. Upon inquiry, he tells Bear that 
he uses his testicles as bait. He convinces him by holding the salmon in front of his 
body, and induces him to allow Cormorant to cut him also. Thus the Bear is killed 
Ne5. 

Raven goes fishing with Cormorant, Bear, and Pitch. Grizzly Bear says he uses 
squid as bait, but Raven tells him to use his own testicles. In order to convince him, 
he shows the salmon, which looks like a wound. The Bear cuts himself and dies 
(the Cormorant story does not follow heie) Ne 9. 

Raven goes fishing with Bear and tells him that tne halibut bite because he uses 
his privates as bait. Thus he induces Bear to let him cut off his privates. Bear 
dies. Here follows the Cormorant incident. Then he eats the Bear and says that a 
halibut pulled him overboard Nu ap 900. 

After the killing of the Bear follows the account of the death of 
the Bear's mfe or -wives. This is missing in the Ne and Nu versions. 

He tells the women that their husband has fainted, and that in order to revive him 
they must swallow red-hot stones. He tells them to open their mouths and close their 
eyes. He throws in the red-hot stones. They tumble about, and he kills them Ts. 



682 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

lu tlie Nas3 version there is only one wife, and he tells her that she must swallow 
red-hot stones in order to secure good luck for her husband, who has not caught any- 
thing Nb. 

In a Tlingit version it is told somewhat fully how he lands, takes the halibut out 
of his boat, and tells his father's sister (that is, the Bear's wife) to take out the stomachs 
and roast them. Meanwhile he cooks some stomachs and fills them with red-hot 
stones. Then he asks the woman to wash her hands and to come and eat. At this 
moment Cormorant tries to speak to her, but she does not understand; and Raven 
eays, "People always swallow whole the food I give them." ^^■hen the Bear \\'oman 
asks for her husband, he tells her that he had not caught anything, and that he is 
sitting behind a point getting alder for new hooks. The she-bear swallows the stomach 
containing the red-hot stones and feels uneasy. Then Raven sends Cormorant for 
water, which begins to boil as soon as she drinks it. He tells Cormorant to run out, 
and follows him. The Bear Woman tumbles about and dies. Then he skins the 
two bears; and when Cormorant approaches, he slaps him behind, saying that he shall 
stay on the rocks. For this reason the Cormorant can not speak, and lives on the rocks Tla. 

He goes ashore, carrying the fish, and hides the Bear's body. He cuts out the 
Bear's bladder; and when his sister asks for her brother-in-law the Bear, Raven lies. 
Cormorant can not speak and inform her. Then Raven heats stones and cuts the 
back of the hand of his sister, so that fat drips out (this is e^^dently again an intro- 
duction of the Bungling Host story). He wraps red-hot stones in a bladder and 
swallows them. He induces his sister to do the same; and when the stones hurt her, 
he tells her to drink water, which kills her Tl 5. 

The last version is evidentlj' also somewhat confused. It is evi- 
denth' not the Bear's bladder which he cuts out, but the halibut 
bladder; and he himself does not swallow the stones, but simply 
gives them to the Bear wife, not to his own sister. 

Raven gives the halibut bladders to the Bear AVoman to swallow, and then causes 
her to drink water. The bladders swell up and kill her Tl 4. 

In this version the red-hot stones are omitted. There is evidently 
little sense in the idea that the bladders swell up and kill her. 

The Jilasset version contains the same elements, but evidently 
entirety misunderstood. The Grizzty Bear has no halibut, and 
Raven gives him red-hot stones to eat, sajang that then he ^\ill not 
feel hiuigrv. Grizzly Bear swallows foitr stones and dies M6. Tliis 
incident refers ])roperly to the Grizzly-Bear Woman, not to the 
Grizzly Bear liimself. I presume it is due to the fact that the nar- 
rator did not want to tell the manner in which the Grizzly Bear was 
kiUed. 

The attempt to kill people by letting them swallow red-hot stones 
occurs also in other combinations. It is one of the tests to which a 
young man is subjected (Sk2'21, Co 5.66, see p. 809). In a Quinault 
story a monster woman is killed by first swallowing five red-hot stones 
^Yrapped in fat and then drinking water (Quin 116). Coyote puts a 
hollow tube through his body and drops five red-hot stones through 
it. Thus he induces Grizzly Bear to imitate his action, and kills 
him (Wish 16.5, Kath 149). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 683 

An analogous incident is the killing of the Wolf by means of liot 
food Sh 752; and the attempt to kill the Transformer by means of a 
red-hot stone, Kutenai 87. 

In the Skidegate Raven tale an incident analogous to the killing of Grizzly Bear 
is inserted in the story of Raven offering his sister in marriage. He calls the animals 
and looks at their backsides, ^^'hen they are lean, he refuses them. lie accepts Sea 
Lion. Raven's sister and Sea Lion have two children. One day Raven and Sea Lion 
go out fishing, and Raven wishes for all the halibut to come to him only. Sea Lion 
asks him how he secures good luck, and Raven replies that he uses parts of his body 
for bait. Raven then cuts Sea Lion, kills him, and eats the fat. He goes home 
wailing for his sister's htisband Sk/. 

(23) txa'msem kills little pitch (p. 86) 

(9 veraions: Ts 86; N6 58; Tl 4.2G5; lie 337; Ri MS; Ne 5.179; Ne 9.215; K 11.180; 

Co 5.64) 

After his ankle has been broken in the house of the Shadows, he comes to the house 
of Little Pitch and his wife. The woman puts pitch on his sore ankle Ts [lie reaches 
the house of Pitch and his wife N6; the Pitch people town Mi']. He aslvs Pitch to go 
fi,shuig with him, and Pitch says that he can go fishing oidy before sunrise (all ^-ersions) 
[his wife always calls him before day Co 5]. 

In some of the versions Pitch shows some reluctance to accompany 
Raven. 

In Ne 5 he says that he has no hook, then no line, no club, no blanket, but Raven 
lends him his own. In Co 5 Pitch is a blind person who goes fishing red cod eveiy 
night. In K 11 the fishing-bank which they visit is named DzE'mbax'i. In Tl 4 
the stoiy is introduced by stating that Pitch has much halibut, and Raven asks 
him to show him his fishing-ground. In Mc we learn of a whole town of Pitch people, 
and Raven goes fishing with one of them in the dark. 

Raven kills no halibut; and when Pitch desires to return when the sun i-ises, he 
tells him to lie down in the bow of the canoe and cover himself with a mat Ts, Mc 
[Pitch lies down in the bow of the canoe and is covered with a mat N6, K 11]. Then 
Raven calls him from time to time, and Pitch's voice gets weaker and weaker Ts, N6, 
Ne 5. Ne 9, K 11 [Pitch coughs when he gets warm, and is told to cover himself with 
a mat Mc]. When his voice is very weak. Raven hauls up the line and pretends to 
paddle, but puts his paddles into the water edgewise N6 (probably also Ts). The 
pitch melts and runs over the halibut, therefore these are hlach on one side Ts, N6 [Tl 4 
states that after Pitch's death Raven stole his provisions]. 

In three versions the murder of Pitch is connected with the story 
of the war against the Thunderbirds. Raven takes home the j^itch 
that is gathered in the canoe in order to calk the artificial whale that 
the animals have made. 

Raven wants Pitch to accompany him to make war on the Thunderbird. Pitch's 
mother, however, does not want to let him go, for fear that he might melt. Next 
Raven asks Frost to go along. His mother does not want to let him go, but he prom- 
ises to cover him. They go out together, but both Gum and Frost melt in the sun. 
Raven calls them, and their voices become weaker and weaker Ri MS. 

In Ne 5 Pitch is in his own canoe, which Raven takes ashore. In 
K 11 Great Iiiventor takes home the pitch that he has thus obtained. 

In the Tsimshian version as soon as Pitch dies, his house becomes 
changed into a green spruce tree with a drop of jjitch. The canoe 



684 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ETH. ANN. 31 

itself becomes a spruce loji;. This is analogous to similar incidents 
that occur in the Tlingit version, in which, for instance, the Deer's 
house disappears when the Deer is killed. 

The version Ne 9 differs strongly from the rest. Here it is said 
that Pitch is sent up a tree to get fuel ; and while he is up above, a 
fire is made underneath. The story is connected with the killing of 
Bear and Cormorant. It has no parallel on other parts of the coast, 
and is probably an individual variant. 

The killing of Pitch is treated as a separate story among the Comox. 
There Pitch is called Momhana'tc. He is a blind man who is killed 
by the rays of the sun. The story then continues, telling how his 
two sons make war against the Sun, and themselves become sun and 
moon Co 5. 

(24) FISHERMEN BREAK OFF TXA'MSEM's JAW (p. 74) 

(10 vemons: Ts 74; Nfi 50; Tk 8; Tlh 84; Tl 5.314; Kai 8.238; Md 338; Ska 125; 

Ne 5.172; Loucheux ' 15) 

Tliis story is practically identical in all the different versions 
recorded. Raven comes to the town of people fishing for halibut, 
and wants to steal the bait of the fishermen. He dives, and eats it 
off from the hooks. Eventually his beak is caught and he is pulled 
up. He resists vigorously, first holding on to the bottom, and then 
putting his feet against the bottom of the canoe. Finally the fisher- 
men tear off his beak. They take it home, and pass it about, wonder- 
ing what it may be. Meanwhile Raven goes into the woods and 
makes an artificial jaw of wood or bark, or he simply goes to the vil- 
lage, covering his face. He asks to be allowed to look at the beak, 
too. The end of the tale has two different forms. In one case he 
puts on the beak and flies away; in the other one he tells the people 
first that the adventure portends evil, and advises them to leave the 
village, then he eats all their provisions. 

Raven comes to a lar^e town; and when he steals the bait, the people do not know 
how it disappears. "WTien caught, he holds on to the rocks at the bottom and asks 
them to help him. Finally he tolls his jaw to break off. It has a long beard. The 
people look at it first in the chief's house, and later on the gamblers examine it on the 
beach. Raven says, "I am always doing something to myself," then goes back to 
the village holding a blanket over his mouth. He looks at the jaw, causes the people 
to forget it, puts it on, and flies away Ts. 

The Nass version is identical with the Tsimshian version. Mr. 
Tate has evidently taken the former as a model N6. 

Raven sees people using fat or their bait. He dives for it. 'When he is caught, 
the line tiums fast. He kicks against the bottom of the canoe, and his nose comes off. 
The people examine it, and say it must be the nose of Gonaqade't. They put eagle 
down on it and hang it on the wall. Meanwhile Raven makes a nose of spruce gum, 

' Fraak Russell, Athabascan Myths {Journal of Amakan Folk-Lore, vol. xm). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 685 

pulls his hat over his face, goes to the town, and says, "I wonder in what house are 
the people who caught Gonaqade't's nose!" He is shown the nose in the chief's 
house, requests to be allowed to examine it, asks the people to uncover the smoke hole, 
puts on the nose, and flies awaj' Tlo. 

■RTien eating bait, he is pulled up, puts his feet against the bottom of the canoe, and 
the fishermen by joint efforts pull his nose off. He makes a new nose of bark covered 
with pitch, goes to the village, where the people tell him that the nose is in the cliief 's 
house. He examines it, and says that this portends that the people will come to fight . 
Then he is gi\'en the nose, and the inference is that the people leave, and he eats their 
provisions Tl 5. 

In the version Kai 8 no details are given. 

In the Masset version he eats the bait of the fishermen and then goes to their town. 
He is told what is happening and expresses siu'prise. Another time when he does 
the same, the fishermen catch liis beak. The line moves violently. He holds on to 
the seaweeds at the bottom of the sea. ^\'hen pulled up, he holds the bottom of the 
canoe with his arms. Then his beak breaks off. The fishermen examine the beak, 
and Raven comes, covering his face with his blanket. He says, "^^'hen tliis happened 
before, people were hardly able to save themselves." Therefore the people move 
away. He eats all their food and puts the beak back in its place Md. 

In the Skidegate version the whole story is expanded, and the 
origin of Screech Owl's beak is inserted. In other versions this inci- 
dent stands by itself (see p. 664). 

The people in Ku'ndji are fishing for flounder and use salmon roe for bait. Raven 
assumes the shape of a flounder and steals the bait (this is evidently a rationalizing 
insertion). His beak is pulled off. The gamblers hand it to and fro, examining it. 
Then Raven comes, looks at it, and says, "It is made of salmon roe." He calls 
Scree<'h Owl, pidls off his beak, puts it on liimself, and gives Screech Owl another 
beak Skd. 

O'^ieal dives for the bait. The fishermen think that a shark has eaten it. The 
chief ties a quill to his line, which Raven is unable to bite through. He is pulled up, 
and puts his feet against the bottom of the canoe. Then his beak is torn off. He puts 
on an artificial nose. In the form of an old woman he goes to the village and inquires 
for the nose, which is in the chief's house drying over the fire. He puts it on and flies 
away tln'ough the smoke hole, which is so small that ho can hardly squeeze through 
Ne 5. 

This last incident is probably suggested by the numerous tales in 
which Raven flies throtigh the smoke hole, and, being caught in it, 
becomes black. 

The following incident is added in the Skidegate version: 

He goes again to steal bait, is caught and pulled up to the surface and given to a 
child. A stick is pushed tlirough his body and is put over the fire. ^Mien his back 
becomes warm, he wishes the people to leave the hoiL^^e, and then flies away. The 
child to whom he has been given shouts, "My food is flying away, mother!" Ska. 
The same storj' is referred to in another connection in Sk 74. 

The Loucheux tale does not contain the loss of the beak, but it is merely said that 
the people took liis beak away from him. He comes down the river on several rafts, 
which he mans with what seem to be people, and by a ruse recovers his beak. 

(25) THE ORIGIN OF THE BULLHEAD (p. 71 ) 

(3 ver.sions: Ts 71; N6 37; Tlo 18. See also Ne 0.207; Ne 11.223; Co 5.63 

As part of the Eaven cycle, this story has been recorded only among 
the Tlingit, Tsimshian. and Nass. When Raven can not catch the 



686 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 

bullhead, he makes a movement as though taking hold of it, and by 
doing BO squeezes its tail so that it becomes long. 

In the Tlingit version he calls Sculpin his uncle's son, and says 
that the two at one time, when going alone in a canoe, fell into the 
water. He seizes it several times, and each time the tail becomes 
smaller Tla. 

A somewhat similar incident occiu^ in the Qla'neqe^lak" tale Ne 9, 
Ne 1 1 . He takes a shaman out of his canoe, draws out his hmd end, 
and transforms him into a perch (see No. 5, p. 589). 

(26) txa'msem and the chhdren (p. 75) 

(a) Children Play with Bluhber 

(7 versions: Ts 75; N6 42; Tla 5; T15 92; M6 298; Ska 129; Hai 5.309. See also Co 5.79) 

Two different forms of this story have been recorded. In one of 
them Raven steals the food of children, who play ball with it; and in 
the other one he induces the animals to pelt him with sea eggs. 

Children throw about pieces of whale blubber [seal blubber N6]; Raven catches 
and eats it; the children do not know what becomes of it Ts. 

Boys throw about fat; Raven catches and swaOows it, and pelts the boys with dog's 
manure Tla. 

Children cut off pieces of fat from sea lions, seals, and porpoise, and throw them 
about; Raven aa.sumes the .shape of a child, catches and eats the fat T16. 

Children are playing [ball with seal meat Hai 5], and Raven asks to be allowed to 
play with them; when they refuse, he tells them that his father and grandfather 
[parents Hai 5] are out hunting, and that they will win a great deal by playing with 
him; then he joins them, and catches and eats their hair-seal Skn 129 [he catches the 
seal meat and puts it into a bag Hai 5]. 

Crows are throwing about hair-seal; Raven asks to be allowed to play with them, is 
refused, and eats it while they are not looking M5. 

The Tsimshian and Nass River versions continue differently. 

Raven asks where tliey get the fat. The children reply that they obtain it by 
climbing trees and throwing themselves down, and that, when striking the ground, 
they say, "Piles of blubber." Raven tries to imitate them and hurts himself Ts, N6. 

The Comox have a similar story: Raven induces a man to pelt him with tallow 
that Raven eats Co 5.79. 

(h) Raven is Pelted with Sea Eggs 

(2 versions: Ska 127; Mo 321) 

The second form of the incident, teUing how Raven induces the 
animals to throw sea eggs at him, has been recorded only from the 
Haida. 

Raven calls animak, who arrive in canoes; ho comes oiit of his house dressed shab- 
bily; when he speaks, they do not understand him, but Porpoise Woman can hear 
what he says; she interprets his words, saying that he wants them to fight him with 
abalones and sea eggs; they throw these at him, and he eats them Ska. 

The Duck people are gathering sea eggs in canoes; Raven puts mud on his clothing 
and scolds them, telling them to throw sea eggs at him; they do so, the points stick 
in his blanket, and he eats the sea eggs; then they beat him Ma. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 687 

A similar incident, of Porpoise being able to hear what Raven says 
and interpreting it occurs in tlie tales Nos. 166 and 167, p. 577 
(Kai 8.234, Na 70). 

(27, 2S) TXA'mSEM FRIGHTEXS AWAY THE OWXERS OF A WHALE (p. 7l) 

(a) Whale Swallows Raven 

(13 versions: Tla 12; T16 91; Tl 5.315; M6 294; SkrflSl; Skg 145; Hai Dawson 1.152 B; 
Ne 5.171; Nu 5.101; Coa 5.74; Co6 5.75; Cow 5.51; Esk Nelson 464. See also 
U 282; pp. 611, 659, 718, 868) 

The story as told in the present collection forms the second part of 
the story of the whale swallowing Raven. The first part has not 
been recorded among the Tsimshian. 

Raven sees a whale blowing and coming up with open mouth Tla. He sees a whale 
way out at sea T15. He calls to a whale, " Hahai'ya, AATiale, swallow me!" M6. He 
wishes a whale to swallow him Skrf, Ski?. Then he is swallowed by the whale Tl 5, M6 
[he flies into the whale's mouth T16]. Dawson mentions the same story without 
details. He asks the whale to swallow him Esk. 

Raven and Mink meet the A\Tiale. Raven asks Whale to ferry them across the sea. 
Then they go into his stomach through the open mouth Ne 5. 

The Whale has devoured Kwo'tiath's mother. He and his brothers acquire the 
ability to withstand the heat of boiling water. They tie together two canoes and 
induce the ^\'hale t(3 swallow them Nu 5. 

Mink is catching herring with a rake. A "WTiale is scaring away the herrings, and 
Mink scolds him, saying that he has a bad smell. Then Whale swallows Mink and 
his canoe Co6 5. 

A mixed story, telling how Mink killed a monster obstructing Fraser River by 
eating salmon inside and finally cutting the monster's heart, is told by the Thomp- 
son Indians U 282. 

The next part of the story tells how Raven lives in the stomach of 
the Whale. 

Before going in, he takes a knife and fire-making apparatus. AMien he flies in, he 
sits down at the farther end of the stomach Tla. 

Raven sees the uvula of the \\liale, which looks like an old woman and makes a 
noise whenever the Whale rises, ^\'hen it moves aside, food pours in. The Raven 
cooks the food and eats it Tla. 

He takes along pitch wood and rocks used for making fire T16, and starts a fire 
inside T16, Tl 5. Mink makes a fire in the Whale's stomach and dries the herrings 
that Whale is eating Coo 5. He cooks the food that WTiale eats T16. 

The Whale's inua feeds him. A lamp is kept burning by oil dripping into it from 
a tube Esk. 

Finally Raven cuts the TMiale's heart Tla, T16. The 'WTiale asks him not to cut 
his heart. Raven pecks at it, and the Whale feels the pain. After Raven has done 
so several times, the \A'hale dies M6. Raven eats up its insides and kills it Skrf, Nu. 
He tears the tube from which oil drips Esk. 

MTien they are in XMiale's stomach, Raven pinches Mink so that he cries. The 
'Whale asks why Mink is crying, and Raven replies that he is hungry. The 'WTiale 
allows them to cut off some of his flesh, but warns them not to cut Ms heart. Imme- 
diately after this Raven cuts the Whale's throat Ne 5. 

AMienever the \Miale comes up. Mink shouts, "A whale swallowed me!" therefore 
the people learn about it. ^\'henever the Whale moves, tlie herrings that Mink is 
drj-ing in the ^^^lale's stomach drop down. Besides this, the stomach is liot. There- 
fore Mink cuts the Whale's throat Co6 5. 

Raven is thus imprisoned in the whale, and wishes it to drift 
ashore. This happens. The people fuid the whale, cut it open, and 
he fhes away. 



688 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY tEin. axn. 81 

Raven wishes the whale to tloat ashore on a sandy beach. It does so Tla, T16, Tl 5. 
Ho wishes it to drift ashore in front of a town Skd. Aiter the whale has been killed, 
it strands. Then Raven wishes a noble person to cut the whale T16, Skg [young 
4)eople hear a voice saying, "I wonder who will make a hole on top, so that he can 
be my friend!" Tla]. Young people who find the whale report at home Tla, T16 
[children playing on the beach with bow and arrow find the whale and report Tl 5]. 
The jieople come and hear the Raven's words, cut a hole into the whale from the top 
Tla [he wishes somebody to cut down from the top Tl 5]. Then the people cut down 
to the stomach, and Raven flies away Tib, Skd, Skg. He flies away, crj-ing "Xone'-e!" 
Tla [crjdng "Kola'!" Tl 5; crying "Q.'dne"' T16]. [Raven makes a hole right over 
the heart, and comes out and eats the whale M5.] The people cut the whale, and 
find the spot where Raven had made a fire inside Tla. Raven flies again-st the chest 
of the young man who cut the whale, and the people run away Sk^. The whale 
lands, is cut up, and Raven flies away unobserved Esk. 

Mink and Raven can not get out. ^\'hen the whale strands, the people cut it up, 
and notice that meat ha.s been cut off. Raven and Mink make their escape, and the 
people try out the blubber Ne 5. 

The whale drifts ashore, the people cut it, and Mink, who has lost all hi.s hair, 
jumps out Co6. One of Kwotiath's brothers has lost his hair Nu. 

Another Comox version and a Cowichan version diverge so much 
from the ordinary type, that I shall give an abstract here connectedly. 

Mink obtains bait by cutting off part of liis grandmother's vulva (see No. 18, p. 585; 
p. 868). He calls the whale to take his hook. When he calls the fourth time, the 
whale bites. It pulls down Mink's canoe and swallows it Coa 5. 

Two boys are out in a canoe. They call the whale names. 'U'hen thoy do so the 
fourth time, the whale swallows them. It allows them to eat of its flesh, but tells 
them not to cut its stomach. The younger boy lifts the older one, who cuts the 
stomach with hi.s stone knife. They \rish the whale to drift ashore. The boys hear 
somebody working on a canoe, and shout. The people hear them, go to the beach, 
and hear the boys singing, "We are in the whale, we are almost scalded!" Their 
father recognizes their voices. The people cut the whale, and the boys come out. 
They have lost their hair Cow 5. 

(&) Raven Steals the Whale 

(8 versions: Ts 71; Tla 13; Tlh 91; Tl 5.316; Skrf 131; Skg 145; Ne 5.172; Esk 
Nelson 465. See also Ska 125; BO 91; H 5.233; Nu 5.106) 

Here follows the story of Raven stealing tlie whale that has been 
carved by the people. 

Ra\'en cleans his body with rotten wood Tla [with moss, and puts lichens on his 
head and face so that it looks as though he had gray hair Tl 5; he cleans himself T16]. 
^^'hen the people have tried out the oil, he dresses up and goes to the town Tla. He 
enters the village in the form of an old man Tl 5, Sk^ [of a one-eyed old woman Ne 5]. 
He pulls off the skin of an old man ' who lives at the end of the town, throws away the 
bones, and enters the skin Skd. When he sees much whale grease, he inquires how 
they caught it; and when the peojile tell him, he says that it indicates bad luck 
T16, Skrf. He asks, "Was anything heard Lu the tc.'dn?" (his word for "whale"). 
Then he says, "This is an evil omen" Tla. He tells his excrements to shout; and 
when they cry, he says, "Enemies are coining! " Tl 5, Ne 5. He forgets his fire-drill 
in the whale. When the people find it, he tells them that it is an evil omen Esk. 

The Tsimshian version, which is not connected with the tale of 
Raven swallowed by the whale, is introduced somewhat differenth". 

' See No. 66, p. 606; p. 870; Skin Shifter. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 689 

A whale has drifted ashore. Raven flies over it, turns over, and says in the Raven 
language "Tuldge gag dze el ban." The people do not know what it means. On the 
following day he sits with the gamblers, who talk about what has happened; and he 
says, "I understand it. It means that pestilence is coming " Ts 71. 

In this way he induces the people to leave, and gets possession of 
the whale, which he eats. 

Only a few versions differ in details. In Tl .5 he leaves with the other people, 
joining a number of poor people in an old canoe. A\'hen out at sea, he pulls out the 
calking, the canoe sinks, the people are dro^vned, and he flies back and takes pos- 
session of the whale Tl 5. In the version Skg the peojjle run away when the Raven 
flies against the chest of the young man who cuts open the whale. He meets them, 
asks them why they are running, and advises them to leave the camp, leaving everj'- 
thing behind. Then he eats their provisions. 

Raven's method of scaring awaj^ the people is quite similar to the 
one employed in the tale of the fishermen who tear off his beak 
(p. 684). The same idea occurs also in the Haida talfe Ska 125, tell- 
ing how the Crows made a feast of cakes of the inner bark of hem- 
lock mixed with cranberries. Raven is invited, but refuses to come. 
Then he runs away, transforms rotten logs into ten canoes, puts in 
spruce cones, which look like men, and makes the people believe that 
they are going to be attacked. 

A similar incident is introduced in the Bungling Host story among 
the Bellacoola. 

Raven is invited by the bird M6'xmuk"t. \Mien the food is served, Raven cries, 
"War, war! " runs back to his fireplace, and covers himself with ashes and frightens 
the people away BC 91. 

Squirrel invites the people, and Raven asks his excrements to shout. The people 
are frightened, run out of the house, and Raven eats the berries with which they 
were to be feasted. An old woman sees what he is doing, and tells on him H .5. 

The bird Wosne'p invites the people to a feast of salmon roe. Raven is ncit in- 
vited. He frightens the people away and eats their provisions Nu 5.106. 

(29) TXa'mSEM and his slave ' (p. 72) 

This story consists of four distinct parts — the incident of Raven 
making for himself a slave, who does not repeat properly what he 
is told to say; the tale of a visit to a chief's house, during which 
Raven's slave says that Raven does not want to eat the food offered 
to him; the tale of Raven pretending to die; and the tale of the death 
of Raven's slave while crossing a chasm. 

(a) Raven Creates a Slave, who Disobeys Tiim. 

(11 versions: Ts 72, 73; Ts 5.276; N6 39; Tl 5.314; M« ;^14, 328; lie 329; Skrf 131; 
K5.159; K9.159; K 11.131. See also U 234) 

Raven makes a slave of cedar bark and puts ornaments made of cockle-shells in his 
ear. The .slave is told to say that he is the cliief with abalone-shell ear-ornaments, 
but the slave always repeats that he wears cockle-shells Ts 5. 

Raven transforms rotten spruce wood into a slave, whom he calls Lsam [this is the 
Masset word for "butterfly"]. He makes ear-ornaments of clamshells, and asks his 

1 Including the story, T.xa'msEm Kills His Slave (p. 73). 
60633°— 31 ETH— 16 44 



690 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. Ann. 31 

slave to announce the arrival of the cliief with abalone oar-ornaments. The slave 
finally does so after a number of mistakes Ts. Later on they arrive at another village, 
and the same is repeated Ts. 

Raven wants to go to war, and makes a slave, K'ixo'm. They go to the house of 
Chief X-mo'gut, who refers to Raven's scab-eating (see p. 636) N6. 

Raven shakes a raspberry bush and tran.sform.s it into a slave, whom he calls 
Kita'ino Tl .5. 

Raven eats leavings cut off from salmon, and the salmon milt hangs out of his nose. 
He tells Eagle to say that a person with a weasel hanging from his nose is going about, 
but Eagle shouts that it is salmon milt Skrf. 

Raven meets Butterfly, who sits on top of a mountain. Butterfly has a big stomach, 
and offers to be Raven's servant Ma 314. 

Raven travels with Butterfly. Salmon heads hang from his nose. He asks Butter- 
fly to say that they are weasels, but Butterfly disobeys, and they are refused admit- 
tance to the house they want to visit Mc. 

This part of the story is evidently related to the Kwakiutl talc of 
Mink making a slave of excrement. He has killed Land Otter, and 
demands of his slave that he say he is the son of Ho'stamil (''the 
innimaerable ones;" that is, the Ghosts). 

The slave disobeys K 5.159. In two other versions he makes the slave out of his 
musk-bag, and the same happens K 9.159, K 11.131. The s;ime incident occurs in 
the Skunk story U 234. . 

[h) The Slave Eats Food Offered to Raven 
(7 versions: Ts 73; Ts 5.276; N6 39; Tl 5.315; Ma 314, 328; M6 296) 

Here begins the second part of the story, telling how they are 
invited by a chief, and how the slave pretends that Raven does not 
want to eat the food offered to him. 

They are asked into the house. The cliief offers them berries, and Raven asks hi-s 
slave to say that he Wants them. The slave, however, says that Raven does not want 
them, and eats them alone. The same happens with salmon that is offered to him Ts 5. 

They are asked into the house, given dried salmon and crabapples mixed with 
oil. Again Raven says that he wants them, but the slave says he does not want 
any, and eats them alone Ts, N6. 

Raven is offered food, but the slave says that he does not want to eat it. The slave 
alone eats, and Raven remains hungry Tl 5. 

Raven asks for food, but Butterfly repeats his request, saying that he is not hungry 
Ma 328. 

Raven and Butterfly enter the chief's carved hoase. The chief's wife asks, "^\"hat 
will the chief's son eat? " and offers him black cod. Raven tells Butterfly to accept, 
but Butterfly says that Raven does not know how to eat it. Finally Butterfly says 
the chief's son wishes some dried salmon, and he received biu-nt skins and dried 
salmon. He eats it weeping. Another version is here mentioned, according to which 
Butterfly, on behalf of his chief, accepts dried salmon soaked in urine. The slave 
also refuses crabapples mixed with grease, dried berries, and cranberries and grease, 
all of which the slave eats alone M6. 

(c) Raven Pretends to Die 
(2 versions: Ts 73; Tl 5.315) 
The third incident tells of Raven's pretended death. 
He sees a house full of codfish, and tells his slave that he will pretend to die. He 
says that codfish oil will drop into his eye, and that the slave is then to instruct the 



EOAs] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 691 

people to move away. This happens. The shi\-e ]nits him in a grave-box, which he 
ties np firmly. Then, after the people have left, the slave eats all the best codfish, 
and does not untie the box until after he has had enough Ts. 

Raven and his slave go to another village and see stores of fish oil in the eliiefs 
house. Raven tells the slave that he '(vill pretend to die. The story continues as 
before. At night fish oil drips into his eye. All day long he rubs his eye, and in the 
evening he dies. The slave sings mourning-songs, puts Raven into a box, asks 
the people to tie it up, and hangs it from a rafter. The people are sent away imder the 
pretext that disease and misfortune will come, and the slave eats all the food. Raven 
tries to get out of the box, finally breaks the rope, but there is only dry meat loft for 
him Tl 5. 

(d) Raven KiUs His Slave 

(5 versions: Ts 73; N6 40; Tl 5.315; M6 297; Sk/ 135. See also Tla 9; T16 107) 

The story of Raven and his slave ends with the death of the latter. 
They leave the house where the slave had eaten all the food and 
Raven remained hungry. 

They go out, and reach a canyon. Raven ])laces the stem of a skunk-cabbage across. 
When the slave is in the middle, the bridge breaks. He falls down, his belly bursts, 
and Raven flies down and eats the contents of the stomach, taking the food with both 
hands. Then he flies away Ts. 

The Nass River version is the same as the last, except that a stalk of wild celery 
{hoh'^) is placed across the canyon. After Raven has eaten, the slave rises and says 
to him that Raven is eating excrement N6. 

Raven travels with Butterfly. WTien they come to a fior<I, Raven places a piece of 
kelp across. Butterfly is afraid to follow. Finally, when he is in the middle of the 
kelp stem, it turns, he is drowned, and the body drifts ashore. Raven eats the intes- 
tines, and then buries him under stones. After that, he revives him, saying, "I 
thought you were lost, and now you are asleep here " Tl 5. 

Raven meets his cousin Eagle, and they travel together. Eagle eats an abundance 
of berries before Raven can get there (this is evidently a substitute for the visit to the 
chief's house). Raven puts a sharp fishbone into moss and wishes it to eriter Eagle's 
foot. Eagle steps oif it. Raven pretends to pull it out with his teeth, but pushes it 
in. Finally he pulls out the fishbone. \Mien they come to a chasm, he puts a 
grass stalk across, which he covers with moss, and which he makes look like a fallen 
tree. He carries Eagle across. When in the middle, he drops him down. Eagle's 
belly bursts. Raven flies down and eats the contents of his stomach Sk/. 

They reach a canyon. Raven places a piece of kelp across. Butterfly is afraid that 
it will turn. When Butterfly is in the middle, it tiu-ns, and Butterfly is drowned. 
Then Raven sings, ''In Raven's head toward my son!" meaning that he is moiu-ning 
him. Then he cuts Butterfly's belly and eats the contents M6. 

Somewhat different from this are two Tlingit versions which are 
evidently related to the story how Raven killed the Deer (see p. 703). 

Raven calls various animals, and finally accepts the Deer. He travels with him. 
They reach a canyon. He places a stalk of wild celery across and covers it with moss. 
Raven goes across and asks Deer to follow, \nien Deer is in the middle, the bridge 
breaks, and Deer's head is broken in the bottom of the canyon. Raven goes down 
and says, ' ' Shall I start at the root of his tail, at the eyes, or at the heart? " Then he 
begins to eat at the anus, skinning the Deer.' After this Raven pretends to be sad 
and wails Tla. 

A second version is the same, except that the bridge is made of a rotten stick, and 
the words of Raven are not given T16. 



692 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

(30) RAVEN AND EAGLE GATHER RED AND BLACK COD 

(5 versions: Tla 17; T16 121; Skd 128; Hai 5.309; H 5.232) 

Ouh' two short Tlingit versions of this story are available. 

Raven goes with his friend CAklA'k" gathering fish on the beach. Raven picka 
up small fish like bullheads and tomcod, while his friend takes large whales. There- 
fore Raven has only a small bladder filled with grease, while his friend has a whole 
houseful Tla. This is followed by a story telling how he stole CAk!A'k"'s grease. 
The second version (T16) is practically identical with the preceding one. His friend 
is called Caq!"k!". 

The Haida versions are a little fuller. Raven catches red cod ; his friend Eagle 
catches black cod. Eagle's fish is very fat, wliile that of Raven is dry. He tells 
Eagle that he is going into the woods to gather some bark, and tells him when a 
stump comes, to rub its face with black cod. Eagle puts stones into the fire; and 
when the stump comes, he rubs it with the red-hot stones. After a while Raven 
comes back bringing bark: his face is blackened. AMien asked, he says that some 
bark had fallen on his face. In reality he had taken the form of the stump, and 
Eagle had burned him Skrf. 

The version Hai 5 is about the same. Raven begs Eagle for some of his black 
cod; and when Eagle refuses to give him more, he tells him that he is going to get 
some bark to cure his fish, and that if a log should roll down, Eagle is to grease 
it. Eagle, when striking the log, says, "Do you feel it?" and the log rolls away. 
When Raven comes back, he hides his face and pretends that he has hurt it. Raven 
asks Eagle for a little oil to grease his face, but, instead of using it for this purpose, 
he eats it. Eagle gets angry and leaves him. 

The same incident is told by the Bellabella. The Master Of The Tides causes the 
sea to fall, and Raven and his sister Ha'lxa (Crow) gather fish. Raven gathers the 
beautiful red cod, while Ha'lxa takes black cod. After four days the water comes 
back. They roast their fish; and Raven finds that his are dry, while those of his 
sister are fat. He eats his sister's fish and flies away H 5. 

(31) TXa'mSEM AND THE HUNTER (p. 75) 

(8 versions: Ts 75; T16 114; Tl 5.319; Ma 322; Mc 333; Ud 338, 341; Skrf 132) 

This tale occurs in a number of distinct forms. In the Tlingit 
group it leads up to the tale of how Raven kills the seal and eats it — 
an incident which is treated independently among the southern tribes. 

Raven assumes the form of a woman, and says he is the daughter of Sea-Gull Man. 
A canoe with Killer \Miales goes liy, and she marries one of them. \Vheu the Killer 
Whales come home, they tell that they brought a wife, whose name is Sister on High 
Cliffs and Barked Hemlock's Daughter. The Killer Whales notice that their food is 
disappearing rapidly. Eventually they find, in a box with grease, the woman's 
labret, which is set -ndth abalone shell. Raven excuses himself, saying that the 
labret always goes off by itself T16. 

Parallel to this are the Haida versions. Raven takes the form of a woman and 
transforms a long slender stone into a child. A canoe passes by, and she wishes one 
of tlie hunters to marry her. When aboard the canoe, she tells the hunter that her 
child wants hair-seal. She wishes it to become foggy. At her request they cover 
her with a mat, and she eats the seal. At the same time she tlirows stones overboard, 
saj"ing that they are meat. One of the men marries her, and they gi^e her salmon roe 



BOAS] COMPAEATTVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 693 

to eat. At iiight she steals some, and her labret is found in the box. She excuses 
herself, saying that her labret is flapping its wings in her lip. as it always does when 
it wants something that smells Viad Skrf. 

Raven assumes the form of a woman, and a chief's son marries her Ma. 

Raven transforms seaweed into a child. She picks up stones, and calls the Killer 
Whales, who are passing by, to take her along. They are carrT,dng hair-seal in their 
canoe. She pinches her child so that it cries, and says it wants hair-seal ; they give her 
some, and when not obsen.ed she eats it herself. She throws s"tones into the sea, and 
says her child is throwing away the seal meat; ever\' time she does so she pinches her 
child so that it cries, and she says the child wants more meat. She marries one of 
the Killer Whales. At midnight the child cries, and she says it wants hair-seal. She 
pretends to take it outside, but steals hair-seal oil and loses her labret. ^Tieii it is 
found in the box, she says, "This is how Labret Held In Mouth always acts when 
it wants something Mc. 

Raven takes the form of a woman, and is invited to sit in the rear of a house. The 
people ask, "Why are we afraid of the eyes of the chief's child that has come in?" 
(meaning that she does not show any bashfulness) . She eats a great deal, and is asked 
to marr)' the cjiief's son. On the following day Raven and her husband are given twelve 
different kinds of food. At night Raven steals whale oil, and on coming back she tells 
her husband that she has been outside. In the morning Raven and her husband are 
placed on a mat. The mother-in-law wonders wh)' she eats so much. Raven tells her 
husband to stay at home; and when she believes she is unobser\-ed, she goes down to 
the beach and eats berries out of excrements washed ashore.' At night she steals oil, 
and her labret drops into the box. ^Tien she comes back, her husband notices that 
she smells of whale oil. At a feast she refuses to show her mouth because her labret is 
lost. It is found in the oU-box. and she says, "That is the way the little thing always 
does when it wants oil." ' Then she is sent away Mrf. 

All the Haida versions continue hero, telling how her true character 
is discovered. 

"V^Tien she goes out, her mother-in-law obser\-es that she has a tail. Raven replies, 
"This is not the first time that a Tlingit woman has had a tail" Skrf. 

In Ma she replies, "The women of the Tail People family are that way. '' However, 
she is sent away. In Mc she replies, "This is not the first time that Breech Clout 
■women have had tails." 

In Mrf the incident is somewhat modified. She is seen by the people of a town, 
who ask why she has a peculiar gait. Raven replies, "Is this the first time you have 
seen women of the Tail Hanging From The Back family?' ' The incident precedes the 
labret incident, and I presume has been misplaced by the narrator. 

The Haida version Skd adds another incident at the end. 
Raven tells her husband that people will come to get her. She transforms excre- 
ment into people, who melt when they are placed near the fire. Then Raven flies away. 

As stated before, the Tlingit versions conclude ^^ath the tale of 
Raven killing and eating the seal. 

After Raven has been married by the chief's son, she tells her husband that she had 
a bad dream. At night she kills her husband with a sharp stick. She tells the people 
that her husband had asked to be buried away from the town. When she goes wailing, 
she requests the people not to pass by. She asks them to tie up the fingers of her right 
hand, and tells them to bring her food from time to time. She has her face painted 
black. "When she is sitting by her husband's 1 lody wailing, she eats of it. She comes 
home, apparently chewing gum ; and when asked for it, she says that she alone can eat 
it T16. 



I See also p. 773. 



694 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [etii. axn-. 31 

In another Tlingit version the incident of the loss of tlie hibret is 
omitted, and only the killing of the husband is referred to. 

Raven goes to visit the chief of the Seals. He assumes the shape of a woman and 
transforms a mink into a child. The chief's son marries her. The man goes out hunting, 
and on returning washes himself in the house. One day when he goes out, Raven 
pinches the child and makes it cry. The man hears it and returns at once. The 
woman remarks that this is an evil omen. At night she presses Mink on his mouth 
and suffocates him; then she cries and wants him liuried behind a point of land. 
She wails at the grave. Another man wants to marry her, and sees her sitting liy the 
body and pecking it. Then the people catch Raven, smoke him, and make him black 
T15. 

The Tsimshian version told in our present collection differs in type 
from all the preceding ones. It seems quite possible that the version 
is fragmentary. 

Raven sees a canoe with four hunters, assumes the form of a woman, and is taken 
aboard. She carries a child which is crying. She says the child cries because it wants 
gisox. The men give her seal. When they are asleep. Raven eats all theirgame. On 
the following morning the chief sees that Raven looks like a man. They recognize 
him, and the child turns into a crow Ts. (Compare No. 33, p. 702.) 

(32) TXa'mSEM imitates CHIEF SEAL (BUNGLING HOST,' ]>. 90) 

The tale of the Trickster who visits his friends, is treated by them 
in a magical way, and tries to return the hospitahty, is one of the 
most wadcly spread themes among the North American Indians. 
There are a number of distinct types of these tales, each of which 
shows a characteristic distribution. Perhaps the most \\'idely spread 
type of these tales is the one in which it is described how the host 
takes a part of his own body, which he cuts out or puUs out, or obtains 
in some other manner, and which he uses for treating his visitor. 
On the North Pacific coast this type occurs particularly in the form 
of the seal or bear heating his hands in front of the fire, and letting 
oil drip out of them into a dish; and in the other one, in which a bird, 
generally the Idngfisher or a related water bird, strikes his ankle 
with a stone, and takes out a salmon egg, which he proceeds to boil, 
thus i^reparing a dish for his guest. In other jDarts of the continent 

1 Including the stories of Txa'msEm imitating Chief Kingfisher and Thrush (p. 91). The following 
additional lileratuje has been utilized in the discussion of this theme: 

Wishram and Wasco: E.Sapir, Wishram Texts (.Publications of the American Ethnological Society, vol. 
n), Leyden, Brill, 1909.— Takelma: Edward Sapir, Takelma Texts ( University of Pennsylvania, Tin 
Museum Publications, vol. n, p. 51).— Shoshoni: R. H. Lowio, The Northern Shoshone {Anthropological 
Papers of the American Museum of Natural Uistory, vol. n). — Ute: A. L. Kroeber, Ute Tales (Journal 
of American Folk-Lore, vol. XTV).—Ropi: H. R. Voth, Traditions of the Hopi (Field Columbian Museum. 
Anthropological Series, vol. vra).— Navaho: Washington Matthews, Navaho Legends (Memoirs of the 
American Folk-Lore Society, vol. v). — Apache: P. E. Goddard, Jicarilla Apache Texts (Anthropological 
Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, vol. vm); Mescalero Apache (personal communication 
from Dr. Goddard).— Apache: Frank Russell, " Myths of the Jicarilla Apaches" (Journal of American 
Folk-Lore, vol. XI, 189S).— Wichita: G. A. Dorsey, Mythology of the Wichita (Carnegie Institution of 
Washington, Publication 20-— Caddo: G. A. Dorsey, Traditions of the Caddo (ibid., PuWica(!on 41).— 
Pawnee: G. A. Dorsey, Traditions of the Skidi Pa^vnee ( Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society, vol. 
vm).— Bilo.xi: J. Owen Dorsey, Two Biloxi Tales (Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. vi).— Yuchi: 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 695 

the method of procuring food is set forth differently. The bear or 
some other animal cuts pieces of meat or fat from his own body, or 
the animal puUs out blood or some other material from its body by 
means of a shaqi stick or an arrow, or shoots itself and pulls out 
part of the body, and the material thus obtained is transformed into 
food that is given to the guest. (Characteristic for the North Pacific 
coast is also the production of food by the song of a bird. Outside of 
the Pacific coast we find very commonly the idea of an animal gath- 
ering wood or other material, which is transformed into food; or the 
idea that an animal kills his children, who are transformed into food 
and then revived. This idea is not by any means absent from the 
North Pacific coast; it does not occur, however, in the setting of the 
Bmigling Host stories, but it belongs to the type of tales telhng of 
the \'isit of animals to the vSalmon country. 

The tale having the widest distribution is that of the Fish Hawk 
or Kingfisher, who jumps into the water, diving for fish. This occurs 
practically over the whole of North America, apparently with the 
sole exception of the northern part of the North Pacific coast. 

In the following I shall treat the story of the Bungling Host accord- 
ing to the various types of hospitality offered. 

(a) TTie Host Lets Oil Drip Out Of Ills Hands 

(17 versions: Ts 90; Nfc 46; Mo 323; Skrf 133; BC 93; BC 5.245; Ne 5.177; Ne 
9.237; K 11.159; Nu 5.106; Co 5.76; Se 51; Squ 5.57; Ntl Hill-Tout 2.575; Ntl 
Teit 2.40; Ntl Teit 3.301; Sh 627. See also TIa 6) 

This story is told of Seal and Sea Lion Skrf; of the Seal Ts, N6, BC 5, Ne 5, K 11, 
Co 5; of Raven's sister, the Seal Se 51; of Raven's brother Squ 5.57; of Young Seal 
BC. It is said that Young Seal washes and heats liLs hands Ne 9. In place of Young 
Seal we find the Bear acting the host in this way in Nu 5, Ntl Hill-Tout 2, Ntl Teit 2; 
a person called Oil Man in Sh 627. More distantly related to this group is the Masset 
story of Greatest Eagle, who lets grease run out of his hands Ma. 

The story Se continues here differently. Seal's twelve daughters are sent home 
with Raven one after another, and he clubs them while they are drinking. Finally 
Raven is turned into stone. 

This incident occurs in connection with the killing of the Bear (see p. 081) in Tla 6. 

F. G. Speck, Ethnology of the Yuchi Indians (University of Pennsylvania, Anthropological Publications 
ufllic University Museum, vol. 1, tio. 1).— Cherokee: James Mooney, Myths of the Cherotee (Nineteenth 
Annual lieport of the Bureau of American Ethnology, part 1). — Alabama, Creek, Natchez: John R.Swant on, 
'■.\nimal Stories from the Indians of the Muskhogean Stock " (Journal of A merican Foll:-Lore, vol. xx\i, 
l:il3. p. 19S) — Hitchiti: Personal communioation ^om Dr. John R. Swanton.— Fo.x: William Jones, 
Fox Texts (Publications of the American Ethnological Society, vol. i), Leyden, Brill, 1907; Kickapoo: 
William Jones, Kickapoo Texts (ibid., vol. ix). Leyden, Brill, 1915.— Ponca: J. Owen Dorsey (Contribu- 
tions to North American Ethnology, vol, vi).— Crow: Commmiication from R, H. Lowie. — Arapaho: 
Dorsey and Kroelier, Traditions of the Arapaho (Field Columbian Museum, Anthropological Series, vol. 
v).— Micmac: Silas T, Rand, Legends of the Micmac (reprinted in Leland, 20S); Frank G. Speck, " Some 
Micmac Tales from Cape Breton Island" (Journal of American Folk-Lorc, vol, sxvTIi, 1915, p. 64). — 
Ojibwa: H, R, Schoolcraft, The Myth of Hiawatha (Philadelphia, 1856); Paul Radm, Some Myths and 
Talesof the Ojibwa of Southeastern Ontario (Memoir 48, Geological Survey of Canada}, Ottawa, 1914; 
Frank G, Speck, Myths and Folk-lore of the Tlmiskaming .\lgonquin and Timagami Ojibwa ( J/cmofr 
71, ibid.); William Jones, Ojibwa Texts (Publications of the American Ethnological Society, %TI),— Penob- 
scot: Frank G. Speck, ■■ Penobscot Tales" (Journal of Amirican Folk-Lore, vol, s.xvra, 1915, p, 52).— 
Cora: Th. Preuss, Die Nayarit Expedition.— Kutenai: Franz Boas, Kutenai Tales (Bulletin B9, Bureau of 
American Ethnology). 



696 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ibth. ann. 31 

(b) Birds Produce Food by Their Song 

(8 versions: Ts 91; N6 49; BC 5.245; BC 93; K 9.151; Chil 18; Quiu 89; Lku'ngEn 

Hill-Tout 7.348, Squ Hill-Tout 3.529. See also Ts 181; M589; K 10.298; K 11.148; 

Nu 5.103; Co 5.68, 82; Sts 5.34) 

As indicated before, the incident i.g not confined to the Bungling Host tale. 
Farther south it forms part of the story of Thunderbird's theft of a woman K 10.295; 
K 11.148; Nu 5.103; Co 5.82; Sts5.34(see No. 436, p. 712). It occurs in connection 
with the Test theme (see p. 806). A young man is sent to pick berries in winter. He 
asks his grandfather, a water spirit, to whistle. When the spirit does, so, bushes 
sprout, bloom, and bear fruit Co 5.68 (also Squ 3.529) when birds whistle. In M589 
the incident appears as part of a shamanistic performance. A bird that is kept in 
the innermost one of a set of five boxes sings. First skunk-cabbage grows; then sal- 
monberries sprout and ripen. 

This type of story is developed most clearly in tlie area inhabited by the Tsimshian, 
Bellacoola, and Kwakiutl tribes. It seems that it is generally the Tlirush that pro- 
duces berries in this way. In Ts the Thrush sings, " Miyu gumlh gumtk gumik 
gumikl" in N6, "Miyd' miyd'l " in BC, "Aix''aox>ne zone zone qad\ " or in BC 5, 
" Aixoaxa'nal " in K 9, "WaxwaocolldzEli'dzEll'dzEll'V In the Chilcotin version it 
is merely stated that the bird Yeenaxon fills a basket with berries by means of magic. 
It seems likely, however, that this story is related to the Bellacoola story. In the 
Quinault version the bird Kwet, a small warbler, sends his wife and daughters into 
the woods to get salmonberries, and they fill six large baskets in a very short time. 
In the LkungEn version (Hill-Tout 7) the bird Cwot sings, and a blackberry bush 
begins to sprout. This is followed by the story oi Raven carrying a per.son all over 
the world until finally he drops into the sea, (see No. 185, p. 578). In Squ 3.529 
Hummingbird, Bumblebee, and Wren fly about salmonberries produced by magic, 
and ripen them. 

In our series the magical song of the robin breaks up the ice Ts 181. 

(c) Birds Produce Salmon Eggs by Striking the AnJcle 

(aversions: Ts 91; N6 4S; Skrf 132; BC 93; Ne 5.177; K 9.153; K 11.150; Co 5.76; 

Chil 18) 

In Ts Kingfisher strikes his ankle with a smooth stone, and salmon eggs pour out and 
fill a dish. In the Haida version Skd Water Ousel drives a stick into his leg, and 
salmon roe run out in a stream. In K 9 and K 11 A^'ater Ousel places four boxes 
belonging to Thrush on the floor of the house. He puts his leg over the box and 
strikes his ankle with a long stone: salmon roe squirt out and fill the box. In the 
Nass version N6 the bird is called Ts'snk'Oa'ts. He strikes his foot with a stone and 
pulls out fish roe. Among the Bellacoola the bird Maxuatla'laqa holds h's foot over a 
box and cuts it with a stone knife: salmon eggs drop out and fill the box BC. Among 
the Newettee it is stated that the bird G'ile'xwitsa cuts his ankle, and salmon roe drop 
out Ne 5. In the Comox version the bird Ma'melaxuitsa invites the animals, cuts 
his ankle, and salmon roe chop out, which fill the dishes. In the Chilcotin version 
the bird Nu'silxa'tsi, a small black water fowl, taps his foot with a stone, and 
salmon roe fall out and fill the dish. 

(d) An Animal Cuts Its Hands or Feet 

(23 versions: Tla 6; [Tl 5.317]; Lil 305; Quin 87; Chin 180; Wish 145; Cherokee 273; 
Yuchi 153; Natchez 198; Hitchiti; Alabama 198; Micmac 302; Pawnee 245, 267; 
Apache [Russell] 265; [Takelma 51];— Sh 627; Sh 739; Lil 305; Crow; Ojibwa 
[Schoolcraft] 43-47; [Jones] 299; Hopi 209; Cora 202) 

This form does not belong to the North Pacific coast, where it occurs only among 
the Tlingit. In Tla it is told that the Bear slits the backs of his hands, and that 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 697 

tlie grease runs out; and that he cuts out a piece of flesh in front of his tliighs, which 
lie gives to his guest. It is also introduced in the story of the killing of Grizzly 
Bear, Tl 5.317. The story does not occur again until we reach the Quinault in 
Washington, where it is said that Bear cuts the sole of his foot, heats it, and lets fat 
run out. Among the Chinook he cuts foot and thigh and cuts meat off. Among the 
Wishram, Deer cuts meat from his body. In the ( 'herokee tale the Bear slits his side 
and lets oil run out. In that of the Yuchi the Bear cuts fat from his entrails. In 
the Natchez version, Bear cooks a piece of his own flesh, cuts himself, and lets grease 
run out into beans that he ia cooking. His guest is Rabbit.' The Hitchiti version 
is identical with the Natchez tale. In the Alabama version Bear invites Rabbit to 
smoke with him. In Micmac he cuts pieces from the soles of his feet. Here probably 
belongs also the Pawnee tale, in which it is told that Coyote wants to cut off part of 
Bear's loins. 

The Elk is substituted for tlie Bear by the Apache [Russell]. He cuts off steaks 
from his hind quarter. 

Among the Takelma the story of the Bungling Host lias not been recorded, but it 
is told in another connection that Deer pro\'ides meat by cutting flesh off his body. 

Closely related to the preceding is a small group of tales in which \'ariations of the 
theme of cutting one's own body are introduced. In Sh 740 Bear heats his back by 
the fire, and allows Coyote to bite a piece out of it. Another version from another 
branch of the same tribe, Sh 627, substitutes Fat Man for Bear. The Lillooet substi- 
tute Buck Deer for the Bear Lil 305. 

Among the Crow, Elk asks his wife to scrape the back of his neck with a hide- 
scraper. The shavings are made into a pudding. 

In an Ojibwa version Moose cuts pieces of flesh from his shoulder (Schoolcraft, 
Hiawatha 45) or from his wife's shoulders (Jones, 2^9). 

In Hopi 209, Badger pretends to cut open liis belly, and takes out his intestines. 

The Bee cuts itself with an ax, and honey comes (jut, in Cora 202. 

(e) Aniiruils Stah or Shoot Themselves 

(24 versions: Wish 145; Wasco 270; Ute 264; Hopi 202; Jicarilla Apache [Goddard] 
231; Crow; Navaho 87; Shoshoni 265; Pawnee 245. 246, 267; Ponca557; Ojibwa 
[Jones] 311, 341;— Shoshoni 265; Ute 264; Apache [Russell] 265; Caddo 88, 93;— H 
5.233; Co 5.76; Ne 9.237; Ne 5.177; Chil 18) 

Somewhat distinct from the preceding group are the tales in which we hear about 
animals that pull out part of theii- insides by means of a sharp stick or an arrow. The 
Deer sticks a piece of wood into hia nose; blood flows out and is eaten Wish 145. The 
Mountain Sheep pulls blood, fat, and meat out of his wife's nose by means of a straw, 
and changes them into food, according to the Wasco version; among the Ute, Magpie 
performs the sam.e trick; in the south. Porcupine pulls blood and fat out of his nose 
with a sharp stick in the version Hnpi 202; and in the Apache (Goddard) 'S'ersion, 
Buffalo pulls meat and fat out of his body. Among the Crow, Condor has his nose 
pierced, and grease comes out. In the Navaho \ersion Porcupine scratches his nose 
with a piece of bark until blood flows out, which becomes meat. 

Closely related to this is evidently the story of Owl putting an awl into his eye: 
grease rims out. In th3 Shoshoni version he also cuts flesh from his body and gives 
this to his guest. The first of these incidents occiu's also among the Crow. 

Related to these is also the Pawnee-Ponca group. Squirrel cuts his scrotum, 
and pecan-nuts come out, Paw^lee 246. Beaver does the same, and grease comes out, 
Pawnee 245, 267; in the Ojibwa version, grease flows out, Ojibwa 311, 341. In the 
Ponca version. Flying Squirrel cuts the same part of his body, and walnuts come 
out. 

1 This version continues, telling how Buzzard pretended to cure Rabbit , who had hurt himself, but 
really kills him. In the Hitchiti version the Buzzard is shot by an orphan boy, who hangs the body 
over the fire so that it turns around. 



698 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 31 

Somewhat different is the group of tales in which the animal shoots an arrow, whirh 
flies back and strikes its own body. Then tlie animal pulls out the arrow -n ith some 
meat and uses it for feasting the guest. We find \-arious animals performing this act — 
the Deer in Shoshoni, the Moimtain Sheep in Ute, the Buffalo in Apache (Russell), 
the Raven in Caddo. 

It is not so clear that a small group of tales from the North Pacific coast belong to 
this group. Thus in Co 5 a bird, A'n'an, pulls mountain-goat fat out of his anus 
by means of a hook; and in Ne 9 Thrush pulls out berriss in the same way with a 
feather. In Ne 5 Thrush slaps his own back, and berries come out. In H 5.233 
Squirrel defecates berries. These three stories, as well as the Chilcotin story, rather 
center in the idea that the imitating Raven fills the dish with excrement (except in 
the Comox version). 

(/) Wood Transformed into Meat 

(15 versions: Quin 88; Chin 180; Sh 627,739; Ute 204; Shoshoni 265; Pawnee 245, 
267; Apache [Russell] 265; Navaho 87; Mescalero Apache [2 forms]; Jicarilla 
Apache [Goddard] 231; Crow; Arapaho 113) 

The idea that the host gathers bark or meat, which is eaten by the guest, is a promi- 
nent feature of the southeastern group of tales. The Beaver gathers sprouts and mud 
[willows Chin], and places them before his guest Qiiin, Chin. Beaver gathers sapof a 
tree, which he gives to his guest Sh C28, 739. In Ute the Snowbird obtains wood for 
the same purpose. In Shoshoni the Jack Rabbit performs the same trick. The Beaver 
transforms driftwood into meat in Pawnee 245, 267. A Prairie Dog roasts sticks which 
become meat in Apache (Russell), and in the Navaho version Wolf roasts the wooden 
points of reed arrows (Navaho). Among the Mescalero Apache the Prairie Dog roasts 
whittled sticks. Here may belong also the tale (JicarilUa Apache, Goddard) of Elk 
pulling meat from under liis blanket, while Coyot..^ pulls out bark. 

Among the Crow, in one version of the Owl story, it is said that Owl's wife pounds 
bark, on which grease from her eye trickles, making fine meat. In another incident 
of the same tale. Condor and then Crow has his wife bring bark, which he changes into 
fresh meat. In this \-ersion Coyote succeeds in repeating Condor's and Crow's tricks. 

Among the Mescalero Apache, Coyote visits Black-Tailed Deer, who pounds bark 
of a tree and causes grease to run out of his nose. When he returns the visit. Coyote 
ties pieces of brush to the sides of his head, pretending that they are antlers, pounds 
meat for him, and pushes a stick up his nose, so that blood runs out. 

A peculiar combination of the transformation of bark into meat and of the self- 
mutilation is found in Arapaho, where a man roasts bark, which is transformed into 
meat. Then he combs his wife's hair, paints the parting, splits her skull and takes 
out the brain, which becomes food. 

(g) The Host Obtains Food hj Killing His Children 

(aversions: Nu ap 897; Quin 90; Chin 181; Shoshoni 265; Fox 229, 235; Kickapoo7; 

Ponca 557) 

Another group of stories tell how food is obtained by the host, who strikes his chil- 
dren while in animal form, and uses one of them for food. They recover when their 
bones nre thrown into the water. Thus the Seal kills his cliildren in the Quinault 
and Chinook versions; the Red Cod, in the Nootka version; the Beaver, in the Sho- 
shoni, Fox (Jones) 229, 235, Kickapoo, and Ponca versions. 

Related to this group is the type of stories in which the children are sent to go 
bathing and come back bringing fish. Sawbill-Duck Woman performed this trick in 
Quin 86; the Duck's children, in Chin 179; Land Otter's children, in Quin 88. 

This element occurs also frequently in other connections (see pp. 672, 773) Ts 194; 
T1313; Kai243; Sk8; Hap 887; Chil24; Ri5.210; NelO.346; Sts 5.27; Quin 112;— 
Nu 5.104; K 9.173; Squ Hill-Tout 3.520; Nu ap 928. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STI'DY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 699 

(h) Diving foi- Fish 

(23 versions: Ne 5.177; Ne 9.239; K 9.155; K 11.153-159; Quin 89; Wasco 269, 288; 
Lil305,30G; NtlTeit2.4i; NtlTeit3.301; NtlHiU-Tout 2.577; Sh 628, 739; Kutenai' 
8; Shoshoni 265; Jicarilla Apache [Goddard] 231; Fox 267; Kickapoo 7; Ponca 
557; Arapabo 113; Micmac 302; Penobscot 52) 

This is by far the most mdely distributed type of story in the 
region outside of the Northwest coast. It appears ahnost regularly 
in a liighly speciaUzed form, there being a hole in tlie ice, and a host 
diving in this hole. Sometimes driftwood is substituted for the ice, 
or an icy land-otter slide takes its place. On the North Pacific coast 
the animal simply dives into the water. 

In the Kwakiutl version th? Hawk cries, " MesI' mEse' mEse'k" inEse'W " A steel- 
head salmon appears, and he catches it K 9. In another version Fish Hawk puts up 
four spits in the corner of the house, puts on the Fish Hawk mask, sits on his perch, 
and catches spring salmon, which are then cut up and roasted. Afterwards the same 
feat is repeated by Eagle, who catches a porpoise, and by Crane, who has four boxes 
putdo-mi, putson his Crane mask, stands on the shore, and catches a silver salmon 
Kll. 

In Newettee 5 and 9 the Kingfisher spears spring salmon. In this tale the attempt 
is not made by Raven to imitate his host; but instead of that, he dances, wearing his 
head-mask, goes undergroimd, and steals the salmon. The Kingfisher incident is 
repeated in the Kwakiutl version 11, where he puts on his Kingfisher mask, sits down 
on his perch, and catches a sockeye salmon. 

Among the Quinault, Kingfisher simply sends out his five children to bring salmon, 
and it may be that this version belongs more strictly with that or the bathing children 
discussed before. 

Farther to the south the host dives through a hole in the ice or 
among driftwood. This form is found among the Wasco, where a 
fish hawk dives from a stump, jumping into a hole in the ice, coming 
up again with five different kinds of fish. In the LiUooet version King- 
fisher makes a hole in the ice and spears fish. In this version, also, 
Water Ousel dives for salmon spawn, which he boils, the gravel in 
the river being transformed into spawn. In the Thompson Kiver 
version Kingfisher dives through a hole in the ice (Ntl Teit 2.41, 
Ntl Hill-Tout 2.577). This incident has a very wide distribution. 

Kingfisher puts a string of willow bark around his waist and dives through a hole 
between some driftwood or in an ice-hole Sh 628. In another Shuswap version he 
dives through a hole in the ice, taking four small sticks along Sh 739. In the Kicka- 
poo version Kingfisher dives from a tree and gets a fish, Kickapoo 7. This incident 
is foimd also in the Kutenai, Shoshoni, Apache, Fox, Ponca, Arapaho, Micmac, and 
Penobscot versions. 

(i) Miscellaneous Incidents 

(Ntl Teit 2.42; Ntl Hill-Tout 2. -576; U 206; Quin 85; Chin 178; Ponca 557; Fox 241, 
245, 257. 261 [2 forms], 269; Kickapoo 5; Ojibwa [Radin] 14 [3 forms], 15; Ojibwa 
[Speck] 3 forms 39-42. Micmac [Rand] 302; Penobscot 52; Chippewa [Schoolcraft] 
43; Arapaho 112 [2 forms], 120; Shoshoni 265; Wichita 285; Apache [Goddard] 231; 
Mescalero Apache [2 forms]; Caddo 88, 94 [3 forms]; Biloxi 49; Cora 202 [2 forms]. 
See also U 207) 
Besides these typical tales, there are quite a number of scattering 

tales which do not belong to any of these groups. 

I Boas, Kutenai Tales (Bulletin S9 of the Bureau of A merican Ethnology). 



700 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann. 31 

To these belong the Thompson version Ntl Teit 2.42, Ntl Hill-Tout 2.576, U 206, 
Ntl Teit 3.301, where it is told that Magpie catches Deer in a net, and U 207, 211, 
where Wood Tick strikes a rock with a staff, causing Deer to fall down. This tale 
occurs also in other connections. 

In the Quinault version Magpie takes a salmon egg out of his hair. In the Chinook 
tale he sweeps the house, finding an egg on the floor, which he boils, and which he 
uses for preparing food. 

Related to these may perhaps be the incidents of Muskrat boiling water which 
becomes rice, occurring in the Ponca tale; and of Duck boiling excrements which are 
turned into rice, in Fox 257, 261, and Ojibwa [Radin] 14, 15, Timagami Ojibwa 
[Speck] 39; Jones, 317, 351. 

In the Timagami Ojibwa version, Muskrat puts ice into hot sand, which is trans- 
formed into potatoes [SpeckJ 40. 

Woodpecker obtains insects for his guest by climbing a tree and pecking it, as told 
among the Micmac and Penobscot. In Fox 269 he obtains honey in the same way. 
Among the Chippewa of Lake Superior he obtains raccoons in this manner, School- 
craft, Hiawatha 43; Ojibwa [Radin] 14, 16; Timagami Ojibwa [Speck] 42; Jones 305, 
357. 

In a few tales the animals are simply called by the host. In Arapaho 120 food is 
called and falls down. This is repeated four times. In the Shoshoni version the 
linst calls the birds; and in Fox 241, 245, the Skunk calls the animals, which he 
then kills with his stench (also Ojibwa [Radin] 14, 16, [Speck] 43). 

In Arapaho 112 the Water Ousel sharpens his leg and kills buffalo with it. 

In Wichita 285 tlie Fish Hawk has a string attached to his head, which he uses in 
spearing the fish. When the guest tries to imitate his action, he tears off his scalp. 

When the Woodpecker spreads out his wings, his house seems to be on fire, whUe 
in Jicarilla Apache [Goddard] the guest, when trying to imitate him, burns his house. 
In the Mescaloro Apache version, Woodpecker spreads out his wings, and Coyote 
Ijelieves that the red under the wings is lightning. In the ver.sion Caddo 94 of tliis 
gi'oup, Woodpecker has a light on his head. 

In the version Caddo 93 the Bear leans against a persimmon tree, and causes the fruit 
to fall down. In the Mcscalero Apache version. Coyote visits tlie Bees, who bring 
some yucca stalks and make a lodge, which they shake. Honey falls down, which 
Coyote makes into a ball, which he puts into his blanket. When he tries to imitate 
the Bees, a little black rotten honey falls to the ground. Parallel with tliis is the 
Cora incident of Bean striking his house and calling beans to fall down. 

The Cora incident of Cock pressing eggs out of his wife may perhaps be com- 
pared to the incidents of animals obtaining food from their own bodies. 

Quite disconnected is the version Caddo 88, where we read about Mountain Lion 
"itting on a branch of a tree and jumping on a young horse. In form this incident 
resembles the di\ing of animals for fish. 

The Kickapoo story of Wiza'ka'a's visit to the Skunk is not clear. Skunk simply 
gives him meat; and when Skunk returns the visit, Wiza'kii'a paints his wife and 
children white. 

The Biloxi tale tells how Rabbit treats Grizzly Bear with cane, while the Bear 
treats Rabbit with insects, Biloxi 49. 

The distribution of these tales is summarized in the following table, 
in which the various forms are indicated by numbers: 

(1) Oil drips out of heated hands. 

(2) Benies produced by singing. 

(3) Spawn produced by striking ankle. 

(4) Cutting meat out of legs or feet. 
(4') Meat cut from body. 

(5) Meat dug out of body by means of a sharp stii-k nr an arrow. 

(6) Wood transformed into food. 

(7) Children killed for food. 

(8) Diving for fish. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 701 

Parentheses indicate tales the relationship ol' wliich is doubtful. 





1 


2 


3 


4 


4' 


5 





7 


8 


Tlingit . . . 


. 


_ 




4 


_ 


_ 


_ 


(") 


_ 


Masset . 






1 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


^ 


(-)' 


- 


Skidegate 






1 


- 


3 


- 


- 


- 


- 


m 


- 


Nass . . 






1 


2 


3 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Tsimshian 






1 


2 


3 


- • 


- 


- 


- 


0) 


- 


Bellacoola . . 


1 


2 


3(?) 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


. 


_ 


Newettee . 




1 


- 


3 


- 


- 


(■■) 


- 


(.-) 


s 


Kwakiutl . 




1 


2 


3 


- 


- 


- 


- 


(') 


8 


Nootka (Nu) 




1 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


<■(-) 


- 


Comox . . 




1 


2 


3 


- 


- 


(.')) 


- 


- 


s 


Chilcotin . . 


^ 


2 


3 


_ 


. 


_ 


_ 


(T) 


_ 


Thompson (Ntl) 


1 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


s 


Shuswap . . 


1 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


Ci 


- 


,K 


LiUooet . . . 


. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


- 


- 


8 


Quinault . . 


■ 


2 


- 


4 


- 


- 


G 


' 


(S) 


Chinook . . 


_ 


_ 


_ 


4 


_ 


_ 


C 


- 


_ 


Wasco . 






. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


5 


- 


- 


s 


Kutenai . 






. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


- 


- 


8 


Shoshone 






. 


- 


- 


- 


- 


5 


Ci 


7 


.S 


Ute . . 






. 


- 


- 


- 


- 


5 


6 


- 


- 


nopi . . 






■ 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


5 


- 


- 


- 


Navalio , . . 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


5 


B 


_ 


_ 


Apache . . . 


. 


- 


- 


4 


- 


5 


11 


- 


s 


Mescalero Apach 


e . 


- 


- 


4 


- 


5 





- 


- 


Wichita . . 


. 


- 


- 


- 


- 




- 


- 


- 


Caddo . . . 




- 


- 


- 


- 


5 


- 


- 


- 


Pawnee . . . 


• 


- 


- 


(4) 




5 





- 


- 


Biloxi . . . 


. 


. 


_ 


_ 


. 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


Yuchi . 






. 


_ 


- 


4 


- 


-• 


- 


- 


- 


Cherokee 








- 


- 


4 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Creek . 






. 


- 


- 


- 




- 


- 


- 


- 


Alabama 






. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Hitchiti 






. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Natchez 






• 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Fox .... 


_ 




„ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


7 


s 


Kickapoo 






. 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


7 


8 


Ponca . 






. 


- 


- 


- 


- 


5 


- 


7 


S 


Crow . . 






. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


5 


- 


- 


- 


Arapalio 






. 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


1) 


- 


8 


Micmac . 






. 


- 


- 


4 


- 


- 


- 


- 


8 


Ojihwa . 






. 


- 


- 


- 


4' 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Penobscot 






. 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


8 


Cora . . 






■ 


- 


- 


- 


4- 


- 


- 


- 


- 



lb appeai-s clearly from this table that incidents 1, 2, and 3 are 
practically confined to the North Pacific coast. From the south- 



702 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

east we have only incidents 4 and 4'. Incidents 5 and 6 are most 
characteristic of the Western Phiteaus and the adjoining parts of 
the Prairies. Incident 8 seems to belong to the whole west-easterly 
Canadian belt, without, however, extending beyond the northern 
part of Vancouver Island. Incident 7 appears only locally as part 
of the Bunglmg Host story. 

(33) RAVEN MAPRIES HAIR-SEAL WOMAN* 

(2 versions: Ske 131; Co 5.77) 

He marries Ilair-Seal Woman. They have a son, with whom he goes after fire- 
wood. He tells him that he desires to eat him, and finally devours him Ske. The 
same story is found among the Comox. Raven marries a Seal. One day he goes 
hunting with their son. The boy eats a great deal of deer meat. After his meal he 
drinks, and Raven kills him with a club. Then he eats him. When he gets home, 
he says to his wife that the boy has been drowned. He has eaten so much that he 
vomits seal oil, which drops into the fire and makes it blaze up. The woman jumps 
into the sea. Since that time seals have lived in the water Co 5. 

(34) txa'msem visits chief echo (p. 85) 

(11 versions: T8 85; N6 60; T16 92; Tl 5.316; Ma 312; Mr 335; Mrf340; Sk/134; BC93; 
Chin 181; Till 31. See also Sh 5.8; Takelma 39^) 

'In this group of tales the essential elements are the same through- 
out. In the Tlingit, Skidegate, and Tsimshian versions, Kaven is 
punished by having his ankle broken by a hammer or by wedges, 
while in most of tlie others he is simply dragged back by the hair 
and beaten with sticks. The inhabitants of the house are variously 
called Shadows, Air, Ghosts, and Echo. In one Tlingit version they 
are called Shadows and Feathers. 

Raven reaches an open place [Raven traveling with Butterfly Mc], where he sees a 
carved house in which lives Chief Echo Ts [finds town of Air N6, a town in which the 
people seem to have died, a town of the Ghosts T16; he goes up the river and comes 
to the house of Shadows and Feathers Tl 5; he comes to a town inliabited by Shadows, 
on the wall of the house a design is drawn with fuiger-nails Mo, Mc, Sk/; he goes to a 
house in the middle of the town, which is empty Mrf; he reaches a house with open door 
BC]. People are heard singing inside. A voice announces his arrival, and he is 
invited to sit down Ts [the people say a chief is coming N6; he is asked by an invisible 
voice where he is going and is asked to sit down Ma]. The house is full of halibut 
and fat stored in boxes Tl 5 [lialibut and smoked seal Sk/; salmon roe and hair-seal 
stomachs Mc; full of food Mrf; full of dried fish BC]. He hears a voice asking slaves 
to roast salmon. A box opens of itself. A dish goes to the fire. Salmon is cut up 
and goes into the dish. After he has eaten, a horn dipper comes, and crabapples 
mixed with gi'ease [he looks for a dish and does not find one, and the Shadows bring 
him food; what is left over he takes in his basket to his canoe Tl 5; he sees things in 
the house moving about, as though women were working BC]. He thinks he will 
take away the mountain-goat fat Ts, N6 [he calls his sisters. Crow, Mouse, Gull, and 
Rat, to cany away the provisions; lie takes salmon roe Mc; he takes fish from the 
drying-poles and asks liis sisters to pack them into baskets BC]. The women in the 
comer of the house hear his thoughts and repeat them, laughing. When he carries 

1 See also No. 39, p. 706. 

2 E. Snpir, Takelma Texts (UnivcTsity of Ptnnsytvanhi, The Museum Anlhropolvgkal rublicationSf 
vol. n, No. 1). 



noAs] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 703 

the pro\'isions to the door of the house, a hammer hits his ankle, so that he has to 
drop the provisions. He is severely hurt Ts, N6 [when he steals provisions, old 
wedges which are lying near the fire hit against his ankle, so that he has to drop the 
provisions; the same happens on the other side of the house, and then in the other 
houses Sk/; when he drags out a bundle of salmon, he is pulled back from the door 
and told to sit down; then he takes a beriy-box and is beaten with sticks N6; five 
times he tries to take salmon roe, but he is pidled back from the door and the roe 
put back Mc; twice he tries to take the food, but is compelled to throw it down Mrf; 
the stem of his canoe is tied to a tree; when he tries to paddle away with the provis- 
ions, he is pulled back and the food carried into the house; when he persists, a rock 
is thrown at his foot, so that he is lame T16]. He is thrown out of the house. \\'hen 
people ask him what happened to him. he says he fell down a precipice Tl 5. 

The Chinook tell the same story of Bluejay, who visits the Shadows 
in the company of Itis sister lo'i. He sees dentalia and blankets lying 
about, seizes them, and the Shadows cry out that he is seizing their 
ornaments and their clotliing. In punishment the Shadows change 
his sex and that of his sister Clun 181. 

The Tillamook tell of six travelers who reach the house of the 
Shadows. A basketful of fish falls down. First they put it back, 
then they eat it. Wlien they try to carry provisions down to their 
canoe, their hair is pulled, they are beaten, and the baskets are taken 
away from them Till 31. 

The Takelma tell a similar incident in their Ti'ansformer myth. 
The Dragonfly (the Transformer) finds a house in which he sees pro- 
visions. There are no people, onl^^ a salmon-spear. When he takes 
provisions, the spear-shaft fights with liim; he breaks it and says that 
later on spears shall not be people, but objects, Takelma 39. In a 
Shuswap tale a somewhat similar incident occurs iu the house of 
Han- and Comb Sh 5.8. 

(35) txa'msem kills deer (p. 88) 

(a) He KiUs Deer with a Hainmer 

(4 versions: Ts 88; N6 63; Mc 336; H 5.233) 

Raven comes to a creek in which humpback salmon are running, and sees a little 
hut in which live Deer and his wife. He calls the Deer his brother-in-law. One day 
he requests him to accompany him when cutting wood. They go to a rotten hemlock 
tree, and the wedges jump out. He asks Deer to hold the wedges, requests him to 
put his head near by, and then strikes it with the hammer and thus kills him. He 
goes home, his face blackened, and sings, "Wolves have killed my brother-in-law!" 
Deer's wife shakes her tail and runs away. He eats all the provisions Ts. 

The version N6 is practically identical with the preceding, only before going home 
Raven breaks mussel-shells and. puts them into the Deer blanket, thus making the 
Deer's wife belie^'e that her husband has been killed by enemies. Finally he kills 
her, too. 

Raven entei's the chief's house in Deer Town. He makes himself look young, and 
calls Deer bis brother-m-law. He asks Deer to accompany him when he goes to chop 
wood. Then his stone ax flies off the handle and kills the Deer, which he eats Mc. 

To this group belongs also the BeUabella story, which, however, in 
its introduction, has certain relatiousliips to the southern Deer story. 

Raven is the first to build a canoe. Deer comes to look, and Raven asks him to sit 
near by. Then he inquires, "When are you fattest?" Deer replies, "\\'hen the grass 
is long." Then he kills him \vith his hammer H 5. 



704 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [btii. axn. 31 

(6) He Pushes Deer over a Precipice 

(6 versions: BC 92: BC 5.245; Ri 5.212; K 9.492; Nu 5.105; Co 5.77. See also Tla 0: 

T16 107) 

The group of stories of Raven killing the Deer foimd south of 
Bellabclla are quite different in type. They always end \nth the 
incident of Raven pusliing the Deer down a precipice and then catmg 
liini. There is a very decided relation between tliis story and the 
story of Eagle (or Butterfly) and Raven, in wliich it is told that a 
bridge is put across a chasm, and Raven's companion is caused to 
fall dovm and is then eaten by liim. Two of the northern Deer 
stories belong to tliis group Tlo, Tib (see p. 691). The quarrel about 
the greatness of Raven's and Deer's ancestors recalls the correspond- 
ing incident in the story of Txa'msEm and Lagobola' (p. 666). 

Deer's child is killed by Wolves. Raven says he will moiini with him. They sit 
down near a precipice, and Raven sings, "Deer, you have no flesh on your legs!" 
Then they quarrel. Wolf throws Deer down- and carries the body home, assisted by 
his sisters BC 5. 

He asks Deer, "^\^len are you fattest?" Deer replies, "After the fish have been 
dried." Then they sit down near a precipice to talk about their ancestors. Raven 
says, "How -long your forelegs are!" Deer: "How gray your nose is!" — Raven: 
"How long your nose is!" Then Deer inquires, "How long have you been in this 
world?" Raven: "Before the moimtains began to rise." Deer: "Before the Sun 
shaped the world." Then Deer says, "How ugly is your foot! How full of scars!" 
Raven pushes him down the precipice and eats him BC. 

Great Inventor (Raven) asks Deer, "WTien are you fattest?" Deer: "In summer, 
when there are plenty of berries," Great Inventoraskshim to wail with him. Raven 
says, "My father gave away as many blankets as there are stumps of trees in the 
world." Deer: "My father gave away as many blankets as there are leaves on trees, 
and shells on the beach." Then Raven pushes him down and eats him Ri 5. 

Canoe Callring and Deer mourn Great Inventor (Raven). Canoe Calking (Raven) 
sings, "He was as great as the sand of the sea." Deer sings, "He was as great as the 
needles of a cedar tree." Canoe Calking says, "That is too much," pushes him 
down a cliff, and pecks at him. Both become rock K 9. 

Ra\'en asks Deer to mourn with him. Deer replies that all his relatives are well. 
Raven: "Let us wail for our ancestors! Let us sit on a precijiico, so that our tears 
may fall down!" Raven wails. "O great-grandfather! you died before I was born." 
Deer does not wail jiroperly. Raven asks him to shut his eyes and lift his head. 
Then he pushes him down and eats him Nu 5, 

Raven stands on a cliff over the sea and calls one Deer after another. He smells 
of them and sends them off when they are not fat enough. Wien a fat one arrives, 
he says, "Let ns tell of olden times!" Deer asks him to begin, and Raven sings, "I 
have as many blankets as there are needles on the trees!" The Deer sings, "I have 
as many blankets a? there are sands on the beach ! " Raven says, ' ' You are bragging, ' ' 
and pushes him down. Meanwhile peo]ile arrive, butcher the Deer, and leave only 
the intestmes. When Raven arrives at the bottom of the rock, he has to be satisfied 
with these Co 5. 

The question asked of Deer — " When are you fattest? " — occurs in BC 92, Ri 5.212, 
Co 5.77. Analogous incidents occur in H 5.233, Sk/133, Ntl Teit 3.342, Chm 119. 

In a few of the northern versions an incident of the Spring Salmon 
story is introduced. After Raven has killed the Deer, he cooks him 
in a hole, and a stump sits on it and eats the meat. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OP TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 705 

Raven saya to a Stump, ''Wouldn't you like my fat meat?" When he goes for 
skunk-cabbage leaves, which he means to use for dishes, the Stump sits on the hole. 
\Micn Raven returns, he asks him to sit farther away; but the Stump does not move 
until he has eaten all the meat Ts. He makes a fire and talks to the tree under which 
he is sitting. Wliile the Deer is roasting, he falls asleeji. The tree sits on the Deer, 
and its branches take hold of the meat H 5 (see also p. 675 under [6]). 

(36) RAVEN STEALS SALMON EGGS 

(3 versions: M6 306; Mc 332; Ska 126) 

The people put a box of salmon eggs into the canoe. Raven pretends to be sick 
and is placed under a mat in the canoe. The people are asked to put the salmon 
eggs near him. After a while his mother smells the salmon eggs, and he answers her 
question, saying that it is a scab on his thigh that causes the smell. He eats all the 
salmon eggs M6. 

In another Masset version his leg is injured. His sister launches her canoe and 
he crawls aboard. He asks his sister to put the salmon roe on his leg and to cover 
him. After a while the bilge-water becomes milky, and his sister smells the eggs. 
He pretends that it is matter from the wound; but when they land, it is found that 
he has eaten all the salmon roe. His sister puts the empty box on his head Mc. 

In the Skidegate version it is said that he pretends to be sick, lies down in the 
canoe by the side of the salmon roe; and when his sister smells it, he says that it is 
a scab which he has pulled off. He eats all the salmon roe, and throws his sister 
Siwa's's empty box ashore Ska. 

(37) RAVEN STEALS HIS SISTERS' BERRIES 

(7 versions: Bf 5.243; Ri 5.210; Ri MS; Ne 5.177; Nu 5.107; Co 5.76; Lil 317) 

Raven goes berrying with his sisters. When the canoe has been filled, they go 
ashore to boil the berries. After they are done, they put them into boxes. They go 
on. He goes ashore and asks his excrements to call like warriors. Their call fright- 
ens his sisters, and he requests them to hide in the woods. Meanwhile he eats all 
the berries. When they come back, they find the boxes empty and Raven lying on 
his back in the canoe. He claims that the enemy beat him and ate the berries. 
They see that his tongue is l)Lick and beat him B(_' 5. 

The same story is told in Rivers Inlet. K!wek!waxa'we^ gathers berries in order to 
present them to the chief of the He'ista-itx. He smears his body with the red juice 
of the berries in order to make his sisters believe that he has been wounded Ri 5. 
In another Rivers Inlet version it is said that he goes out with his sisters Crow Woman, 
Sawbill-Duck Woman, Toad Woman, and Snail Woman [Bluejay and Snail Co 5], to 
take salal-berries to his brother-in-law. Snail Woman hides near the beach and 
sees that he is eating all the berries. The boxes may be seen to this day Ri MS. 
The Comox version is identical with this tale. 

Four sisters — the bird Xwitx', Bluejay, Crow, and Snail — want to take berries to 
the daughter of the first named, who lives near the sea. Raven accompanies them. 
Then follows the same story. Snail hides near by. A\'hen they come back, they find 
Raven lying in the bottom of the canoe. He insists that they must go back in order 
to escape their enemies. Wlien they reach home, they find that Raven is simply 
covered with berry jtiice Lil. Evidently this story is partly misunderstood and 
identical with the Rivers Inlet story. 

The same story is also told in Newettee (Ne 5). After he has been beaten by his 
sister, he flies into the woods and cleans head and tongue with sand. Then he 
claims that his sisters have been mistaken. However, they find a few seeds in his 
teeth, and they beat him again. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 45 



706 TSIMSIIIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. ann. 31 

The Nootka version is slightly different. Two women intend to take a box of 
berries to a friend who lives iu a distant village. Raven aocom panics them; and 
while they are going along, he rlaims that enemies are coming up from behind. He 
asks them not to turn, but to paddle as hard as possible. As soon as they get ashore, 
he eats all the berries, cries "Save me!" and covers his body with the juice. He 
breaks the canoe and the box. They turn back, and he pretends to be sick from the 
beating that he has received Nu 5. 

(38) raven's gizzard is torn otrr 

(3 versions: Tla 14; [Wolves steal Mink's gizzard Co 5.74; Mink's musk-bag K 9.143]. 
See also Kath 87; Takelma .52) 
Raven steals a salmon and eats it. The people from whom it has l)een stolen find 
him asleep. Thoy twist off his gizzard and use it as a shinny-ball. Raven feels cold 
without it, goes to the place where the people are playing and wishes that the gizzard 
may come his way. He seizes it, washes it, but it is too hot. He washes it again, 
but can not get all the sand off. Therefore Raven's gizzard is big and looks as if it had 
not been washed Tla. 

There is no other Raven tale of this group, but other versions 
belong to the Mink cycle of the Kwakiutl and Comox. 

Mink kills a salmon which is stolen by the Wolves. Some women go past in their 
canoe. They take him aboard, and they land at the fourth point, where the village 
of the Wolves is located. They play ball with Mink's musk-bag. Finally he catches 
it and runs away. Mink asks a fallen tree to obstruct the trail of the Wolves and to 
prevent their jumping over it Co 5. 

Among the Kwakiutl, after having caught the salmon, ilink goes to sleep. The 
children steal the fish and take away his musk-bag. He can not walk straight. He 
asks pa-ssers-by for news. Several of them have no news, but the last say that the 
children are playing ball with Mink's musk-bag. He goes to the playground, catches 
his musk-bag, and puts it back K 9. 

An analogous incident occurs in the Coyote cycle; for instance, in 
Kath 87, where children play with Coyote's anus. Among the 
Takehna wo find a story of Panther, whose pancreas is stolen and 
used as a shinny-ball. 

(39) RAVEN KILLS THE SEALS 

(3 versions: T16 107; Se 51; Squ 5.57. Compare also No. 33, p. 702) 
Raven invites the Seal people. \\'hen they come in, he smears their foreheads 
with pitch, which runs over their eyes and blinds them. Then he clubs them T16. 

The Seshelt version is probably related both to No. 33 (p. 702) 
and to the present incident. 

Raven's sister is Seal. Seal, when he visits her, lets oil drip from her hands into 
a dish (see No. 32a, p. 695). Raven marries Seal's youngest daughter. When taking 
her home, he stops to drink; and while she stoops over the water, he clubs her^ and 
then eats her body. In this manner he kills all his nieces Se. The version Squ 
5.57 is very much like the last. Oil drops from Seal's hands. Raven makes Seal's 
daughter climb a tree and throws her down. 

(40) RAVEN PRETENDS TO BE DEAD 

(6 versions: K 10.286; Co 5.73; K 9.135, 139; Sts 5.33; Chil 17) 

A number of versions of the widely spread story of the pretended 
death has been recorded on the North Pacific coast. All of these, 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 707 

however, belong to the southern district. The Kwakiutl tell of both 
Raven's (K!wek!\vaxa'we^'s) and Muik's pretended death. 

Mink is djdng, and the people discuss how he is to be buried. He does not want 
to be buried on a tree, in the ground, in a cave, but he wants to be put by on an 
Island. He is placed in a box. After four days the women go to the island to pick 
berries and mourn their chief. They see Mink on the rocks carrying sea eggs in a 
blanket. He claims to have obtained supernatural power K 9.135. In another 
version he objects for various reason.? to the disposal of his body on a tree, in the 
ground, or in the sea, and he is put in a box on an island. After three days his 
tribe bathe, and his sisters go to look for him. They find that the cover of the grave- 
box is off, and they 'believe that somebody has done mischief to the grave. Then 
they see him coming out of the water carrying sea eggs, and he claims to have obtained 
supernatural power K 9.139. 

The Comox have the same tale Co 5. After Mink has said that he wants to be 
taken to an island, his body is placed on a pyre. His wife goes into the house of the 
Raccoon. He is jealous and returns. The same is told by the Kwakiutl of K!we- 
klwaxa'we^ K 10. The StsEe'lis tell that Mink is buried and revives when he hears 
that one of his wives has married Sts -5.33. 

In the Chilcotin tale, which will be discussed under \o. 41 (below), it is also said 
that Raven pretends to die, and that a certain girl whom he covets is not to be given 
to any man from the village, but to one who comes from a distance. He asks to be 
buried under his canoe. He puts some old salmon under the canoe, and the smell of 
the rotten salmon convinces the people that he is dead. He escapes to another 
village, transforms his excrement into a canoe, and visits the village; then he asks for 
the hand of the girl Chil 17. 

(41) RAVEN BURNS HIS SISTER's GROINS 

(a) Raven and the Girl 

(14versions:M6304;Skal27; Hap 883; BC 90; BC 5.243; Ri 5.211; Ne5.178; K5.160; 
K 9.493; K 10.287; K 11.170; Nu 5.108; Co 5.71; Chil 17. See also Loucheux' 252.) 

This story has been recorded in the area between Comox and Bella- 
coola, although the brief allusions recorded from the llaida show that 
it is well known certainly as far as southern Alaska. The Christianized 
tribes of this area are obviously rehictant to tell the coarse story. 
Inland it has been recorded among the Chilcotin. In K 5 and Co 5 
no details are given. 

Raven [Klwekhvaxa'we^ K 10, K 11, Ri5; O'^ieal Ne5] lives [at Qa'logwis K 10, 
K 11; at Wi'kledze Ri 5J [with his wife E'lxsayugwa K 9, K II, whose lover is 
Deer K 11] with his wife, who has a daughter [Sawbill-Duck Woman Ne 5, K 9, K 11, 
whose skin is very white BC 5, Ri 5] by another husband. He covets the girl. [In 
order to get her he pretends to dream that she should bathe K 10, K 11.] [During the 
night he lies by the fire, goes to the summer seat in the morning, and when the girl 
comes back from the beach he tells her that he dreamed that he was to get fuel for her. 
Then she asks him to go for fuel K 11] He tells her to bathe [she bathes in her room 
BC 5, Ri 5]. [In order to get the girl, he lets the house become very cold, and then 
offers to go for fuel BC] Raven goes to the trees and asks them whether they emit 
sparks when burning. The hemlock sends him inland to the spruce, the spruce to the 
fir, the fir to the red cedar, the red cedar to the yellow cedar, which says that it sends its 
sparks beyond the people who sit near the fire K 10. [Hemlock, S])ruce, yellow cedar 
K 11; yellow cedar Ri 5; he cuts the bark of each tree, which thereupon answers. 



1 See p. 646, note 3. 



708 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

The alder says it burns ijuickly; the pine says its nose runs and it crackles; the red 
cedar says it jumps into the lap of people; the yellow cedar, that it tails right into the 
lap of people BC; red cedar says it crackles, fir says it flies far BC 5; red cedar says it 
crackles, yellow cedar says its sparks fly far Ne 5.] Before it is taken the yellow cedar 
asks to be wedged into small pieces, so that it can fly far. K!wek!waxa'we^ tells it to 
fly into the lap of the girl K 10. The girl comes back from bathing, and is told to warm 
herself by the fire [first the back, then the front, of her body, then to sit in front of the 
fire with legs spread BC]. [He whispers to the wood to fly intoherlap K 10; toburnher 
groin K 11.] The sparks fly into her lap and burn her, so that she is very ill (all 
versions). 

The Bellabella introduction resembles the Bellacoola form. There are seven houses 
in No'le. In one of them lives Ilavcn, who covets the princess Aa'x'taqs. He tries 
to help her in her work, but she will not let him touch her. One day there is no fire in 
the house, and he offers to go for fuel. Then follows the usual story H aj). 

The Chilcotin version treats also of Raven and his step-daughter. Baven makes a 
good fire when it is cold Chil. ■ The Bellabella, Bellacoola, and Chilcotin introductions 
omit the incident of the bath. 

The Nootka introduction is quite different. Raven has two daughters. He covets 
the prettier one, and pretends to die. He gives the girls advice what to do if they 
should be sick Nu 5. 

[He sends his wife out K 10.] Then he advises the girl who has been burnt to go 
into the woods and to call for medicine [called Echo Of The Woods Ri 5, K 9, K 10, 
K 11 ]. She is told that when she is far it will shout loud, when near by in a low voice. 
Eanx herbam quandam esse dixit quae musco innasceretur, recto culmo, sine foliis. 
Hano investigaret; in hac, cum invenisset, considerat, ita ut culmus in vaginam 
iniret; quo facto; voluus sanatum ivi. Itaque, postquam puella ad herbam illam 
investigandam abiit, Corvus clam furtira ad museum cucurrit, sub quo se celavit, 
ita tamen ut penis tantum exstaret et sic puellara expectavit (all versions). 

In BC and BC 5 the girl beats Raven when she discoveres what he has done. In 
Ghil she recognizes his eyes, and thus his plans are frustrated. 

The fragmentary ver.sions Sk and M are practically identical with the preceding. 
In Sk and M the woman is Raven's sister Slwa's. 

The Loucheux tale of Grizzly Bear's daughter, who fiuds a copper, probably be- 
longs here too, Loucheux 252. 

In all the more complete versions this incident is the introduction 
to the story of how Thunderbird carried away Raven's son, and in the 
best versions to Raven's war on the Thunderbird. 

(b) The Thunderhird Abducts Raven's Son 

(6 versions: Sk 127; H 5.232; H ap 883; Ri 5.211; Ri MS; Ne 5.179. See also 

K 11.180; Co 5.78) 

After the woman has left. Raven scrapes off some of the secretions of her body, and 
places it in a piece of cedar bark [a splint of wood placed in cedar bark (presumal>ly 
reference to the secretion omitted) Ne 5; placed in clamshells Ri 5, K 11; ho puts 
small black scales into a clamshell H ap; also referred to in Sk]. 

A boy develops, who is grown up in four days, and is named K i'ol Ri 5, Ri MS [Xi- 
u'lx II ap]. [He finds a boy, whom he washes every day in cold water. He grows 
quickly, and is named Qe'xenil or LaLana'il. On the fourth day the boy is very strong, 
able to uproot a tree and to jump very high Ne 5. After foiu' days he finds feet of a 
child sticking out of the shells, and wraps the child in bark. He puts it back under 
the stump of a tree. After four days he returns, and the child is so large that he makes 
a cradle. After foiu- days more it walks, and he makes a l>ark hut for it. After four 
days more the child goes home with him. The people make fun of the boy on account 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 709 

of his origin, and call him Ke'xenete (ol- Result Of Scraping) K 11. He takes the 
child out of the ground and puts boar3s around it, as people are to do in the future. 
The l)oy is called SAqaiyiil.' Lightning flashes around his knee-joints Sk.] 

K!vvek!waxa'we^ builds a canoe; and when he launches it, the boy accompanies 
him. In the middle of the canoe they find a hat. The boy puts it on and is lifted up 
into the air Ri 5. O'^meal invites all the animals (o show off the strength of his son, 
who jumps to half the height of a cedar. Thunderbird makes fun of him. The next 
time he jumps over the cedar, and Thunderbird carries him away Ne 5. The child 
jumps the first time higher than his father's house, then halfway up the trees, last 
higher than the tops of the trees. The fourth time the Thunderbird takes him K 11. 
In Ska it is simply said that he vanishes. 

For four days the father cries. Suddenly he hears some one saj-ing, "I am your boy, 
I have returned. " Since the youth has no hair, and liis face looks different on ac- 
count of the strong wind of the sky, his father repudiates him. lie returns to the 
sky, and therefore the dead do not return Ri 5. Raven searches for the boy on the island 
and the mainland. He hears that the supernatural beings have taken the boy because 
he. Raven, used to fool them. The boy reappears with disheveled hair and withotit 
lightning. Therefore Raven spits on his face, repudiates him, and the boy disappears 
again Ska. 

The version Ri MS begins with He'maskas'o making a canoe. The boy Ki'ol 
jilays about, puts on the hat of the Thunderljird, which lies near by, and is taken away 
by it. He'mask'as'o cries, puts his tears and mucus into a miissel-shell , and it becomes 
a child. A\Tien it grows, he puts it into a clamshell, then into a large mussel-shel', 
finally into a large clamshell. The child cries whdc he holds it in his arms, he throws 
it down, and it is retransformed into mucus. ^ He cries for his son Ki'ol, who appears. 
He'maskas'o does not recognize him, because his face is changed. Ki'ol flies off, 
and then he recognizes him by the tattooing on his legs, but too late. 

Masmasala'nix, who is a canoe-builder, wants to get Xiu'lx to assist him. \Mien 
Raven launches his new canoe, the Thunderliird carries the !>oy to his friend Masmasa- 
la'nix. After three days the boy comes to see his father, who does not recognize him 
and sends him off. This is the cause of death in our world II ap 884. 

Another Bellabella version begins with Raven and K'i'ol. who has a white complex- 
ion and long hair, gathering firewood. The Thunderbird takes the boy while the 
father is out gathering wood. On his return to the canoe. Raven asks the pa<ldle and 
the thwarts what has become of the boy. They can not answer. The bow of the canoe 
tells him what has happened. He cries, and after four days the boy ^ reappears. His 
father does not recognize him, since he has lost his hair, and his face is changed by the 
strong wind up aljove. He recognizes the boy too late, when he flies off. Since that 
time the dead do not return H 5. 

The continuation of this story in the versions H ap, Ri 5, Ri MS, Ne 5, K 11, is 
Raven's war with the Thunderbird (see No. 43, p. 711). 

The incident of the boy who is taken away, reappears, but is not 
recognized by his parents, occurs also in tither connections: 

A youth is lost while hunting goats. The following winter he is seen on the moun- 
tains wearing pieces of quartz on his head. One day a person enters the house of the 
youth's father, and says that he is the boy returned; but since he has no hair and no 
nose, and since his eyes are red, his father does not recognize him and drives him 
away. He recognizes the boy too late by a scar on his thigh K 11.180. 

In the Comox tale of Raven and Gull, in which Gull causes Raven 
to lose his way in a fog (see p. 666), it is said that Raven loses his 

> In Sk 311 this being is mentioned as protector of a shaman. 

• This incident evidently corresponds to the first part of the tale as given in all the other versions. 

3 Erroneously stated "the daughter." 



710 TSIMSIIIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

son in the fog, and later on does not recognize him because he has 
short hair. Tliis story may, however, refer to the idea that his son 
cut liis hair because he beheved his father to be dead Co 5.78. 

(42) RAVEN DESERTS MASTER FISHERMAN ON A LONELY ISLAND 

((i versions; Kai 8.234; M6 301; Skn 130; Skj? 113 [Masset]; Skr/ l;!0; Hai 5.309) 

Raven covets the wife of Master Fisherman. He catches a flicker (erroneoiisly 
called robin) and wears the skin attached to his clothing. Master Fisherman asks 
Raven where he has obtained the flicker, and Raven tells him that by attaching the 
feathers to his hook he will be successful in fishing. Raven tells him that there are 
plenty of flickers on his island. Raven is invited in, and eats all the provisions of 
Master Fisherman. On the following morning the latter accompanies Raven to the 
bird island. When they land. Raven goes ashore and transforms some twigs into 
flickers. These he carries down to the canoe. Master Fisherman goes ashore, and 
Raven stays in the stern of the canoe. He wishes the \vind to blow it away, and the 
canoe drifts off. He pretends not to hear the calls of the deserted man. When he 
arrives at the house of the latter, he sits down at the place where Master Fisherman's 
wife draws water. He ha.s assumed the form of her husband, and tells her that Raven 
had deserted him. He asks her for halibut and fish oil, which he eats. Master Fish- 
erman calls his magic fish club, which he has left at home. It comes and carries 
him ba<k. Then he conceals liimself near the water; and when his wife comes to 
draw water, he tells her what has happened. He orders her to close all the chinks 
and openings of the house. He enters, and kills Raven with his club. Then he 
tlirows the body into the latrine under the platform. On the following morning, 
when his wife goes out. Raven makes fun of her, sajdng, '"Your privates are red." 
The man clubs him again, throws him into the liranches of a tree, and smokes him. 
StiU he remains aUve. He clubs lum again and throws him on the beach. He 
drifts away, and is rescued by his relatives Hai 5. 

In the Kaigani version it is only said that Raven displeases the 
people, is killed, and that his body is tlu-own out into the latrine 
imder the platform. Then he makes fun of tlie house o\vner's wife, 
poking her from underneath. The man cuts him to pieces and tluows 
the pieces into the sea. 

In the Masset version the man is called Wood-Shaving Supernatural 
Bemg. 

Raven visits him, shows him flicker feathers, and tells hira that these are found on a 
small island near by. They go there together, and Raven sends the man to the other 
side of the island. As soon as he is out of sight. Raven pushes the canoe out, lies 
down, and pretends to be asleep. Raven pays no attention to his calls. He marries 
the wife of Wood-Shaving Supernatural Being and makes himself look Uke her 
husband. 

The end of the story is evidently omitted. It is merely stated 
that finally he ran away from the woman and "got" her husband. 

The first Skidegate version as recorded by Swanton has been told 
by two different informants. 

He finds a flicker feather floatiTig near the shore and transforms it into a flicker. 
When he reaches Master Fisherman's house, Raven gives him the flicker and tells 
him that flickers are found on Raven's island . Master Fisherman then baits a halibut 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDiT OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 711 

hook, wUch he lets down into the hole into which they used to vomit sea water. It 
is not stated that he uses a flicker feather on the hook. He pulls out the halibut- 
which is cooked and eaten. On the following day he takes Master Fisherman to 
the flicker island. Raven goes ashore, breaks off cedar limbs, which he pushes into 
his nose, so that they become bloody. They are transformed into flii'kers. Then he 
tells Master Fisherman to go ashore. (Here another informant continues.) Raven 
lies down in the canoe and drifts away with the wind . He pays no attention to Master 
Fisherman's calling. He makes himself appear like the latter, lands in front of the 
village, and tells the woman that there were no flickers on the island. He tells her 
that he has become different, and that he is very hungry. He fishes as Master Fisher- 
man had done, and eats the halibut. The woman then goes after water, and finds 
her real husband sitting by the creek. He tells her that he had wished his hair-seal 
club to carry him ashore, and orders her to close all the holes in the house. Then he 
knocks Raven down and throws him out into the latrine, ^\"hen Raven talks from 
underneath, he pounds Mm again, puts Mm down on the beach, and rolls a rock 
over him Skn, Skrf. 

Still another Masset series, which was told to me by the chief of 
the StA'stas, is as follows: 

Master Fisherman is fishing for halibut. Raven visits him, and tells him that he 
has seen many woodpeckers on an island. One day when it is cahn they start with 
Master Fisherman's wife. He goes ahead, takes some shoots of a plant, and strikes 
his nose until it bleeds. Then he transforms the twigs into woodpeckers. Master 
Fisherman, who is in the habit of tying the red feathers of woodpeckers to Ms hooks 
in order to secure good luck, goes ashore. Raven pulls his blanket over Ms head, 
pretends to sleep, wishes for a wind, and the canoe drifts away. He does not pay 
attention to Master Fisherman's calling, transforms himself into the shape of the 
latter, and says to Master Fisherman's wife ' that Raven has been Iv-ing. He is 
always hungry now and eats a great deal. Master Fisherman calls for Ms rattle and 
his bow, and with their help walks back over the sea. He meets his wife outside, 
and tells her what has happened. He orders her to close up the cMnks of the house. 
Master Fisherman cluVis Raven, breaks his bones, and throws them into the latrine, 
On the following morning Raven insults Master Fisherman's wife liy spittini; at her 
from underneath. The man pounds him to pieces and throws him into the sea. 
There he is found Sk^. 

(43) WAR WITH THE TIIUNDERBIKD 

This story is widely spread on Vanconver Island, but does not 
seem to occur in the northern area. Among the various branches of 
the Kwakiutl it is worked into a coherent tale, together with incidents 
41 and "23. Raven seduces a girl; and his son, who originates from a 
secretion of her body, is carried away by the Thunderbird. After 
three days he comes back; but since Raven does not recognize him, 
he disappears for good (No. 41&, p. 70S). Raven sets out to take 
revenge. He plans to make an artificial whale of wood, which is to 
be calked with pitch. In order to obtain pitch he induces the per- 
sonified Pitch to go fishing ■with him, and Pitch melts in the warm sun 
(No. '23, p. 683). Then Raven proceeds to buUd the whale, and 
incident 43 follows. 

' There is an inconsistency between Ihe following and previoas part of the tale. 



712 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ANN. 31 

Among the Comox, Nootka, and southern Kwakiutl the incitlcnt 
appears in another connection. Tliunderbird and another bird phiy 
a game of rolling the hoop, in whicli Thunderbird loses. He steals 
the bird's wife, who later on is recovered by the birds. After this the 
birds send out an artificial whale to take revenge. The first part of 
this tale has also been recorded in the delta of Fraser River. The 
incident of the pitch does not occur in these versions. 

Twice (Ne 9.241 and Ri 5.214) the tale No. 43 has been recorded 
without connection with other incidents. 

(a) Raven Goes to Take Revenge for the Death of his Son 
(5 versions: H ap 884; Ri 5.211; Ri MS; Ne 5.179; K 11.180) 

All these versions take up the tale at the end of incident 41, and in 
all except the first two the story of Pitch (No. 23, p. 683) foUows. 

(b) Thunderbird Steals the Wife of Another Bird 

(5 versions: Ne 5.206; K 10.299; Nu 5.103; Co 5.82; Sts 5.34) 

Thunderbird and Gull play rolling hoops. Thunderbird's hoop is Fire; Gull's, 
Fog. Gull wins four times. Thunderbird is ashamed and retires to the woods. He 
meets a bird whose eyes become red when Thunderbird looks at him Ne 5. [Heavenly 
birds live at Thunderbird Place (Ku'nwaas); quadrupeds and birds, at Crooked 
Beach (Qa'logwis). The former play against the latter. Their gambling-stones are 
Fog, Rainbow, Cloud, Carrier Of The World. The earthly birds hit tlieni and roll 
them back. The heavenly birds miss them. Then all go into the house K 10. 
Thunderbird plays against Woodpecker, whose companions are Kwo'tiath, Kingfisher, 
and Heron. When Thunderbird throws the hoop, Kwo'tiath claps his hands. The 
hoop increases in size, so that the birds hit it. When Woodpecker throws back, 
Kwo'tiath claps his hands, and the hoop becomes so small that the other party misses 
it. Thunderbird loses, and all enter Woodpecker's house Nu 5. Thunderbird's hoop 
is made of fire. It is hit by Woodpecker. His second hoop is made of fog. Wood- 
pecker hits this also Co 5. The StsBe'lis version does not contain this introduction.] 

The southern versions introduce here an incident which explains 
why the Thunderbird desires to abduct the woman. 

After Woodpecker has invited the players, his servants put up a salmonberry bush, 
and his wife Thrush produces ripe sahnonberries by her song. This incident is re- 
peated in the Bungling Host story (No. 326, p. 696). Then Thunderbird covets her. 
He sends forth lightning and wind, which blow away all the birds, and he carries 
away the woman K 10.299. [Woodpecker's wife, the Thrush, is ordered to prepare a 
meal. She walks along the walls of the house to her boxes, and sings, "Berries, ber- 
ries! " At once the dishes are full. The chiefs are unable to empty them. There- 
fore they decide to carry away the woman, The Thunderbird arises. There is 
lightning and darkness, and he carries away the woman Nu 5.] 

In the Comox version the order of events has been changed. Thun- 
derbird intends to carry away Thrush Woman. He pays a visit 
to Woodpecker, and during this visit the game mentioned before is 
arranged. 

Woodpecker's wife is Thrush. Thunderbird wants to abduct her, and visits Wood- 
pecker, accompanied by the Crane and another bird. He sits in the house with 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 7l3 

covered head in order to hide his long nose. Thrush asks her husband to get a sahiion- 
berry bush. She sings: leave.s, flowers, and berries appear on the bush. Thunderbird 
eats, and after this follows the game.' After he has been beaten, he is angry, sits 
down on Thrush's blanket, and creates a gale, which breaks up the house and blows 
away all the birds. Then he carries home Thrush Woman Co 5. 

The corresponding part of the StsEe'lis version is as follows: 

Eagle's son marries Xut (a small bird ). His uncle. Woodpecker, covets the woman. 
When Eagle discovers this, he returns to his father. Woodpecker invites the people, 
and the bird woman whom he had abducted dances and spits into a basket, which is 
at once full of berries. Among the guests is .Sockeye Salmon and his slave Thunder- 
bird. The latter resolves to abduct Xut. Salmon lies down in the bow of his canoe. 
Thunderbird stands in the stern. Xut goes into the water to give them traveling- 
provisions. Thunderbird takes her abokrd, and they carry her away Sts 5. 

In the Newettee version, as recorded in Ne 5, the story of the hoop 
game is not connected with the abduction of the woman, and the 
incident of the production of salmonberries by the woman's song is 
omitted. Presumably this version is not as well told as the others. 
It is, however, fuller in regard to the incidents relating to the recovery 
of the woman. 

Thunder!)ird wants to-abduct a woman, the Red- Winged Flicker. He wishes lier to 
eave the house to ease herself, and carries her away. The aninlals go to recover her. 
Wren (?) suggests that they take her back when she is picking berries. Mink is sent 
ahead to advise her. For joy on seeing him, she forgets to fill her basket. On the 
following day, when she goes berry -picking again, she is carried away. Thunderbird 
follows her, and wishes her to go out and get water. She goes out, and he carries her 
away again. Wren (?) advises the animals to go to Thunderbird's house in the form of 
trout I? I. Thunderbird catches Flicker's husband, who has also the form of a trout, 
and who later on succeeds in carrying back his wife. Thunderbird follows her, and 
wishes her to come out to pick berries. He carries her off a third time. Then the 
animals make a whale to kill the Thunderbird Xe o. 

In the Kwakiutl version also a number of incidents are introduced 
which precede the making of the whale. 

Woodpecker calls a council, and the animals resolve to make war on Thunderbird. 
Wren invites them to borrow the Salmon masks and to enter the salmon weir of 
Thunderbird. Mink goes to Spring Salmon to borrow the basket containing the 
Salmon masks; but Mink unties it, and all the salmon jump out.^ Spring Salmon 
puts them back; and JHnk takes the basket to Woodpecker, who is advised to put on a 
mask of a little Silver Salmon and is told what to do. The animals all go in the form 
of salmon, enter Thunderbird's salmon weir, and are caught. Thrush Woman goes 
down with her husband, who clubs the salmon. Mink groans when being struck. 
Thrush Woman takes the little Silver Salmon, who makes himself known to her. He 
asks her to throw the intestines and the blood of the salmon into the sea. Thrush 
Woman asks the salmon to let her see his true face, that she may believe him, and 
he hits his mask. The woman does as she is asked, and takes the bones, intestines, 
and blood to the water. The salmon return to life and take her along K 10. 

In the Nootka version there are also a series of attempts to regain 
the woman. 

Crane suggests that they make a fog, in which the .fugitives are to lose their way. 
They are unsuccessful in doing this. Next Woodpecker and Kwo'tiath are sent out as 

1 For other gambling-matches see p. 812, No. 22. ■ See p. 715. 



714 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

scouts. They see that the woman is watched by Thimderbird girls. Kwo'tiath is 
told to become a salmonberry. He assumes the form of an enormously large berry, 
and the Thunderbird girls suspect that it is dangerous. Next Woodpecker tells 
Kwo'tiath to assume the shape of a salmonberry bush. He becomes an enormously 
big bush, which is again suspected. Next Kwo'tiath transforms himself into a giant 
salmon, while Woodpecker becomes a small salmon trout. Thunderbird catches 
them and carries them home. WTien the woman cuts the salmon trout, the latter 
tells lier to keep all the bones and the skin. When Kwo'tiath is cut and hung up 
to dry, he breaks the poles. Thunderbird orders his wife to throw the bones into 
the river. She goes way out into the water and is carried away by the Trout. At the 
same time Kwo'tiath breaks the drying-frames, re\'ives, and swims away Nu 5. 

In the Comox version there are also a number of incidents pre- 
ceding the making of the whale. 

The birds hold a council, and Wren advises them to let Woodpecker assume the 
form of a trout and to attack Thunderbird. Mink assumes the form of a spring salmon 
and accompanies him. They go into Thunderlnrd's lish trap. The lish are carried 
into the house, and the Trout that is Woodpecker tells her to preserve his bones and 
to throw them into the water. The other lish are dried. Mink always jumps down 
from the drying-frame, ^\'hen she carries the bones into the water, the Trout revives 
and carries her away Co 5. 

(^uite simihtr If) this is the StsEe'lis version. _ 

Woodpecker and Mink, who had been a slave of Sockeye Salmon, go to recover the 
woman. They go into the lish trap which is watched by the Thunderlnrd. Wood- 
pecker assumes the form of a cohoes salmon; Mink, that of a spring salmon. Mink 
wishes that the woman should dry him over the lire, and that she should roast the Wood- 
pecker. Mink falls down repeatedly. He \vi8hes that the woman shall throw the 
bones of the cohoes salmon into the water. Then the bones revive and carry the 
woman away. The Thunderbird story ends here Sts 5. 

(c) The Animals Make an Artificial Whale and KiU Thunderbird 

(13 versions: H ap 884; Ri 5.211; Ri 5.214; Ri MS; Ne 5.206; Ne 5.179; Ne 9.241; 

K 9.493; K 10.308; K 11.180; Nu 5.104; Nu Sproat ' 177; Co 5.83) 

As Stated before, the versions Ri MS, Ne 5.179, K 9.493, K 11.180, 
introduce here the incident of the killing of Pitch, which Raven 
requires in order to calk the whale that the animals intend to make 
(see 1^. 683). There is a reference to this incident, although in a dif- 
ferent form, in K 10. 

The animals have another council and decide to make war on Thunderbird. Owl, 
Hawk, Bat, and Raven go out to borrow pitch. After some time these animals come 
back, and the pitch is taken up to the beach. [The liellabella version is very brief. 
It is simply stated that Raven lets the people put stones into the whale, and that he 
gets pitch and alder wood, probably for making the whale. Among the animals that 
go in is the Mouse H ap.] 

One of the Rivers Inlet vei-sions is independent of the preceding 
story, and tells that the two culture-heroes No'aqawa and Masmasala'- 
nix decided to make the whale in order to kill Tlmnderbinl, who 
carries away people. 

No'aqawa wishes Masmasala'nix to make the whale. He does so and covers it with 
pitch. Then he tells all the people to enter the whale, which Masmasala'nix closes 
Ri 5.214. 

1 G. M. Sproat, Scenes and Studies of Savage Life, London, 18f).S. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 715 

In the other version, wliieh is connected \v-ith the incident No. 41, Klweklwaxa'we^ 
goes to Grouse, who always appears as carpenter, and asks liim to carve a whale. After 
it is done, it is covered witli pitch and thrown into the water. He liimself, the Hali- 
but, Beaver, and Sea Otter go into the whale, which swims to Sa'ludze, an island 
north of Malcolm Island, in Queen Charlotte Sound Ri 5.211. [In Ri MS, after Pitch 
and Frost have been killed (see p. 683 ;, he carves the whale, the people go inside, and 
they launch it. The whale swims and comes up to blow. It sticks in the mud, and 
the Beaver is hired to dig it out again. No details are gi\-en in the version Ne 5.206. 
In Ne 5.179 C^meal kills the Pitch, calks the whale which he has cai-ved of cedar 
wood, and asks the animals to go in. The black bear is placed in the head ; the grizzly 
bear, in the back; the wolf, in the_tail. The whale does not move quite properly 
tintil the animals are instructed by (y^meal how to handle it.] 

Somewhat different are the incidents told in some of the Kwakiutl 
versions. 

O'^meiil makes a whale of poles. He sends Mink to borrow the whale mask of the 
Wliale. He is instructed not to open the bag in which it is kept. Mink disobeys, and 
finds a small piece of root, which blows on the ground. He returns to AVhale, who 
folds it up and puts it back. Mink delivers it to (y^meiil, and the animals go into the 
whale. Mink sits in the spout-hole Ne 9.241. 

Woodpecker, Woodworm, and Ant are asked to carve a whale out of cedar wood. 
Mink and Deer are sent to borrow the ballast of Sea Lion for ballasting the whale. 
When the whale is completed, all the animals go in. Grouse gives his adze to Mink. 
Squid shuts the door on the back of the artificial whale K 10. In K 9.493 it is stated 
that the animals gather stones for ballast, and that the whale is calked at Ma'lmii, an 
island just opposite Crooked Beach. In K 11 K!wek!waxa'we^ sends Raven to kill 
Pitch. Meanwliile the other people bring wood and make the framework of a whale, 
which is covered over with melted pitch. After four days the whale is finished. 
Grizzly Bear, Deer, Mink, and Raccoon are placed in charge of the blow-hole. 
KIwOklwaxa'we' causes the tide to turn and to carry the Wliale to the house of the 
Thunderbird. 

Kwo'tiath advises Woodpecker to bon'ow the Whale's canoe. All the animals go 
in and go to the Thunderbird's house in the form of a whale Nu 5. 

During the council Wren adv'ses Woodpecker to borrow the Whale's canoe. Mink 
says he wants to go. Woodpecker agrees, and Mink finds the old Whale lying near the 
fire. He kicks him and asks for the canoe. The Whale, howe\"er, declines, because 
he says Mink will spoil it. Mink pretends to go out, but hides beliind the door. 
.\fter a little while he returns, and says that the other animals are too lazy to come. 
Whale gives him the box in wliich his canoe is kept, and orders him not to open it. 
Mink disobeys, opens the box, and the Whale jumps out. Mink pretends that the box 
broke by accident. When he finally returns to Woodpecker, the latter. Bear, Wolf, 
Panther, and other animals, go aboard. The canoe is ballasted with a heavy stone, 
and in the bow is Mink , who carries a chisel. The canoe appears like a whale Co 5. 

Finally the animals set out in the whale, and arrive in front of the 
Thunderbird's house. The Thtmderbird sends out liis cltikhen one 
after another to catch the whale. Generally the cliildren are called 
in order "The One Who Can Carry One, Two, Tliree, Four, Whales." 
They are all killed either by sticking to the pitch-covered whale, 
which puUs them under water, or by having their feet cut by the 
animals that are hidden near the blow-hole. 

The Thtinderbirds stick to the whale, and the Mouse gnaws through theii- wings 
H ap. The Thunderbird sends out his four children, and all are drowned by the 
whale. Finallv the Thunderbird himself is killed Ri 5.214. 



716 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

The version Ri 5.211 is almost identical with tlie preceding one, 
except that the youngest son is The One Who Catches One ^Yliale; 
the oldest, The One Who Catches Four Wliales. 

The last named is told U> catch the whale by the head. The old Thimderbird 
heljis him, but nevertheless both are drowned. The whale dives with such force 
that it sticks in the mud of the bottom of the sea. Beaver and Sea Otter have to dig 
it out Ri •5.211. In the version Ri MS every one of the Thunderbird's children 
raises the whale a little liigher. They are all told to take hold of it by the head. 
Every time the whale dives, it has to be dug out again. In the version Xe 5.206 
the animals attack the birds that try to lift the whale. The Mouse gnaws their talons, 
Raccoon blinds them with his urine, Bear breaks their wings, and the Deer kills them. 
In Ne 5.179 the Thunderbird, when taking hold of the whale, hurts Mink; and when 
he cries, the Duck breaks the Thunderbird's wings with a stick, and the Black Bear 
eats its feet. The youngest one of the Thunderbirds, who is in the cradle, is the 
only one that is saved. In another Newettee version Mink sits in the spout-hole. 
The Thunderbirds put on their bird masks and fly down. They grasp Mink, who 
cries. Then the animals strike the Thunderbird. The Wasp stings his eye, and 
Grizzly Bear and Wolf kill him. When the next one tries to lift the whale, the 
Grizzly Bear, Wolves, and the Black Bear strike him, and his face is covered by the 
Squid. At the end of this story it would appear that O'^meid's folding-canoe had 
assumed the form of the whale, but this point is not brought out quite clearly Ne 9.241. 

The version K 9.493 is identical with K 10. 

The wings of the Thunderbirds stick to the pitch. Mink cuts their talons. The 
whale dives, and they are drowned. WTien all their cliildren are drowned, Thunder- 
bird and his wife dress. Before flying out, he puts his wrist-bands and anklets on 
the youngest cliild, which is still in the cradle, and says that/«(urc generations of 
men shall do the same to their children when they are ten montlts old. lie also ordains 
that there shall be thunderstorms only in spring and in autumn. Thunderbird and his 
wife are drowned. On account of this story, children's zirist-bands and fool-bands are 
used, the hoop game is played, the Ma'malehqala use the ivhale mask, and bones and 
refuse of salmon are thrown into the water. 

When the TMiale arrives, the young Thunderbirds put on their feather dresses 
and try to catch it. The first one grasps it, and liis talons pierce the skin. The 
animals tie them inside and cut them. The Thunderbird gets weak on account of 
lossofblood. Kwo'tiath beats the ballast, saying. "Get heavy!" Thus the Thunder- 
birds are drowned. The bird that is first caught has time to warn his brothers, never- 
theless they are killed. Only one Thunderbird survives. Kwo'tiath transforms the 
canoe and the animals in it into st<:)ne Xu 5. 

This tale is also briefly referred to by Sproat. He simply states that Kwo'tiath 
enters a whale and drags the Thunderbirds under water. The last one escapes. 

The Thunderbird tries t» lift the whale. The stone rolls back into the tail. Mink 
cuts the feet of the Thunderbird with the chisel. All the Thunderbirds are killed 
excepting the youngest .one, who is still in the cradle. His father tells him to cause 
thunder only in summer and to stay at home in the winter Co 5.83. 

(44) TXa'mSEM and CHIEF GROUSE (p. 94) 

(9 versions: Ts 94; BCa 5.245; BC6 45; Nu 5.105; Cow 5.46; Chil 33; Nez Perc^' 23; 

Ojibwa 2 49, 215) 

Txii'msEm finds a house inhabited by a woman and two children. He trans- 
forms three crows, making one appear as his wife; the other two, as his children. 

^Herbert J. Spinden, Myths of the Nez Perc^Indians (-/ourrwi/ o/ .4 mfrican Folk-Lore, vol. xxi. p. 23). 
2 William Jones, Ojibwa Texts, edited by Truman Michelson (Publ. Am. Ethnol. Soc., vol. vn, part 1). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 7l7 

They are discovered, and led into the house of Cliief Grouse. Grouse makes arrows 
and darts, goes hunting mountain goat, and is successful. Txa'msEm follows lum, 
and sees that he shoots at a crack in a cliff. When he shouts, a bright youth appears, 
upon whose question Chief Grouse says that the arrows are the youth's. Then gciats 
fall down. Txa'msEm tries to imitate him. When the youth appears and questions 
him. he says that the arrows are liis own. Then the youth breaks them. Txit'm- 
SEm cuts his own stomach and carries the fat of liis intestines home. \Mien this is 
scorched, he faints. For this reason Rareyi has no intestines Ts. 

Panther goes hunting goats and meets To'alaLlit, who asks whose bows and ar- 
rows he is carrying. Panther replies that they belong to To'alaLlit, who then ex- 
changes weapons with him and makes Panther a successful hunter, ^^^^en he 
reaches home. Panther does not share his food with Raven. Raven goes hunting. 
The same happens to him, but he claims the arrows as belonging to himself. The 
end. relating to the intestines of Raven, is the same as in the Tsimshian version BCu 5. 

Raven and Lynx li^-e together. Raven catches salmon, which he refuses to share 
with Lynx's children. Lyn.x goes hunting; and wliile waiting for goats, he sees a 
mountain staff coming down. '\\Tien it approaches, he sees Toa'laLlit, who wears 
a large hat. He asks Lynx who made the arrows. Lynx replies, "Toa'laL.'it made 
them." ToalaLlit throws them down the mountain; and when Lynx goes down, 
he finds that each one had killed a goat. Toa'laLlit becomes Lynx's protector. 
When he reaches home, his wife can not lift the quiver in which he carries the 
mountain-goat fat. He does not give any to Raven and liis children. Raven goes 
out hunting too, meets Toa'laLlit in the same manner, and says that he liimself made 
his arrows. Then Toa'laLlit throws them down the mountain and breaks them. 
Before retiumng home, Raven cuts liis own belly, takes out five pieces of fat, and re- 
places liis intestines. He gives them to his wife; and when they are roasted, he 
feels sick and puts the fat back BC6. 

Raven and a small bird live together. Raven catches many herrings, but refuses 
to share with the bird. ^Mien the bird's cluldreu look tlirough knot-holes in his 
house, he pokes them. The bird goes elk hunting. He meets Wolves, who ask 
him whether he killed the elks. The bird replies that he thinks the Wolves 
killed them. The Wolves transform the meat, so that it is very easy to carry. He 
closes the holes in his house and fries the meat. Raven sends him herring, asking 
in return for some of the meat; but the bird does not open the door. Raven goes 
himself, but fares no better. He swallows the dish and the herrings, and tells his 
wife that the bird has accepted them. He goes hunting. When the two Wolves 
come, he claims to ha^-e killed the elks liimself, and scolds them. He carries the 
meat home with difficulty, throws it down in front of the door, and the meat is trans- 
formed into rotten wood Nu 5. 

Raven is car%'ing a deer. Xals meets him, and asks liim to bo careful, so as not to 
break his (Xals's) arrow. Raven scolds him. When he carries the doer meat home, 
Xals throws rotten wood on his pack, and a stone into the deer's stomach. "WTien 
Raven throws it ddwn outside, it is transformed into rotten wood and stone. The same 
happens to Gull, who is courteous, and says that the arrow belongs to Xals, who, 
in return, makes the deer very fat and lieaw. Raven sends a present of fish to Gull, 
asking for some of the meat, but it is refused. He is ashamed, and tliri.ws away the 
fish. He goes hunting once more, and the same as before happens to him and to 
Gidl. Xills transforms both into birds Cow 5. 

An Ojibwa tale of Niinabushu treats the same motive. A man whose provisions 
have been used up by Nanabushu goes to get sweet-brier berries with which to feed 
his family. He finds an arrow on the ice of a lake, and is asked by a voice whether 
he thinks it is his own arrow (Ojibwa 51). He says that he only wants to look at it, 
and is helped. Later on Nanabushu lias the same experience, but makes a mistake 
and claims the arrow as his own (Ojibwa 61). 



718 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

The versions collected in the interior are not quite so clear, and 
can be understood only in the light of the Coast versions. 

Fox goes hunting, and finds deer pierced by arrows, and a wounded buck conies 
running tow;irds him. It dies. He takes out the arrows, washes them, and places 
them in a pile. The Wolves come and ask for their arrows. They take them and 
leave the meat, which Fox takes home, Nez Perce. 

A boy goes hunting, ahd hears s<jme one driving caribou towards him. He shoots 
the large animals. Three AVolves come up to him and ask him if he has killed all 
the animals himself, to wiiich he replies in the affirmative. The Wolves say that 
they had eaten beavers which the boy had killed before, and for this reason had 
helped him Chil 33. 

(45) RAVEN INVITES TUE MONSTERS (p. lOO) 

(5 versions: Ts 100; Tic 5.317; M 316; M 364; Ne 5.181. See also Ts 1.189; Ts 5.293; 
Tla 16; T16 170; and Ts 639) 

Raven gives the first potlatch to all the sea monsters, wliich become rocks. He 
himself is transformed into a rock. Only the devilfish escapes by going down into 
the water. Therefore the devilfish dies when it hears the raven cry, and people caw like 
the raven on seeing it ' Ts. 

Raven in\'itea all the animals toa feast, among them the Killer Whale with many 
rings on his hat. He shouts, and all become stone, that may be seen on Stikine River 
Tic Practically the same story is told by the Masset. He shouts when day comes, 
and the animals become stone M 316. In another tale Qmg" invites the Ocean 
People, who become stone M 364. 

The same story is told of a human chief in Ts 5.293 and Ts 1.189. In this case all 
the monsters are enumerated by name. The chief, Y!aga-k!une'°8k, invites the 
sea monsters, who appear, using killer whales as their canoes. When they enter 
the house, a flood of water comes in. The most dangerous ones sit in the reiir of the 
house. He gives them fat, tobacco, red paint, and eagle down. They promise not 
to kill people. The chief uses the dress of his guests as his crests Ts 5.293. 

Tlie people go to Nass River, and Y !aga-k !une'°sk puts up a stone totem-pole at 
Little Crabapple Tree. At his feast he divides animals and supernatural beings of 
the woods and the sea. The monsters come in on waves of foam. When the foam dis- 
appears, they are seen wearing their crests. The cliief takes his name. It is day- 
light before the stone totem-pole is erected. The guests disappear, and there/ore the 
stone reinains leaning against the cliff Ts 1.189. 

Quite analogous is the following Newettee tale. Raven builds a feast-house, and 
orders the Bears, the Woh, and the Squid to hold it together. Then he invites in 
all the sea monsters, the birds, and Thunderbird. He feasts them. He alone is 
able to drink the hot oil that he offers to iiis guests Ne. 

A similar incident is referred to in Tla, where Raven gives a feast because he 
desires to see GonaqAde't'a blanket and shirt. He invites other chiefs too. As 
long as the sea monster GonaqAde't is outside, it is surrounded by a fog; but it 
appears clearly when it enters the house. The same tale is recorded more fully in 
Tli. The crew of a canoe is killed by GonaqAde't; and the chief, instead of taking 
revenge, invites him and the sea monster, and restores the chief's nephews. 

(46) WREN KILLS THE BEAR 

(13 versions: Tla 17 ; Sk 362, 363 ; N 117 ; BC 5.2.56 ; H ap 888 ; Ri 5.212 ; Nu ap 
891; Chin 119; Quin 126; Ntl Teit 3.331, 342; Lil 312) 

The story of Wren, who kills the Bear,^ appears in a great many 
different connections. Only among the Tlingit does it appear as part 
of the Raven tale. 

' See also pp. 100, 138. 

2InSh679 Wren klUs the Bear with an ax. In other respects the tale is similar to the one discussed here. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 719 

Raven assembles all the Birds, in preparation for a feast. He asks the Birds whether 
one of them can fly into the Bear's anus. Wren does so and pulls out Bear's intes- 
tines. Then he drives away the Birds and eats the Bear T\a 17. 

Grizzly Bear steals the salmon of Song Sparrow. The Bear swallows the bird, who 
starts a fire in th-e Bear's stomach and kills him. Then the Bird asks his grandmother 
to help him bring in the Bear Sk 362, 363. The continuation of this story is identi- 
cal with the Ts'ak- story of Nass River (see p. 868). 

On Nass River the same tale appears as the introduction to tlie Ts'ak" tale. 
Grizzly Bear steals Ts'ak-'s salmon, and is swallowed by him. Grizzly Bear snuffs 
him in, and Ts'ak' starts a fire in Grizzly Bear's stomach. Finally the Bear dies, 
and Ts'ak' comes out of his anus N 117. 

Quite similar to this is the Bellacoola version. Stsqa'aqa, the son of Pakua'na, 
catches salmon, which are stolen by the Grizzly Bear. The Grizzly Bear snuffs him 
in, but he flies right through his body. Tlien the Bear sntiffs him in again and closes 
nose and anus witli plugs. The bird starts a fire in the stomach of the Bear and flies 
away. The sparks that fly out of the Bear's mouth become the stars BC 5.256. 

The Bellabella version is very brief. It is merely stated that the bird Tsiskin 
quarrels with the Black Bear, who snuffs him in. The bird starts a fire in the Bear's 
stomach and kills him H ap. The same story is told by the Rivers Inlet people. 
Stskin is swallowed by the Grizzly Bear, and flies right through his body. Tlie fourth 
time the Bear swallows him, he makes a fire-drill out of his bow, uses his cedar-bark 
cape as tinder, starts a fire, and flies out. The Bear is killed. This story continues 
in the same way as the Nass River story, telling how the little bird asks his grand- 
mother to help him carry home the Bear Ri 5.212. 

The bird Entsix calls for the Elk. Various animals come, until finally a bull Elk 
appeal's. The bird flies into its anus and cuts up the stomach. Tlie Elk dies, and 
the bird flies to his grandmother, whom he asks to help him carry back the Elk, Chin 
119. A similar story is told by the Shuswap Sh 679. 

Wren goes fishing. Elk takes away his salmon-spear. When this happens again 
Wren flies into the nose of Elk, and scratches him until he dies Quin 126. Wren 
overcomes Elk by flying into his nose Nu ap 891. 

Related to this story is also the following: Wren calls out the elks one after another, 
^lien a very f at one appears, he jumps into its anus, cuts out its heart, and kills it. 
Then Wolves appear and steal the elk Ntl Teit 3.342. A variant is told by the Lil- 
looet Lil 312. In another version Grasshopper kills Elk in the same way Ntl Teit 
3.331. 

This story is obviously related to the tales of animals which swallow 
other small animals or people. (See pp. 611, 659, 687, 868.') 

(47) RAVEN PXILLS OFF THE ARM OF A CHIEF 
(5 versions: Sk/ 136; Co 5.78: Chil 23; Wasco 281; Loucheux, Fort McPherson 2) 

Raven comes to a town where the prince, a very strong man, had his arm pulled 
out by a supernatural being, the son of Gu'gal. Raven takes the form of an old man 
in Gu'gal's town, and gambles with the chief's son. He stays over night in the 
house, and when everybody is asleep he tries to take away the arm. He touches 
the screens behind which it is kept, and they give forth a loud noise. At once he 
lies down again. Finally he takes it away. In fl>'ing out he touches the screen 
with his claws, and the screen gives forth a loud noise again. However, he escapes, 
and returns the arm to the young man Sk 136. The Bear Woman steals fish from a 
house. Wlien the owner tries to shoot her, the Bear tears out his arm and runs 
away. Raven goes to the Bear's house, boils red cod, and feeds her untD she falls 
asleep. Then Raven steals the arm and flies away with it. After he reaches his own 

iThe Coos have a distantly related story of an old woman who is swallowed by a bear, whom she kills 
by cutting his heart. Coos 103. Analogous is also a story of a shadow who is killed by a girl whom he has 
swallowed, Coos 109; see also Jones. Ojibwa Te.xts 207. 

2 C. Camseli, Loucheux Myths (Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxvm, 1915, p. 253J. 



720 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

village, he sucks the arm and begias to sing. The arm gradually cornea in through 
the smoke hole, is put in its place, and healed on by the Snail Co 5.78. A man 
marries a Bear. When he is not true to her, she tears off one of his arms. One time 
he finds his Bear wife and her two children. The Bear Woman gives him food, which 
he eats with one hand. At night she places the arm under his pillow, and puts it on 
again Chil 23. 

It is doubtful whether the following story is analogous to the pre- 
ceding one. 

An ogre tries to carry away a crying boy. She puts her arm down through the 
smoke hole, and the boy tears it off. A dance is held, and the five ogre sisters 
appear. They dance, and sing, " Give me my arm! " When the people return the 
arm, the ogre women become e.xcited, dance, and do not notice that the people close 
the house and set fire to it. Thxis they are burned Wasco 281. 

Grizzly Bear tears off Fox's arm and hangs it up in his lodge. Crow (Raven?) 
and Sparrow Uawk go to recover it. Crow begins to tell stories to Grizzly Bear until 
the latter falls asleep. Then he steals the shoulder and restores it to Fox, Loucheux. 

(48) RAVEX IS SET ADRIFT 

(.3 versions: Tla 12, 17; T16 121) 

Raven steals his companion's grease. When the latter finds out what has hap- 
pened, he puts Raven into a box. Raven asks him to tie it up with straw, not 
with a rope. Then Raven's companion kicks the box into the sea, and Raven flies 
out Tla 12, 17. After Raven has been gathering fish with hiscompanion (seep. 692), 
he induces the latter to flee, pretending that enemies are coming. His trick is found 
out. He is put into a box, but he makes a hole in it and escapes T16 121. 

There are a number of other stories referring to a young man who 
is put into a box and sent adrift. Most of these belong to the story 
of a youth who visits the Eagle town and marries the Eagle girls 
(see p. 796). 

(186) TXa'MSEM pretends to build a canoe ' (p. 84) 

Txii'msEm marries a 'vridow's daughter, and pretends that he is going to build a canoe 
for his mother-in-law. His wife gives him food, and the women hear a noise as though 
he were cutting wood. In the evening he asks hLs mother-in-law to prepare supper 
for him. He continues tliis until the provisions are nearly gone. One day the 
mother sends her daughter to see whether the canoe is nearly finished. Txa'msEm 
is found beating an old rotten cedar tree with a stone ax. The women move away 
and leave him alone. 

(187, 188) txa'msem and the wolves (pp. 94 and 96) 

Txii'msEm goes to the house of the Wolves and pretends to be a hunter. The Wolves 
bring in a great depl of food, and Txii'msEm does not know how to get possession of 
it. (Here follows his adventure with Chief Grouse [see p. 716], in which he cuts out 
his own intestines.) He meets two Wolves, who take him back. Txii'msEm is 
unable to keep up with them, on account of his wound. He is led to the village 
by Tomtit, whom he tells that Grouse has been envious of his success in mountain- 
goat hunting, and has struck him with a club and thrown him do^ra a mountain. 
The Wolves take the scent of his wound, and he says again that he has been hurt by 

1 The foUowing incidents, which occur in liie Tsimsliian version of tiie Raven tale recorded in this 
volume, belong to the scattering episodes of our list (see pp. 572 et seq.). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 721 

Chief Grouse. Txa'msEm is fed. On the following day the Wolvea go hunting. 
Txa'meEm accompanies two young Wolves, who go up a mountain and throw do\\'B 
the goats that they have killed. Txii'msEm gathers up the game, covers it with hem- 
lock leaves, leaving out only four or five goats. The young Wolves find the game 
by the scent and accuse Txa'msEm, who says that he had been intending to protect 
it against robbers. At the feast given by Chief Wolf no one speaks to Txa'msEm. 
He is sent again with the hunters, and the same thing happens as before. lie hides 
the animals on the beach. The Wolves take the game away, and Txa'msEm drifts 
to Cape Fox on a floating log. For this reason canoes do not upset at Cape Fox. 

(190) txa'msem and the crab (p. 70) 

(2 versions: Ts 70; Skd 128) 

Although the incident of Raven wishing to play with the Spider 
Crab and being eventually drowned by him is confined to the Tsini- 
shian and Skidegate, it must be compared with the numt^rous other 
incidents where animals whom he treats in a similar maimer drown 
him. Thus we have a tale of the Devilfish holding Raven and drowTi- 
ing him Ne 5.176. 

(211) txa'msem and lagobola' (p. 68) 

(2 versions: T.s 69; N 18. See also Tl 5.818) 

The second part of this story, the shooting-match between Txa'm- 
sEm and Lagobola', is confined to the Tsimshian. It has been col- 
lected only on Nass and Skeena Rivers. 

After the fog contest (see p. 666), Txa'msEm and Lagobola' land and have a shooting- 
match. They shoot at a crack in a mountain and stake Skeena River against Nass 
River. They sit down on two stones, and Txa'msEm sit'^ next to the water. As 
soon as Lagobola' shoots, Txa'msEm squirts water from his mouth and wishes that 
tlie arrow may not hit. Nevertheless Lagobola's arrow hits, while Txa'msEm's 
falls to one side. Txa'msEm insists that he has won, and Lagobola' accepts the 
situation. By imnning Nass River he brings it about that olachen go up there Ts. 

After the fog contest just mentioned, the two go up Nass River, each in his own 
canoe. They arrange a shooting-match and sit down on two rocks. They shoot at 
a crack in a mountain. Txa'msEm puts hLs grandchildren the Crows near by. 
Lagobola' places the Canada Jays in the same way. Txii'msEm tells the Crows to 
carry his arrow to the goal. They do so and remove Lagobola''s. Thus Txa'msEm 
wins the Nass River, and for this reason the olachen go there twice every year. Txa'm- 
sEm ordains at the same time that the salmon of Skeena River shall be fat N. 

I am not certam that the two versions arc quite independent. 
Mr. Tate's Tsimshian version is so similar to the Nass version, 
that I am under tlie impression that the printed form of the latter 
was known to him. 

The Tlingit version here mentioned is not identical with the preced- 
ing ones. It is merely an incident in Raven's contest with the One- 
Eyed Giant. The first part of the contest is a shooting-match, in 
winch they try to liit the summit of a mountain. Tlie Giant's arrows 
do not reach there; while Raven uses a bird for his arrow, wliich 
flies to the top of the mountain Tl 5.3 LS. 
50033'— 31 ETH— 16 46 



722 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY . [eth. ann. 31 

(212) TXa'MSEM finds a BEAUTIFtTL BLANKET (p. 72) 
(3 versions: Ts 72; Na 70; N6 38) 
Tliis incident is apparently confined to the Tsimshian and Nass. 

Txa'msBm steals a chief's dancing-blanket and throws away hia raven blanket. 
After a wliile he tears the dancing-blanket and has to search for his raven blanket. 
\\lien traveling about, he sees in the woods what he believes to be a dancing-blanket. 
He tears up his raven blanket and puts on the dancing-blanket. Soon, however, 
he finds that he has mistaken lichens for a blanket. lie mends his raven blanket 
and goes on. He sees what he believes to be a marten blanket, but he finds that 
he has mistaken moss for a blanket. He mends his raven blanket and puts it on Ts. 

He kills many ravens and makes a blanket of their skins. He sees hanging in front 
of him what he beKeves to be a dancing-blanket, tears up his raven blanket, but 
after a while he sees that what he believed was a dancing-blanket are withered leaves. 
He mends his raven blanket and goes on Na. 

He wears his grandfather's dancing-blanket. After a while he tears it. Then he 
kills ravens and makes a blanket of their skins, \\liile walking about he sees what 
he believes is a dancing-blanket. He tears up his raven blanket, but discovers that 
he has mistaken lichens for a blanket. Then he mends his raven blanket N6. 

(216) TXA'mSEM makes A GIRL SICK AND CtJRES HER (p. 8l) 

(10 versions: Ts 81; Sts 5.25; Till 141; Wish 11; Sh 741; Ntl Teit2.28; Ntl Teit 3.298; 
Ntl Teit 3.361; Ntl Hill-Tout 2.561; K 11.135) 

Evidently this incident is very much toned down. It seems to 
belong to a characteristic series of very coarse stories of the Raven 
and Coyote cycles. 

Txa'msEm wishes to get possession of a princess. When she goes out in a canoe 
with her friends to pick berries, he assumes the form of a stag, which swims in front 
of the canoe. They kill it and place it in front of the princess. The stag is not dead, 
and kicks the princess in the stomach, so that she becomes ill. Ts. — Parallel to this 
introduction is the Kwakiutl story of the deer that tries to get possession of Sawbill- 
Duck Woman, \Mien the girls go out in a canoe clam-digging, he puts on his deer 
mask, s\"rims in front of the canoe, is captured, and then carries away the girl's privates 
K 11.135. 

The Tsimshian version continues telling of the efforts of the shamans to cure the 
girl. On the fourth day Txa'msEm arrives in the guise of a shaman, accompanied 
by his grandchildren the Crows, who are his crew. He sings his song calling for 
hail, and the Crows drop pebbles on the roof of the house, thus making the people 
believe that he has conjured up the hail. He covers the princess with a mat, crawls 
imder the mat, touches her, and thus cures her. Ts. — As'ai'yahaL wishes to got 
possession of a girl. He waits for her to get sick, protends that he is a shaman, and 
when called sends everybody away except two blind women. He orders the old 
women to cover the girl and himself with elk skins, and has intercourse with her. 
The women try to restrain him, but he runs away with the elk skins Till. — Coyote 
attacks a woman who is swimming in the water. She becomes sick. Raven is unable 
to cure her, and a number of girls are sent to call Coyote, whom they carry on their 
backs. He asks that a ciu-tain be put up around the patient, and has intercourse 
with her Wish.' — In Sts 5.25 the same story is told of Mink. The versions Sh and 
Ntl are very much like the last one. In Ntl Teit 3.361 the same tale is told of 
Muskrat. 

In Ts Txa'msEm asks as his i)ay that the people move away and leave all their 
provisions behind. WTiile he takes a walk, his grandchildren eat up everything. 

■ See the original for details. 



BOAS] COMPABATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 723 

THE FLRTHER HISTORY OF TXA'MSEM (p. 100) 

This is evidently a recent story, which is composed of elements of 
a number of folk-tales of the Northwest coast. 

A chief builds a beautiful house, the fame of which spreads over the whole country. 
One night Txii'msEm appears in the form of a giant to look at the house. The people 
watch for him, and one man shoots him with a gun. A number of years later, after 
canneries had been established on Skeena River, a young man who had lost every- 
tliing in gambling wanders about in the mountains, finds a narrow trail on a large 
plain, and discovers a house in a deep valley. There he finds Txii'msEm, who shows 
his wound and sends his pups to hunt mountain sheep. The cubs are monsters, 
which, when called, become very large. The mountains around the valley are 
covered with mountain sheep. Txa'msEm gives the young man fat, which by 
sqtieezing he reduces in size. The young man returns, and Txii'msEm smoothes the 
land for him. Behind him terrible noises are heard, and the mountains restune 
their form. 

The first part of tliis story is obviously the widely-distributed 
incident of the giant or monster who visits a house to steal salmon, 
and who is shot by the owner or his son. This incident occurs with 
particular frequency in Kwakiutl tales (see p. 820). The deep valley 
in which the supernatural being resides is a common feature of 
Tsimshian stories (see p. 456), and the pups which become large 
liunting-dogs when put down on the ground are also of common 
occurrence (see p. 465). 

2. The Meeting of the Wild Animals (p. 106) 

(See p. 728) 

3. The Pobcuplne-Hunter (p. 108) 

No parallels of this story have been recorded. 

A hunter kills too many porcupines. He is called into the house of the Porcupine 
chief, who asks the hunter to t«ll the Porcupine chief's name. lie gives several wrong 
answers, and every time he is struck by the Porcupine. Mouse Woman tells him the 
right name of the chief, which is Sea Otter On Green Mountain. The face of the 
hunter is rubbed with the contents of the Porcupine chief's wives' stomachs, and he is 
well again. Hence it is known that the contents of the porcupine stomach U'ill draw out 
quills. The hunter is told not to smoke porcupines out of their dens, to eat them before 
winter sets in, and to throw the bo^es into the fire. 

4. The Story of Grizzly Bear and Beaver 

(2 versions: Ts 111; Kai 238') 

Grizzly Bear kills Beavers on the ice and in their houses. One Beaver only escapes. 
He makes an artificial swamj) under a fallen tree that stretches over the water, sits at 
the end of it, and excites Grizzlj' Bear by scolding him. Beaver jumps into the water 
and swims away. Grizzly Bear jumps into the morass and is drowned Ts 111. 

In the TUngit country there is a beaver lake. Grizzly Bears and Wolves kUl the 
Beavers. Only one is left. He makes an island, which serves as his tort. He shouts, 
as in the preceding version, "I wish the Grizzly Bears would die!" The Grizzly 
Bears swim out and are drowned in the mud around the island. The Beaver gives a 



724 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eith.ann. 31 

feast to the animals of the woods with the meat of the Grizzly Bears. He sings, and 
puts on the bear skin. The animals are scared and run away, last of all the Wol- 
verene. When he runs out, the door hits him on the back, which produces the black 
spot, that may he seen up to this time Kai 238. 

5. Story of the Porcupine (p. 112, Ts 1.237) 

No other version of this tale has been recorded. 

Grizzly Bear gets wet in his den. Porcupine passes. Bear calls him in, ties him up, 
and scorches him by the fire. Then he throws out the body. Porcupine calls the 
cold, and the Bear freezes to death. 

6. Beaver and PoRCTipiNE (p. 113) 

(11 versions: Ts 1.227; Ts 5.305; N 73; Tk 43; T16 220; M 44G; Sk 44; Tets 43; Hare 
Petitot 7.234; Sh 654; Jicarilla Apache Goddard' 231) 

The story deals with the trick Beaver played on Porcupine, ahd 
Porcupine's revenge, or vice versa. In N, Sk, Beaver tricks Porcu- 
pine first, while in Ts 1 , Ts 5, Porcupine tricks Beaver first. In some of 
the versions an effort is made to explain why the two animals, who 
were originally friends, become enemies. The story centers in the 
idea that the Beaver, who is an excellent swimmer, can not climb 
trees; while the Porcupine, who is a good climber, can not swim. 
The idea that the Porcupine controls the weather, particularly the 
frost, is essential in the solution of the plot. Beaver carries Porcu- 
pine to an island, from which he makes liis escape by calluig on the 
Cold. He then returns over tiie ice. In the Nass River version the 
story is practically duplicated. We have first the two friends invit- 
ing each other. At tliis feast the later contest is suggested bj' the 
kind of food that they give to each other. In some of the versions 
(Hare) the whole central point of the story has been lost sight 
of. In the Masset version it is even Beaver who is carried out by 
Bear to an island in the sea, and who can not return because he is 
accustomed to fresh water. Followijig are the details of the story : 

Beaver and Porcupine are friends Ts 5, N, Tla, T16 [they travel together; Bear is 
afraid of Porcupine; he hates Beaver, whose dams h;> breaks, and whom he eats; 
sometimes Porcupine stays in Beaver'shouse; whenever the level of the lake falls, Por- 
cupine goes out first, and the Beaver repairs the dam while Porcupine stands .euard 
Tla] [Porcupine visits Beaver, who does not like to have him in his den because he 
leaves his quills there Tib]. 

Beaver invites Porcupine Ts 1, Ts 5, N [asks Porcupine to go with him to the middle 
of the lake Tla]; Beaver goes ashore and comes up near the place where Porcupine 
sitsN; Porcupine says he can not swim Ts 5; Beaver then carries him on his back Tsl, 
Ts 5, N, Tla, T16; he tells him to scratch his back when out of breath, and to put his 
nose close to the nape of his neck Ts 1, Ts 5, N; when diving, Beaver strikes the 
water with his tail Ts 1, N, Tla; he dives a long time Ts 5; Porcupine scratches him, 
but he pays no attention Ts 1 ; when he dives, Porcupine is afraid and breaks wind N 
[in N, Beaver takes him out tn his house, dives twice, and gives him sticks to eat; 
later on he takes Porcupine out to play and dives four times; then he strikes the 

■See footnote, n. 694. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 725 

water with his tail and dives, when the water splashes into the face of Porcupine, who 
gasps]. Ho puts Porcupine on an island in the middle of the lake and returns Ta 1, 
Tin [on the stump of a tree in the middle of a lake Ts 5, T16]. Porcupine is almost 
dead. When the sun strikes him, he revives Tsl. He prays to Nass and Skeena 
Rivers for cold Ts 5. He cries and sings, "The sky is burning, and burning are 
my children!" Then lightning comes from the north, the north wind blows, and 
the lake freezes over Ts 1. He wanders about on the island, climbs one tree after 
another, then calls for Wolverene and other animals, because he wants the north 
wind to blow. Wolverene hears him; and Porcupine sings about himself, saying 
that he wants to go home Tla. He sings, "Let it freeze, so that I can cross over 
Wolverene's place! " T16. The lake freezes, and he goes home Ts 5, Tlo, T16 [instead 
of the prayer and the appearance of cold, Beaver takes him back N]. 

The story Tla continues here in a different manner. He makes friends with Ground 
Hog; he makes a song about the Ground Hog; then a man who catches the Ground 
Hog and cooks his meat is killed by a bear trap. 

The Skidegate version brings in the whole incident in a qmte different manner- 
Beaver has plenty of food, which Porcupine steals. He waits for Beaver's return, 
and says, "How can the food of supernatural people be taken?" WTien Beaver sees 
that Porcupine has stolen the food, they fight. When Beaver is about to seize him 
with his teeth, Porcupine strikes him with his spines. Beaver goes home; his father 
calls liis people. They push down their house over Porcupine and carry him. to an 
island. In vain he calls his clan-fellows and his father. Sometliing tells him to call 
North Wind. He sings the North Wind song, and a strong north wind blows. Then 
he sings for smooth water, and the water freezes. His friends come and get him Sk 44. 

In the following I give a summary of tlie trick played by Porcu- 
pine on Beaver, which sometimes precedes, sometimes follows, the 
incident discussed before. 

Beaver swims about, striking the water with his tail. Poroipine calls him Ts 1. 
After Porcupine has been tricked by Bea\er, the former calls his tribe, who ask him 
to invite Beaver and to retaliate. Beaver goes to Porcupine's valley, and in the house 
Porcupine strikes the fire with liis tail. The tail hums, and Beaver sings, "Little 
Porcupine's tail liurns in the middle! " Porcupine runs about in front of the Beaver 
and gives him bark of trees and spruce needles to eat. Beaver is afraid to eat. Then 
Porcupine invites liim to play with him, and sings, " WTien I walk along the edge, my 
shooting-star drops out! " This song brbigs cold weather and a clear sky N. 

This introduction of frost and ice here and m the following part of 
the tale would seem to be misplaced. In all the other tales where 
the song occurs, Porcupine asks for the ice in order to be enabled to 
escape from the island, while here there does not seem to be any 
particular reason for its introduction. 

This incident corresponds to the invitation of Porcupine by Beaver, and precedes 
the actual trick. Porcupine takes Beaver to his playground, a spruce tree Ts 1 [a 
tree on a grassy slope N]. Water runs across the ground on the way to the tree. It is 
frozen. Beaver can not cross it, but Porcupine leads hira across N. [In Tla the 
second incident is introduced liy the remark that Porcupine is hungry and wants to 
go home to get bark and sap; in T16 it is introduced again by sajdng that the two go 
playing again.] P<jrcupine invites Beaver to climb the tree Ts 1, Ts 5 [saying it is better 
than playing in water Ts 1]. Beaver says he can not climb Ts 5. Porcupine sliows 
liimhowtodoit Tsl, Ts5, N,T1«. Then he throws himself down along the tips of the 
l.iranches, shouting, "Vessel of moss! " Ts 1, N [he jumps down Ts 5, slides down Tla]. 
[The Beaver stays below, but the Bear comes along, and he asks liim what to do Tla. J 
Porcupine tells Beaver to do the same Ts 5. Beaver can not do so, and Porcupine 



726 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

carries liim up Ts 1, N, Tla, T16. He is told to hold on to the neck of Porcupine Ts 1 
[to put his nose close to Porcupine's hack; this remark probably belongs rather to 
Beaver can-jdng Porcupine through the water; he is told to do so in order to prevent the 
water entering his nose Tla; Beaver climbs the tree Ts 5, N]. Pt)rcupine puts him 
on the tree and leaves liim Ts 1, Ts 5, N. When below, he looks at him from a dis- 
tance, and tells liim to jump down and to shout, "On a stone!" Ts 1 [Heaver does not 
know how to got down Tlo). Finally the Beaver jumps down, shouting, "On a stone! " 
Tsl, N [he falls down and hurts himself Ts 5; he strikes the ground, and his belly 
bursts Ts 1, N]. Porcupine laughs at him Ts 5 [a Squirrel helps him down while the 
Porcupine is in liis hole with other Porcu|)ines Tla; he climbs down, therefore the 
hark of trees looks broken T16]. Because these two fall out, friends now fall out Tlo. 
Beaver revives, but is aick for some time Ts 1. 

The Skidegate vereioji is so diffeieJit that it can not very well be 
fitted into the preceding series. 

After the quarrel between Porcupine and Beaver mentioned before, the father of 
Porcupine invites all the forest people, gives them food, and asks them what to do. 
He saya that Beaver attacked Porcupine because he had eaten Beaver's food. 
They decide to make war, but can not overcome Beaver. One day while they are 
gathering food, they seize Beaver, put him on a tree; he succeeds in getting down 
again by eating the tree from the top Sk. 

The TslEtsIa'ut story is related to the one here discu-ssed, but is 

quite different. 

Porcupine is on a small island . It rains, the waters rise, then he sings for cold ; and 
after the water freezes, he goes back over the ice. The Beaver then says, " You 
must slay at home tvhile the branches of trees are covered with frost." The Porcupine 
replies, "Henceforth you shall live in riiiers and lakes" Tsts. 

The Hare Indians (7 ) have a story which is only distantly related to 
this one. 

Beaver and Porcupine are sisters who live on the Mackenzie River. Beaver swims 
to the western bank, and stays there. Porcupine does not know how to swim, and 
bscumes angry. She asks her sister to carry her over the waters. A river or lake 
is formed between the two. Therefore the Porcupine lives in the west; the Beaver, 
in the east 7.234. 

In Masset the story is told of Deer and Beaver, and placed at 

TIa'qo- 

Deer has a skunk-cabbage patch, and Beaver throws trees over the plants. Then 
Deer digs a trench with his antlers, draining the lake. Deer calls Beaver, and offers 
to carry him on his back to an island in the sea. Beaver says he has never been in 
the sea, but Deer says there is much food. Deer puts him on the island and swims 
back. Beaver asks the Black Bear, Wolf, and Grizzly Bear and small animals to 
save him. For ten nights he is on the island. Then he calls the North Wind every 
day. For ten days a black wind comes. The sea is frozen. He goes back, stops up 
the trench, and continues to live in the lake M. 

The version Ts 1 ends with the statement that Beaver is swimming about, and Por- 
cupine calls him again, but he refuses to come. 

To this group belongs also a Jicarilla Apache tale (Goddard, p. 231 ). 

Beaver<;arrie8 the sleeping Coyote to the center of a lake, and Coyote can not swim 
back. Beaver forces him to swim, and he reaches the shore half dead . Another time 
Coyote carries the sleeping Beaver away from the water, and he crawls back with 
difficulty. The skin is worn off from his hands. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 727 

A Shuswap version contains only a quarrel between Beaver and 
Porcupine. 

Both animals live together, and Porcupine eats Beaver's food. Therefore the latter 
takes him up the mountains and ordains that he shall be a porcupine and live on moun- 
tains. He himself takes up his abode in lakes Sh. 

The StsEe'lis tell a story of Skunk and Coyote that recalls some 
features of the present tale, but I doubt if it belongs here Sts 5.44. 

7. The Deluge (p. 113) 

(2 versions: Ts 1.243; Ts5.278i 

The people of TlEmla.x'a'm are bad. They maltreat a trout, and then the Deluge 
seta in. For twenty days the waters rise. They cover their canoes with elk skin. 
The anchor-lines of many canoes break, and they drift away. Some people climb 
the mountains and are drowned. For twenty days the earth is submerged. Then 
the waters sink again, and the people settle in the places where they happen to be. 
In this manner the crests are scattered over the whole coast Ts 1. During the 
Deluge, mountains originate Ts 5. After the Flood, there is only clay, no tree.«. and 
the people live in tents Ts 1. 

8. Sun and Moon 

(a ) Origin of the Sun 

(11 versions: Ts 113; U 226; Sha Dawson 35; Sh6 738: Sh 5.5; Okanagon Hill-Tout 
145; Kutenai;! Wish 47; Wasco 308 1 

The chief in heaven has two sons and one daughter. The younger one ponders 
about the continued darkness that existed in the besinning of the world. He goes 
with his sister to gather pitch wood. They make a ring of the size of a face, to which 
they tie pitch wood. He goes to the place of sunrise and walks up. He runs quickly, 
because he is afraid that the pitch wood will not last until the evening. The people 
request him to walk more slowly, and the sister offers to hold him. She catches up 
with him at the middle of the sky and holds him. For this reason the sun stops a 
little while in the middle of the ski/. The people are grateful. The chief scolds his 
elder son, who lies down crjdng. He Ijlackens one side of his face with charcoal, 
and rises in the east. Before going he tells his slave to announce that he has risen. 
Meanwhile the sun shines out of the smoke hole, sparks fly out of the mouth, shoot 
out of the smoke hole, and become stars. They agree that the Sun shall walk about 
in the daytime and the Moon at night. The Sun paints his face with his sister's red 
ocher, which indicates fair weather. The girl goes westward, wrings out her garments, 
and strikes the water with them. After returning home, she shakes the water out of 
her garments over her father's fire, uhich produces fog. The fog refreshes the people 
after the heat of the day Ts. 

The essential element of the story is the transformation of two 
persons into Sun and Moon — an idea that seems to be foreign to 
other parts of the North Pacific coast. It appears, however, as a 
prominent part of the Coyote tales of southeastern British Columbia. 

The people want to make a new Sun, and try Coyote, who tells about everything 
he sees, and comes so near the earth that he is almost burned. Then the Red-Shafted 
Flicker is put in his place, who lays an egg, which is transformed into the pre.sent-day 
Bun Shfc. In Sh 5.5 Coyote's tail is so long that it is still below the horizon when 

* Verliand]ungen der Gesellschaft fiir Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte, vol. xxm (Berlin, 
1891), p. 164: Franz Boas, Kutenai Tales (BulMin 69, Bureau of American Ethnology), pp. 49, 67. 



728 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

he himself is way up in the sky. He talks too much. Finally the bird Tsxtskna'sp 
(a flicker) becomes the sun. By far the fullest version has lieen recorded from the 
Kutenai. In this tale the Transformer, Coyote, Chicken Hawk, and others try to be 
the Sun. The Transformer proves to be too red, because he is painted with ocher_ 
Coyote talks too much. The Chicken Hawk is too yellow. Finally the two sons of 
Lynx ])rove eatisfactory. One of them becomes the Sun; the other, the Moon. In 
an Ut'i'mqt version Coyote is asked to be the Moon, but is too talkative. Then 
Child Of Hog Fennel becomes the Moon U 226. 

The Red-IIeaded Woodpecker is tried. He is too hot. Crane goes too slowly. 
Coyote gossips too much. Finally Coyote's son is selected and becomes the Sun, 
Okanagon Hill-Tout. 

In the Wishram tale Coyote becomes Sun's slave, but is deposed because he be- 
trays everything he sees Wish 47. 

Distantly related to this group of tales is the Wasco myt'.i, which tells of two 
brothers w'iio went east, killed Sun and Moon, and became t'aemselves the heavenly 
bodies Wasco 308. I doubt if the Comox tale of the sons of Pitch, who become Sun 
and Moon, belongs here (see p. 683) Co 5.65. 

{b) Origin of the Seasons (p. 114) 

(11 versions: Ts 114; Sha626; Shfc 738; Tla20; Tlfc 107; Skll8; Shoshoni 274; Hare 
Petitot 7.299; Aesiniboin 101; Fox;' Ojibwa.' See also Ts IOC) 

The animals hold a council, and the Dogs advise that each moon shall last forty 
days. The Porcupine strikes his thumb while he is holduig up his hands counting, 
and says, "There shall be only thirty days. " For this reason the dog's thumb stands 
opposite his other fingers, and/or this reason there are twelve months. 

Evidently this part of the story belongs with the meeting of the wild animals (Ts 
106). The Grizzly Bear calls a council, intending (o protect the animals against the 
hunters, and asks that the winter shall be cold and long. The large animals agree. 
Porcupine objects, because the cold will freeze the small animals. When Grizzly 
Bear overrules him, Porcupine says that the large animals will not be able to live, 
because all plants will die in the long and told winter, while the small animals will 
be able to live on bark. 'Porcupine bites off his thumb in order to emphasize his 
speech. Then the animals agree that there shall be ice and snow in winter, rain in 
spring, warm weather in summer, when the fishes go up the river, and that the leaves 
shall fall off in the autumn. It is ordained that the animals are to be in their dens/or 
six months. During the council Porcupine strikes the animals with his tail, therefore 
all animals are afraid of porcupine. 

In the Shuswap version Grizzly Bear and Coyote quarrel first on account of the 
length of night and day. After this has been settled, they discuss the length of the 
season. Grizzly Bear wants the winter (or the year) to have as many months as there 
are feathers in the tail of the blue grouse (ruffed grouse Sh6). Coyote finds that there 
are twenty-two of these, and wants only one-half that number. Grizzly Bear objects. 
Then Coyote says that the year shall have as many months as there are feathers in the 
tail of the flicker. To this Grizzly Bear as,sents, and finds that there are twelve. 
Therefore there are six months winter, and six months summer Sha. In another ver- 
sion Grizzly Bear accepts half the number at first suggested by ('oyote Shfc.' 

The Shashoni tell that Wolf asks the animals to meet m council. Coyote demands 
that spring shall last ten months. The small l)ird To'tsegwe wants spring to last 
three months, f'oyote is enraged and tries to kill it, but is jjursued by the bird and 
his friend Rattlesnake. 

The Assiniboin tell that after the Flood I''kto"'m' ordained that there should be 
as many months summer as there are hairs on a wolf skin. Frog says seven months 

1 According to a communication from Dr. Truman Michelson, a manitou wants summer and winter each 
to have the same number of months as there are feathers in the tail of a turkey. The cuJture-hero de- 
cides that the number of months is to be the same as that of the stripes on the bacl^ of a chipmunli. 
Fox. The same story occurs in Jones's Ojibwa tales. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 729 

winter uill be enough, because else the animals will die. I °kto°'m' (Spider) gets angry 
and kills Frog, who stretches out seven of his toes. They finally agree, Assiniboin. 
In another version, after the summer has been stolen from the beings who own it, 
I^kto^'m' and theanimals meet in council. Frog holdsa pipe, and says, "There shall 
be six months of winter and eLx months of summer." I^kto^'m' clubs him, saying, 
"That is too short a time. " Frog stretches out his hands, and I^kto^'m' takes pity 
on him. Then he sends Frost far north, and tells him that it may be cold weather for a 
few days, but twt too cold. He tells the animals to dive into a hole containing fat and 
to keep warm in winter, Assiniboin. 

There are also two Tlingit passages and one Skidegate incident of the Raven legend 
which are related to our tale (No. 17, p. 5G8). The Skidegate incident has evidently 
a very close connection with the Tsimshian tale. 

Raven calls the Dog, and says, "Shall I make (or ordain) four moons?" The Dog 
wants six. Raven asks, "\Miat will you do when it is spring? " Dog replies, "When 
I am hungry, I move my feet in front of my face. " Then Raven makes each season 
last six months Sk. 

Raven makes the Dog, who is first a human being, and does everything Raven 
wants done, Jjut he is too quick. Therefore Raven pushes him down, sajdng, "You 
are nothmg but a dog. You shall have four legs." It is rather doubtful whether 
this tale belongs to our group Tlo. 

Raven goes to Ground Hog's house for the winter. He stays with them, and finally 
becomes tired. Raven shouts, "Winter is coming!" thinking that the Ground Hog 
has power to make the winter pass rapidly. The ground hog had to stay in the hole 
for six months, and had six toes. Raven pulls out one, therefore the groundhog has 
only five toes nowadays T16. In another Tlingit tale Raven causes the ground hogs 
to throw out their provisions by making them believe that spring has come Tl 15. 

Here belongs also the Hare Indian story, according to which the Frog ordains that 
there shall be three months warm weather and three months cold weather 7.299. 

9. Am'ala' (p. 116) 

(a) Am'ala' Acquires Supernatural Strength 

(8 versions: Ts 116; N 116; Sk 190; [Sk 8.12]; M 36.5; Kai 250; Tla 145; T16 289; Tl 194) 

This tale appears in a great many different combinations. 

A chief sends his four nephews to get fuel. In winter, when it is cold, he orders 
them to bathe in order to prepare against the chiefs and warriors of other tribes. He 
whips them with bundles of twigs. The youngest one does not go, but lies in the 
comer of the house. They believe that he never bathes. He rises late in the morning, 
and it is seen that steam aris^es from the ground where he lies. The chief tells the 
young men to try to pull out the branch of a tree. Although they are strong, they are 
unable to do so. The youngest lies down in the ashes during the day, but at night 
he always stays in the cold water. When the brothers are unable to twist out the 
branch, he says that he will do it. He is laughed at by his brothers, goes to a brook, 
and meets a shining youth, who tells him to gather the leaves of a supernatural tree. 
When the boy can not fiijd it, the youth himself goes. He washes the boy in a pond 
four times and makes him ver\- clean and strong. Then he tells him to dive, and now the 
boy is able to pull out a young spruce tree with its roots. This is repeated four times, 
until the boy is able to pull out a large spruce tree. Before re-entering the house the 
boy tears out the branch. When the chief thinks his nephews are strong enough, he 
invites the chiefs of the other tribes. He sends his nepheVs for firewood. The three 
elder ones bring young rotten cedar trees, while the youngest brings a whole spruce 
tree with its root.^. The warriors fight against the brothers and vanquish them. When 
the turn of the youngest comes, he breaks the heads of his rivals like eggshells. His 
uncle has to jjay dearly for the losses of the other tribes, and the young man is left 
alone Ts 116. 



730 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

The Nas3 version is very fragmentary. It is merely stated that a youth sleeps 
outside the house at the edge of the smoke hole, and is able to jnill out whole trce.-i for 
firewood N 116. 

There are nine brothers at Sea-Lion Town. The eldest one is unable to obtain 
strong supernatural power. His younger brothers disappear, and the mother com- 
plains that her elde.st son has no power. He orders his sister to jiour salt water into 
his mother's stone box. The eldest brother crawls into it. His sister presses him 
down with a poker. He breaks the side of the box by stretching himself. This is 
repeated several times. He goes into the sea. Something touches tim. He seizes 
it, and finds in his hands the tail of a flounder. He gives it to his sister to roast and 
eat. Next he takes one-half of a halibut, a porjwise tail, a white porpoise tail, finally 
a whale's tail. Finally he is touched by something which at first he can not grasp. 
When he seizes it with both hands, it pulls him out of the inlet. Something cracks at 
the bottom of th j island, and he obtains the transparent hair of He Wlio Tries The 
Supernatural Powers Of Men. Then he obtains strength by the help of a supernat- 
ural being with whom he has a contest Sk 190. 

In the Masset version it is said that a su]>ernatural being destroyed the uncles of 
Ashes Eater, who makes himself strong by bathing. All tlie men of thp village are 
killed. He goes to a point of land, where he sees eagles flying inland from the ocean. 
They drop a small flat fish, which strikes the earth with great noise. UTien he tries to 
cut it, he is told not to do so, but pulls the meat out at the tail. He puts on the skin 
and goes out in the form of the fish. The rest of the story does not belong here M 365. 

More closely related to the beginning of our story are the following 
Tlingit and Kaigani tales. 

A chief bathes in the sea for strength, and the people bathe with him. \\Tienever 
he comes out of the water, he runs to a good-sized tree, tries to pull out a limb, and 
tries to twist trees from top to bottom. The chief's nephew does not go into the water, 
and the people tease him by pushing him over. In reaUty the boy lies in bed when 
the others bathe, but spends the nights in the water. He throws water on the ashes 
of the fire to make it steam, and puts his mat on top of the ashes. When he is sent 
after firewood, he pretends to be weak. One night when he is bathing, he hears a 
sound like that of a loon. He goes towards it, and sees standing on the beach a short 
stout man clothed in bear skin, who announces himself as the sjjirit of strength, and 
wrestles with him. This is repeated, and he is able to pull out the limb of a tree and 
to twist another tree down to the roots. He does not pay any attention when the 
people make fun of him. The next day the chief pulls out the limb easUy, because 
the boy had pulled it out before him. (The story here continues, telling how Black 
Skin proves to be an excellent sea-lion hunter [see p. 818]) Tla 145, T16 289. 

At Si'nagulqa, near Klawak, two men bathe for strength. One of them bathes pub- 
licly; the other, secretly at night. DA'gu t!aoL, who bathes at night, sees Master Of 
Strength swimming towards him. He ^vrestles with him. This is repeated at inter- 
vals until the youth is able to overcome the spirit. He jiuUs out the excrescence from 
a tree and puts it back. On the following day the other man, who bathes during the 
daytime, pulls it out, and believes he has done it by his own jwwer. Here follows the 
sea-Uon hunting adventure Kai 250. 

The same manner of obtaining strength is inserted as tui incident 
in the story of the mucus child (Tl 194). 

The people of a certain village disappear, except a woman and her daughter. 
From the tears and the mucMs of the latter a child originates. The mother makes bow 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 731 

and arrow for him. The child goes into the woods and goes to a creek of black ice-cold 
water. He meets the spirit of strength, who orders him to bathe. He sits in the water 
until it begins to shake. The spirit orders him to come out, and tells him to try to pull 
up a tree. He does so easily. He tells him to strike a white rock, and the boy breaks 
it. This is repeated four times with larger trees of tougher wood and with harder 
stones. Then the spirit gives the boy his embroidered leggings, shirt, and moccasins. 
Next follows the story of how the boy took revenge on the Wolves who had destroyed 
the people. 

He goes inland, finds a shrew trying vainly to cross a log. He helps it cross, sees 
it enter a bunch of ferns, which he pulls out, and finds a painted house. The Mouse 
Woman gives him a present and tells him to go up to a lake and to shoot a mallard- 
duck, to blow up its stomach, and put its grease into it. He does so, steams the 
duck, and puts the grease into a clamshell. He puts a hot stone into the duck grease, 
which boils over, and the animals tell him to be careful. This makes him ashamed. 
He does not eat the duck meat ; and when the grease is done, he puts it into the entrails 
of the duck. For this reason. " ri'hen the earth quakes, the Raven people ask him to be care- 
ful of the duck grease" Sk 191. 

Here follows the stoiy of the capture of the monster Wa'sgo in a 
trap by means of the sinews of tlte WTen (see p. 656). This monster 
had eaten his brothers, whom he recovers. 

(h) Am'ala' Becomes the Supporter of the World 

(.2 versions: Ts 121; Sk 191. See also Tl 5.319; Tl Swanton 4.452; Tl 4.268; Tin 20; 
^ Hare Petitot 7.256) 

In the Tsimshian story the slave of the deserted youtli shoots 
wild ducks, whose oil is gathered in a root basket. 

Then all the animals and monsters, and flnallya large mountain, appear to fight 
with him. The mountain tells him that if the youth should overcome him, he would 
livo as long as the world stands. When they wrestle, the slave rubs the back of the 
youth with duck oil, and thus strengthens him. lie finally throws the mountain, 
which becomes a sandbar Ts. 

One day he is called by two men to visit their sick cliief. They cross the sea. He 
is taken to the chief, who lies in the rear of the house. The pole supporting our 
world stands on his chest. The youth is asked to take the chief's place because he 
has double strength — that of the supernatural being and that of the mountain. The 
slave stays with him and rubs his back with the duck oil in order to strengthen 
him Ts. 

This same incident is elaborated more fully in the Skidegate 
version. 

The youth's brothers disappear a second time. He goes to an inlet, hears conversa- 
tion on the other side, and walks across on his hair-ribbon. He enters the house, 
and sees the people testing their ability to lie under a fire. They call out a number 
of supernatural beings, who, however, are not able to endure the test. He walks 
back over the hair-ribbon, when he learns that the people are going to send for him. 
WTien sent for, he goes with his mother by canoe. He is dressed in his Wa'sgo skin. 
He lies down under the fire, and his sister oils him with the duck grease. His 
mother puts feathers on him. Thus he becomes the supporter of the world, and the 
supernatural beings settle at their proper places Sk. 



732 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

The idea of the support of the world occurs also among the Tlingit 
and some of the Athapascan tribes. 

The earth is narrow and sharp, like a knife. In the beginning the world stood 
upright and moved up and down in space. If its motion had not been stopped, all 
life Would have been destroyed. The animals tried to fasten the world, but in vain. 
Last of all, the ermine tried to do so. Its tail touched the formless substratum above 
which the world was moving up and down, and to which it tried to attach it. There- 
fore the point of the ermine's tail is black. When all the animals had tried in vain, 
a female s\>mt made the attempt. She took some duck grease and anointed her 
stomach with it. Then she crawled under the earth. WTien it moved down, her 
stomach touched the substratum and became attached to it. Thus the earth is held 
in place. She is called "The Old Woman Underneath Us" (Ha^icanaklo). Some- 
times Raven visits her and pulls her. Then there is an earthquake Tl 5.319. 

In the Raven tale recorded by Swanton (Tla 20) it is told that Raven kiUed a 
beaver near Koksle'Ll. He had tried to make a post under the earth of various kinds 
of material, and finally used the foreleg of this beaver, on which the world is now 
standing. The Old Woman Underneath (Ilayica'nak!") attends to this post. When 
she is hungry, the earth shakes. Then the ])oople put grease into the lire, and it 
goes to her. 

According to Swanton 4.452, the Tlingit believe thai under everything lay The 
Old Woman Underneath (Ilayica'nak!"), who had charge of a post made from a 
beaver's foreleg, on which tho world rested. When Raven tried to drive her asvay 
from this post, the earth quaked. According to another story, she was attending to 
a big pot over a fire; and when she was annoyed, the cover of the pot shook and the 
earth moved; or, again, the earth shook when she was hungry, and stopped when people 
put grease into the fire, which immediately went to her. She is also mentioned by 
Krause Tl 4.26S. 

The central support on which thi^ earth rests is mentioned also by Petitot (7.256) as 
an incident in one of the Hare Indian tales. 

10. The Four Great Chiefs of the Winds 

(aversions; Ts 121; Tl 219; M 396; Sk 258; Ntl Teit2.55; Sh624; Lil310; Lil Uill- 

Tout 6.204) 

The four Winds live in the corners of the world. North Wind is disliked by the 
others because he makes the world pale. They make war against him, vanquish 
him, and he promises that the world shall be green for six months. This is accepted, 
notwithstanding South- Wind's objection. It is agreed that South Wind shall some- 
times blow in winter, that the three winds shall blow in spring, and West Wind blow 
in summer, while winter is reserved for North Wind. South Wind has four sons and 
one daughter; West Wind and East Wind have each two sons; and North Wind has 
twins. The son of North Wind marries South Wind's daughter. At the marriage 
festival the daughter comes in with strong winds and heavy rains. She goes with her 
husband, and feels very cold in his frozen house. She carves a duck of yellow cedar 
(see p. 824) and sends it to her father, who learns that his daughter has been cast out by 
her husband. South Wind sends his four sons to rescue her. They go in the form of 
clouds, which are driven away. The youngest finally assumes the form of a cloud 
sharp at both ends. He succeeds in reaching and rescuing her. North Wind ceases 
to blow, and his house is full of water. The sister takes along her sister-in-law, a 
floating piece of ice. After North Wind has been vanquished, the four brothers take 
away two months from him. Therefore the winter lasts/our months. When they return, 
the other Winds hold a council, and they agree that each shall have three months Ts. 
The wooden duck is mentioned again on p. 830. 

Swanton records a short Tlingit analogue (Tl 219). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 733 

A man marries the daughter of East Wind; later on, the daughter of North Wind. 
The clothing of the latter is set Tvith beautiful ornaments. The daughter of East 
Wind makes clouds and warm weather: and the ornaments prove to be icicles, which 
melt Tl 219. These ornaments are also referred to in Tl 19. 

There are also parallel Skidegate and Masset versions. Aa abstract 
of the former is as follows: 

The North Wind marries a girl. He always turns one side of his body only to the 
fire. One of the brothers-in-law is mLschievous, and throws shavings into the fire, 
which blazes up and makes North Wind sick. He goes off to the head of Stikine 
River. Black clouds rLse, and snow falls. The brothers-in-law go there and are 
lost. The youngest one, who holds medicine in his mouth, spits upon his own body, 
and the ice that is forming on his body falls off. He shoots the ice which is hanging 
out of North Wind's backside, and revives his brothers by spitting on them Sk 258. 

In the Masset version (M 396) the son of North marries the daughter 
of Southeast. 

North's father does not want to let his son marry Southeast's daughter. Finally 
he agrees, tells him not to go near Southeast unless his face looks kindly. Southeast 
lives in a large cloud on the ocean. North sits down by Southeast's daughter in front 
of the house, and they are called in. The young man takes his wife home. She is 
given limpets to eat. The floor of the house is ice. When going out, the woman 
pulls aft icicle off the house. These were North's fingers. The father-in-law is angry. 
The north wind bl(jws and it becomes cold. She cries for help. Then the southeast 
wind begins to blow. The southeast wind melts the icicles (that is, the fingers of 
North Wind) and breaks the floor of his house. The looman becomes the oyster-catcher. 
Its bill is red on account of the cold, and its legs are vhite because they were frozen. 

The following Lillooet story belongs here : 

Glacier, who lives in the north, marries the daughter of Chinook Wind. When 
she starts a fire in Glacier's cold house, he melts and gives her wet wood to bum. 
Her relatives come in the form of snow flakes to rescue her. After a contest they 
win and take her back. Her child i.s a lump of ice which her brothers tlirow into 
the fire, where it melts. It is ordained that winter and warm weather shall alter- 
nate Lil 310. Hill-Tout records the same tale. He calls the husband North Wind. 
The three brother.^* of South Wind go to the rescue of the woman. She does not 
allow them to kill her husband. Her child is thrown into the water Lil Hill- 
Tout 6.204. 

The following tale of the Thompson Indians is related to tlie tale 
here discussed. 

People in the north make the cold winds when walking about. People in the 
south make the south winds in the same way. Owing to the disagreements between 
these people, the country is troubled by hot and cold winds. The Indians make 
peace between the Winds, and the daughter of South Wind marries the son of the 
North Wind. The woman visits her own relatives in the south. On her return 
north she ia accompanied by her elder brother, ^\'hen nearing the north country, 
it grows cold. He throws his sister's child into the water, and it is transformed into a 
floating piece of ice. For this reason ice floats on rivers and lakes after cold uinds Ntl 
Teit 25.3. 

The Shuswap also entertain the idea that the north people and the south people 
contend against each other by sending cold and warm winds. They produce the wind 
by opening a bag. By squeezing the bag, gales are produced Sh 624. 



734 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

11. The Story of NAlq 
(a) How a Feather Carried the People of a Village up into the Sky 

(6 versions: Ts 125; N 94;' Sk 330; M 640; Tla 41; T16 192. See also Sk 271, 273; M 

513; Hai 6.35; T16 203) 

At TlEtn-lax-a'm Ts [on a lanje prairie near a town N; at the Nass town Gu'nwa Sk; 
at KIimgie'lAil M] children jihij- [with a wooden ball Sk, M] on the beach [at low tide W] 
[they shout, "Haskwii'! " Sk] and annoy the sky T.s, N [many ])eople die of sickness; 
those who are young play shinny on the beach Tla]. A [beautiful Ts, red Sk, a ribbon 
with feather at the end M, somethin<» Tin] plume or feather comes down from the sky. 
A youth puts it on his head and is wafted up. Ilis companions, then the older men, 
last the women, take hold of his feet as ho passes out of reach. They cannot detach 
their hands, and all are taken up [ten are taken up one day, the same happens the next 
day, until all are gone except two women Tla]. [A boy walks on the street. A quill 
falls in front of him. lie jiicks it up; and while he is nmning with it, he i.s wafted u]). 
The same hai)]iens to otliers. The ]>eople watch, and are taken up in the way 
described before Tlfc] Only dogs are left N. The bodies drop down in a pile Ts 
[the bodies lie piled up Sk ; only one woman, who has given birth to a child, is left Ts] 
[an adolescent girl and her grandmother are the only ones left; the adolescent niece of 
the town chief is the only one left Sk; a girl M, two women Tin, a woman and her 
daughter T15, are the only ones left]. 

In M a distinct incident is inserted. WTiile the boys are playing, an ocean-being, 
the spirit of a rock, appears suddenly. Its dorsal column is like that of a chiton. It 
does not let the ball fall to the ground. The players strike the being, which does not 
feel the blows until they hit it on the head. It then jumps into the water and appears 
on a rock, half its body being under water, and finally goes down. Apparently the 
same being appears in M 408. 

An analogous Haida tale (Sk 271, 273; M 513) is a composite of the story of the 
jealous uncle who sets adrift his nephew (see pp. 792, 796) and of the story of the 
feather. The corresponding Tlingit tale (T16 203) is located in the Haida country. 
The nephew marries an Eagle or a Thunderbird woman, and then carries away the 
people in the same way as is done by the feather. In the Haida stories an incident 
parallel to that of the lifting feather is added, the eagles being pulled under water by 
the clam [whale M] in the same way as the people were lifted up to the sky. A 
garbled Haida version of this story is told by Deans 6.35. It agrees in the main 
points with the version Sk 271. 

(b) The Magical Origin of Children of the Survivor 

(6 versions: Ts 125; N 96 [234]; Sk 330; M 642; Tla 42; T16 192. See also Kai 261; 
BC84; K Boas 5.372; 2 Nu 5.116; Nu ap904; Co5.84; Lku'ngEn Hill-Tout 7.335;— 
Tl 177; K r,.l60; Ne 5.189; K 9.39.— M 405; Sk 348.— Sk 127; Sk 227.— H ap 883; 
Ri 5.211; Ri MS; Ne 5.179; K 11.177.— Sts 5.28; Chin 194; Till 134; Coos 109; 
LU HUl-Tout 6.188) 

This theme is very widely spread all over the world. The charac- 
teristic feature of our tale is that a child originates from the tears 
and the mucus of the nose of the woman who has been spared. In 
Tsimshian the child originates in this way. In Skidegate it origi- 
nates from the tears which she wipes on the shoulders of her garment. 
In N she finds some mucus, which becomes a child. No mention of 
her tears is found in Tla, h. Although the Masset version does 
not speak of the origiu of the child from tears, the weeping of the 

1 Continued N 234. 

2 Social organizalion, etc., of tlie Kwakiuil Indians. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 735 

woman is referred to. The same idea of children originating from 
mucus and tears occurs in Kai 261, BC 84, K Boas 5.372, Nu 5.1 16, Xu 
ap 904, Co 5.84, Lku'ugEu Hill-Tout 7.335; Sh 708. A child originat- 
ing from a boil is found in Tl 1 77, and in a Kwakiutl tale 5.160, Ne 5. lS9, 
9.39; from a sore Sk 227; from the thigh Sk 348, M 405. Only dis- 
tantly related to tiiis theme is the origin of a child from some secre- 
tion of the body, which forms part of the Kaven legend (see No. 41, 
p. 708). StiU more distantly related is a tale from the Frasei' River 
Deka (5.28), which teUs how a child originated from fish roe. A 
group of similar stories is found among the Coast tribes of the State 
of Washmgton, in which children origmate from fish roe, branches 
Chin 194; arrow-heads Till 134; a hammer, Coos 109; bedding of a 
cradle Lil Hill-Tout 6.188. AU these tales have in common that the 
children so born come to assist tlieir lonely mothers or fathers, and 
help them to take revenge on the people or beings who caused their 
misfortune. 

In the Tsimshian story here discussed the mucus becomes a child. Next the young 
woman puts into her bosom a grindstone, a branch of a crabapple tree, a feather, and a 
shell. They become children, and are named Mucus, Little Grindstone, Little 
Crabapple Tree, Little Feather, Knife Hand, [She finds old wedges, one of crabapple 
wood, one of sloe wood, one of spruce wood, a grindstone, knife, and mucus. She lies 
down for four days and four nights. Children are born who are called Little Crabapple 
Tree, Little Sloe Bush, Little Spruce Tree, Little Mountain, Little Knife, Mucus N.] 
[She weeps, puts on her belt. She puts tinder her blanket sha\dngs with which her 
brothers had played, the feather, crabapple wood, cedar-bark strips which were used 
in making a mat, and mud of her brother's footprints. She has ten children — nine 
boys and one girl. The youngest one lias a blue hole in his cheek Sk 330.] 

The Thngit and Masset versions tell of one child only. 

A girl weeps, starts fires in the houses. She walks about making footprints like 
those of her uncles. Then she sits on a high platform in front of her uncle's house. 
She cooks roots, which she prepares with her mother's scraper. She eats them. 
She becomes pregnant, and gives birth to a child JL One of the women swallowed 
root-sap, which made her pregnant Tin. The daughter- chewed the ends of the roots 
that her mother gathered for making baskets T16 193. 

(c) The Children Obtain Possession of the Plume ' 

Wlien the children grow up, they learn from theii- mother what has happened, 
and begin to play, as their elders have done. The plume comes dovn\ again. Little 
Feather takes the plume and is wafted up. Mucus holds on to him and sticks to the 
ground in his natural form. Little Cirindstone becomes a mountain. Little Crab- 
apple Tree sends out roots. Knife Hand climbs up and cuts the feather above her 
brother's head Ts. [Oabapple Tree, Sloe Rush, Spruce Tree, Grindstone, Mucus, 
are Uiken up in this order. The sister climbs up and cuts off the feather N.] [The 
eldest brother takes the feather and becomes mucus; the second one becomes a shaving; 
the third, a feather; the fourth, cedar bark; the fifth, mud. In each case the feather 
pulls five times, then they give way. The next is the Crabapple Tree, who sends out 
his roots. The sister goes around the tree, saj-ing, ''Make yourself strong!" \\lien 
only one rootisleft, she climbsup and cutsoff the feather Sk 330.] [The plume appears 
above the boy, who does not take it. His mother warns him." C)n the following 'lay 
he plays with it. It cannot lift him, and he becomes roots, which spread all o\er 

1 Versions as under (a). 



736 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (eth. ann. 31 

Queen Charlotte Islands. When the plume succeeds in pulling his neck out of the 
ground, the ribbon breaks. He is a tree spirtt M 642. A Masset variant is here re- 
corded in which it is said that his feet take root, and when the ribbon breaks, the bones 
of his uncles fall to the ground and are restored M 644. The Masset story ends here.] 
[The boy gains strength from a tree by seizing a tree and stretching himself. The 
thing comes do\TO to lift him up, rootsgrowout of him, and he breaks it to pieces Tlo.] 
The girl swings the plume over her brothers, and they revive. They arrange the 
bones of their ancestors, the girl swings the plume over them, and they revive. Since 
women's heads had been put on men's bodies, and short and long legs had been com- 
bined in the same skeleton, some women nowadays have beards, and some people 
limp Ts. [She spits medicine on her brothers and revives them Sk 330.] [They 
are not taken up to the sky, and the plume stays on the brother's head. He is called 
Rotten Feathers N.] In another Nassversion (N 234) it is said that when the feather 
is cut, bones fall down; and when the plume is swimg over them, the people revive. 

The second Tlingit version has developed this incident in a quite 
different manner. 

The quill reappears, but the boy does not play with it. He takes hold of it and 
breaks it off. After a while a boy appears and asks for his quill. The youth tells 
him that he will return it provided the people of the village come back. After a while 
he hears noise of people approaching, and returns the quill. On the following morning 
the people are seen in the village. They complain that they had been in the hands of 
a bad master T\h. 

(d) Further Adventures 

The motlaer scolds tlie boys for liaving taken the plume. There- 
fore they decide to leave. Their sister stays at home Ts. 

1. They meet a blind cannibal who is fishing people with a bag net. 

The brothers succeed in eluding him Ts 127. 

2. The Raccoon. 

They meet a raccoon holding wood in its mouth. Little Feather kills it. 
They reach the house of an old woman, who feeds them. She asks for her 
granddaughter, who has gone to get chips for the fire. The brothers tell 
that they killed a raccoon. The old woman says that is her granddaughter, 
and tells the door and smoke hole of the house to close. She intends to kill 
them by heat. Little Feather flies out as bird down, swings the plume 
over Young Raccoon, helps her gather wood, and they return. Then the 
old woman opens the house and lets them go Ts 127. [Little Feather sees a 
raccoon, tears it, and throws it away. They reach the house of an old 
woman, who asks, "Did you see my child?" They say they saw only a 
raccoon. The woman says that is her child, and tells the house to close. 
One of the brothers who has medicine flies away as a cinder, puts the raccoon 
together, spits medicine on it, and revives it. They return together, and 
the old woman lets them go. Her name is Cliff House Sk 331.] 

3. The Witch. 

They reach a lake with grass around it, find a hut, an old woman feeds 
them. There are four poles with cedar bark. Sparks come out of the old 
woman's month. \Mien she believes the brothers to be asleej), she catches their 
breath in the cedar bark. Then she goes to sleep, and few sparkscome out of her 
mouth. Nalq catches her breath in cedar bark and takes away their own. 
The woman rises early, calls a frog, which comes out of the lake, and puts 



BOis] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 737 

the bark into its mouth. After a while she dies. The brothers see dead 
bodies in another house, and revive the people who had been killed by the 
old woman and the frog Ta 128. [They reach a house in which a woman and 
her daughter live. The young man goes to the daughter behind the screen. 
He puts on her belt. When the old woman believes them to be asleep, she 
goes to swallow his heart, but mistakes her daughter for him and kills her 
Sk 332.] [Rotten Feathers meets Great Goose on one side of a canyon. She 
warns him, telling him that the bridge across the canyon will break under 
him, and that the chieftainess on the other side will kill him. He crosses by 
means of his feather. He goes in to the daughter of the chieftainess, and 
when she is asleep arranges her hair like his, and his own hair like hers. At 
night the chieftainess (Knife Hand) cuts off her daughter's head. The 
young man takes her labret and receives the name Labret N 234. 

The same incident occurs in a different connection among the Tlingit and 
the Skidegate. 

An analogous Tlingit tale belongs to the Raven cycle. The witch wipes 
perspiration off Raven's body, places it in a barnacle shell, intending to de- 
posit it on the beach. Raven exchanges it for some of her own perspira- 
tion. When the tide covers it, the witch dies Tl 5.318. A number of brothers 
arrive at the house of a certain person. They go to sleep. The owner of the 
house pretends to be asleep in a corner. 'When he thinks the brothers are 
asleep, he ties fine cedar bark to the end of a stick and lets the brothers 
breathe on it. He goes to a cedar which is full of holes, pulls out a plug, and 
pushes the cedar bark into it. One of the brothers watches him, but runs back 
and pretends to be asleep before the host enters the house. When the host 
is asleep, the same brother in turn lets him Ijreathe on cedar bark, pulls out 
theu- own bark, and puts the other into the cedar instead. The following 
morning the host dies Sk 258. 

4. The Cave (see also p. 798). 

.Vt the end of a narrow canyon they reach a cave which opens and closes. 
They try to pass through it, but they are all crushed. Little I'eather is the 
last to try. He flies through, rescues his brother's bones, and re^'ives them 
Ijy swinging the plume over them Ts 130. [They reach the edge of the sky. 
Two of the lirothers are killed. Two escape and see Bill Of Heaven Sk 332.] 

5. Marriage with the Winds. 

The Tsimshiau version ends with the maniage of Mucus to the daughter 
of North Wind, of Grindstone to the daughter of South \\'ind, of Crabapple 
to the daughter of East Wind, and of Little Feather to the daughter of West 
Wind. Each of the brothers travels with his wife. The mucus of Mucus 
becomes ice on account of the cold wind: therejore north wind is accompanied 
by ice. Grindstone lets water collect in his mouth, and sprays it out: hence 
rain accompanies south wind. Crabapple Tree does not want to accompany 
his -n-ife, and can not be uprooted until a whirlwind lilows: hence whirlwinds 
accompany cast winds. Little Feather moves along quickly: therefore the 
v:est wind blou's gently Ts 131. 

6. In the version N 234 the second incident of the adventures tells 

that Grindstone eats berries and is transformed mto a moun- 
tain. 

7. They meet a mountain that obstructs their way, but melts down 

when the jilume is waved against it. The molten rock may 
still be seen. After this follows incident 3, p. 736, N 234. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 47 



738 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

8. In the Skidegate version incident 4 is preceded by two others. 

They reach a big thing which falls on them and kills two 
Sk 332. 

9. They meet a small dog, wliich kills three when they try to jump 

over it Sk 332 (then follows incident 4). 

10. The first incident of the Skidegate version is that of the local 

snowfall, which wLU be found discussed on p. 829. 

11. The concludhig incident of the Nass version is the encounter 

with the spirit of sleep (see p. 871). 

The Tlingit versions have no account of migrations, and end with 
tests of the youth. 

He meets a supernatural canoe-maker, who kills people by making them go into 
his canoe and knocking out the thwart, so that the canoe closes on them (see p. 801V 
The youth kills him. When hunting, he crosses canyons l)y striking his roots into the 
giound on one side. On account of this story, girls areforbidden to sivallow the sap of roots 
Tla 42. 

The version T16 193 ends with the contest with a rock, which the youth pulls over 
by means of his roots. 

The combination of the story with the raccoon incident, the woman 
who kills her visitors by witchcraft, and the visit to tlie edge of the 
world, is characteristic of the Tsimshian and Skidegate versions; 
while the Nass Kiver version contams also the element of the witch 
woman, but lacks, m the form in wliich it has been recorded, the 
raccoon story. Evidently these three stories are identical. 

12. The Feast of the Mountain Goats 

(3 versions: Ts 131; Tsl.91; K 10.11. See also Tl 58; K 5.169; K 9.9; K 10.17; Lil 
HUl-Tout 6.191; U 258; U 261; Sh 5.12) 

Wliile no other version of the entire story has been recorded, 
analogous stories of the feasts of the mountain goats are known in 
other combinations and from other tribes. The feast of the mountam 
goats forms an incident of the story of Asdi-wa'l (see p. 817). Another 
one has been recorded from the Kwakiutl (see K 10.11). The one- 
horned mountain goat plays an important part in Kwakiutl mythology 
(see K 9.9; K 10.17). 

Following is an abstract of our story: 

A number of hunters leave the meat and bones of mountain goats on the ground. 
Their children play with a kid and maltreat it. A young man rescues it and takes 
it back to the mountains. Early in the fall, messengers invite all the people. They 
go to the village of the strangers and are kindly received. The youth who had saved 
the mountain goat is asked by a young man to sit behind a post. They perform a 
dance, in wliich a beautiful mountain appears in the middle of the house. A one- 
homed goat appears on the mountain, jumps down, and kicks the front of the house, 
which breaks down. The house proves to be a mountain, and the people have been 
killed by a rock-slide. The youth who had protected the kid finds himself on a 
steep rock behind a spruce tree. His friend explains that the mountain goats have 



BOAS] COMPAKATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 739 

taken revenge. He gives him his blanket and tells him to jiimp down, saying, "On 
the thumb!" and before landing, "On the sand!" Thus the man saves himself , and, 
according to instructions, he bums the bones of the goats. Since that time peopk l-now 
that animals must not he maltreated, and that the meat and bones must be burned Ts 131. 
Asdi-wa'l has been sent by his father-in-law to hunt mountain goats. He crosses a 
range and sees a large house on a plain. The goats are inside, and a shaman goat 
dances around in a circle to see the future. One goat beats the drum in the comer 
of the house. The shaman goat jumps over the fire, followed by a female lamb. 
Asdi-wa'l stands outside. He hears him singing, "People vanish!" The song also 
mentions the smell of Asdi-wa'l. Then the latter enters, and killsall the goats Tsl.91. 

The parallel part of the Kwakiutl story is as follows: 

A mountain-goat hunter follows four mountain goats through a long cave. He hides 
near the comer of the house and hears .singing. The ceremony is disturbed because 
he is looking on. The Mouse is sent out to see whether any one is near by. She 
gives him advice; and when he jumps in, he sees the mountain goats dancing with a 
feather. The principal mountain goat has one horn. Tlie rest of the story deals 
with the ceremonial K 10.11. A briefer version of this story has been recorded in 
5.169. 

The house of the Mountain Goats appears also in a Lillooet tale 
recorded by HUl-Tout 6.191, wliicli differs, however, still more from 
the preceding stories. It deals with the fate of a hunter who was 
taken to the house of the Goats in order to be instructed in the taboos. 
In this respect it resembles the Tsimsliian story. The same topic is 
treated in Tl 58, in which story it is told that a hmiter is taken into 
his house in the mountain by the Mountain Sheep, who appears as a 
man with white beard. 

Similar concepts are touched upon in K 9.9, K 10.17, where the 
one-horned Mountain Goat appears, who is a chief or chief's messen- 
ger among the Goats. Marriages among the Goats are the subject of 
the tales U 258, U 261, Sh 5.12. 

13. The Giant Devilflsh (p. 135) 

Hunters see from the shore how the chief's son of the Eagle Clan of the Killer 
Whales is killed by a Giant Devilfish. The chief Killer Whale sends messengers to 
make war on the monster. The hunters see them coming. The battle between the 
warriors of the Killer Wlialea and the Giant Devilfish is described in detail. The 
Raven and Wolf Clans and the G'ispawadwE'da obtain five of the monster's arms. 
Finally a warrior of the Raven Clan kills the monster. After many years the sons of 
the Eagle chief are killed by a descendant of 'the Giant Devilfish. The birds make 
war on it, and the Raven succeeds in killing it. For this reason the de\'ilfish is 
afraid of the raven (see p. 100). — An analogous tale is found in M 392, where it is 
told that different kinds of killer whales or fish make war on the Giant Devilfish. 

14. The Hunter's Wife who Became a Beaver (p. 138) 

A raccoon hunter is very successful. Wliile he is skinning the animals, his wife 
asks him to look at her. He becomes impatient and scolds her. This makes her 
ashamed. She goes into the woods, dams up a river, and swims about in the water. 
The man calls her back, but she refuses to come. He requests his wife's brothers to 
induce her to come back, but they also are unsuccessful. She stays in the water, 
and finally becomes a beaver. The woman had red hair, therefore all beavers have 
red hair. 



740 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

15. The Winter Hunters and the Mosquito 

(3 versions: Ts 141; BC 5.252; Kai 265) 

Ten brothers go hunting, and from the top of a mountain see a deep valley in which 
a village is located. They slide down on their snowshoe.s, and are each called into 
one house. The chief invites the youngest one, who i.s accompanied by his wife and 
child. A middle-aged woman takes charge of the child while father and mother are 
eating, and sucks the blood of the child out through the ear. The woman tells her 
husband, who warns his brothers. During the night they do not dare to sleep, and 
notice that the people try to approach them; but every time this happens they cough, 
in order to indicate that they are awake. Early in the morning, when all the people 
are sound asleep, they escape. Before they reach the top of the mountains, the people 
begin to pursue them. They throw an avalanche of snow down upon the pursuers. 
More people pursue them, and the same happens as before. Finally the chief pursues 
them alone. He is a short, stout man. He overtakes the brothers, and kills one after 
another with his crystal proboscis. The young mother runs ahead, and reaches a 
tree wliich slants over the water of a lake. She climbs to the top. The chief follows 
the scent of her tracks. He sees her image in the water, jumps in, and tries to kill 
her. When he does not find her in the water, he waits until the mud settles, and 
dives again. The woman laughs at him. After sunset the water is clear again, and 
he sees the young woman laughing at him. He ties his hair on the top of his head 
and jumps in again. When he comes out, the moon is shining, the north wind blow- 
ing, and he is frozen to death. His wings freeze to the ground. The woman throws 
him with a stick to make sure that he is dead, cuts him open with her fish-knife, 
takes out the heart, which has two eyes and a mouth and is still palpitating. She 
swings it four times over her companions, and they all revive. The village is the 
village of the Mosquitoes. On the following day they burn the chief's body, throw 
out the ashes, which are transformed into small mosquitoes Ts 141. 

Five brothers go seal hunting every day. The youngest one stays at home. One 
morning he hears a woman shouting on the other side of the river. He takes her over 
in his canoe. When the people are asleep, her mouth grows to an enormous length, 
and she sucks out the brains of the sleepers through their ears. She kills the people 
in all the houses. In the morning the boy notices that the people do not get up, and 
finds that they are dead. The following day the four hunters return. During the night 
the eldest pretends to be asleep. He sees the old woman extending her mouth, and 
calls his brothers. They cut her up with a hatchet, burn up the house, and escape. 
The old woman re\ives, and pursues them. They kill her again, cut up the body, 
and throw the pieces into the fire. They meet a Duck, and ask her for the trail to 
the house of Alklunda'm. They reach a river, and climb a tree that grows near the 
bank. The old woman overtakes them, sees their reflection in the water, and jumps 
in. ^\^len she gets out again, one of the young men laughs and moves. She jumps 
back into the water. When this happens a third time, the eldest one swings his 
blanket, and the water freezes at once. Only the face of the old woman is free. He 
reaches the house of Alklunda'm, the door of which is formed by an eagle. Following 
Aiklunda'm's advice, they jump through the door when the eagle opens its mouth. 
After they have told their story to Alklunda'm, he tells them that the old woman is 
his mother, who arrives. He kills her, throws her into the fire, and transforms the 
ashes into mosquitoes. (Here the story continues, telling how the brothers gamble 
with Alklunda'm, obtain the salmon from him, and how they are enabled to revive 
their friends who were killed by the old woman.) BC 5.252. 

An unknown man comes to the house of five brothers. The child of the eldest 
brother cries, and is given to the visitor to quiet it. He sucks out the child's brains 
from one side of the head. The brothers try to strike him, but are killed, except the 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STITDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 741 

youngest, whom the visitor chases about in the house. In the morning the boy 
succeeds in making his escape, crosses a mountain, and comes to a lake. Two trees 
formi n g a fork extend over the water. He hides in the crotch. The piu-suer sees 
his reflection in the lake, jumps in, and the man sings a north song, making the water 
freeze. He builds a fire over the monster's head. The ashes flying up from it turn 
into mosquitoes Kai 2(55. 

Further references to tales accounting for the origm of mosquitoes, 
flies, or vermin, from the ashes of an ogre, will be found in Oskar 
Dahnhardt, "Natursagen," Vol. Ill, pp. 1.51 et seq. See, in addition 
to these, Tl 214. 

A doubtful Kwakiutl story (5.168) belongs here. The Deer marries the Bear 
Woman. They have a son and several daughters. The Deer and his son go sealing, 
and boil the seal blood in a wooden kettle. The Deer gives it to his daughters, who 
are killed by it. The Deer and his son are punsued by the Bear, who destroys the 
whole village. They ask the trees whether their roots reach way down into the 
ground. They are sent to the yew tree, and climb up. The Bear asks the trees 
where the fugitives have gone; and when they laugh at her, she upturns them. She 
is unable to upset the yew tree, and digs a hole, which fills with water. There she 
sees the reflection of Deer and his son, and jumps in. Deer calls the cold %vind ; the 
water freezes and holds the Bear. They start a fire over her and kill her. 

I have always been under the impression that this story was made 
up by the narrator, of other elements with which he was familiar. 

I do not discuss the various incidents of this story, which are 
rather widely distributed. The visit of the monster occurs in the 
Chinook tale Chin 31. The sucking-out of the brains through the 
ear is a prominent feature in the Kwakiutl tale 10.45 ; and the incident 
of the pursuer seeing the reflection of the fugitives hi the water and 
jumping in is of very wide distribution.' All these stories, however, 
are quite different from the one discussed here. 

16. The Hxinters 

(a) TsimsJnan Version (p. 145) 
This rather important story contains the most prominent incident 
of the well-known Tlingit story of Kats ! The particular develop- 
ment of the plot, however, has not been recorded from any other 
region. 

Ten men and their wives go out hunting. One after another goes out. He first 
meets a large porcupine, which he kills and hangs on a tree. Then he kills a white 
she-bear. He sees a village in a valley, to which he slides down on his snowshoes. 
Through a knot-hole he sees a young woman, who calls him in. Then the chief sends 
for him. The people take the weapons of their guest. They give him to eat, and on 
the following morning grizzly bears appear. He is sent out to kill them, but the peo- 
ple have exchanged his good weapons for poor ones, and he is killed Ts 149. The body 
is cut in two and hung up in the corner of the house. ^ Finally the youngest brother 
goes out. He does not touch the porcupine. He shoots the she-lsear and touches the 
white fur on her belly. The bear is transformed into a woman, who warns him. She 
gives him the two dogs Ked and Spots, who become large when thrown down on the 

I See, for instance, Sk 329; BC 84; BC 5.233; K 5.168; K Boas 5.373; Nu 5.U4, Co 5.66, 80; Sh 753; also 
Jones, Ojibwa Te.xts, 117. 
'This introduction is simitir to Chin 17, the tale of brothers who make a mbtake by killing phea-sints. 



742 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

ground. After this the same happens as before; but the young man does not allow 
the people to take his weapons, and eats sparingly. With the help of his dogs he 
kUls the chief, who is the Grizzly Bear. lie swings the heart of the chief over the 
bodies of his brothers, and they revive. The Isrothers go home and tell of their adven- 
tures. The youngest brother marries the AVhite-Bear Woman. The young hunter 
hears of a shaman woman who kills hunters. His dogs devour her, but the man and 
the dogs die. The Bear Woman goes back home. 

The tiny, but powerful hunting-dogs occur in otlier connections: 

In our series they are called Red and Spots Ts 150, N 226, Ts 244. Txii'msEm's 
pups (Ts 102) have the same character. A small dog of great power is mentioned in 
Chil 34 and K 10.39. 

The exchange of a hunter's good weapon for others with weak 
points occurs in other connections. 

A giant tries to exchange a deadly arrow for one with points made 
of pods of fire weed Tl 95. 

The Sun gives his son-in-law arrows with points made of coal BO 80 [of soft bark 
Chil 25]. Coyote's son marries a Grizzly Bear girl. Her mother breaks off the 
points of the arrows of the young man. He is sent to attack the grizzly bear. The 
arrows are ineffective, and the youth is killed, Okanagon HUl-Tout 150. In U 223 
points of pine needles are substituted for stone points. In Sh 686 it is not stated 
how the arrows are spoiled. 

A similar incident occurs in a Wasco tale. A number of brothers are given leaves 
in place of arrow-points when ordered by the Grizzly Bear chief to attack a bear. 
The brothers are killed, Wasco 299. 

(&) The Man who Married the Bear 
(7 versions: Tla 49; T15 228; Tl 5.328; Ska 184; Sk5 186; ■ N 200; Sh 720) 
The Tlingit, Skidegate, and Nass stories, which are analogous to 
this one, tell of a hunter who falls mto a bear's den. The female Bear 
conceals him and marries him. In the course of time he returns 
home with his children. In the Nass version the particular incident 
of the man touching the Bear's belly is also mentioned. 

The people of a village are starving. The chief has four sons. The oldest one goes 
hunting with his two dogs. After crossing a glacier, his dogs bark at the den of a she 
grizzly bear wliich has two cubs. Tlie bear pulls the man in and kills him. The 
ne.xt two brothers are killed in the same way. The yoimgest one is awkward. AMien 
the Grizzly Bear pulls him in , he strikes her vulva. She does not kill him, but marries 
him. She tells her children to make a fire for their father. After several years he 
longs for his relatives. The Grizzly Bear promises to accompany him. They reach 
the village, and the man's sister is sent out to call his wife. She is afraid when she 
sees the Grizzly Bear. Finally her husband leads her into the house N. 

In all the Tlingit versions the man is called Kats!. He goes hunting with his dogs, 
which find a bear's den. The male Bear throws him in, and the She-Bear hides him." 
AMien the male Bear looks for him, she says that he has thrown in only the man's 
mittens. Although the Bear thinks that he can smell him, he does not find him. 
On the following day the Bear is out hunting, and the She-Bear breaks the rays of 
the sun that strike the den, and in this way kills the Bear. She marries the man, 
and they have three children. For some time he wishes to return home, and the 
Bear lets him go Tl 5. 

Kats!, a man of the Ka'gwANtan, lives at Sitka. His dogs pursue a male bear. 
The She-Bear pulls him into her den, conceals him, and marries him. They ha^e 

I A Masset version. 



BOAS] COMPABATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 743 

several children. Indoors the Bears take off thek skins and are people. After some 
time he wishes to go home, and the Bear Woman allows him to go Tla. 

The same story is told to account for the origin of the grizzly-l)ear 
crest of the Te'qoadi. 

A man of this family reaches a bear's den and is thrown in by the male. Tlie She- 
Bear digs a hole in the ground and conceals him. When the Bear inquires for him, 
the She-Bear says that he has not thrown anything in. The male becomes angry and 
leaves her. The She-Bear marries the man, and they have cliildren. The man's 
brothers search for him, and keep taboos in order to be successful. The She-Bear 
feels their approach and makes them pass by. She is unable to tiu-n aside the 
youngest one, whose dogs find the den. The man goes out, calls his dog, and tells 
his brother not to do any harm to the Bear. In May, when the bears leave their 
dens, the She-Bear allows him to go home T16. 

The version Skh belongs to Masset. 

A hunter of the Eagle Clan named Gats is unsuccessful. He has two dogs. One 
day he sees a bear, which carries him to his den. The She-Bear hides him between 
her legs. The Bear goes hunting, and on his return asks his wife what became of the 
man. She says that he only brought his belt. She marries the man. The dogs 
return to the village. The people follow them, discover the He-Bear, and kill him. 
The man and the She-Bear have a child. Finailly he is homesick, and his wife allows 
him to return Sk6. 

In the Skidegate version it is told that a man goes out hunting with dogs. The 
dogs find a grizzly bear, which throws him into its den. He is thrown against the 
She-Bear's breast. She puts him into a hole, leaving only his cape outside. AVhen 
the male Bear comes in, she says that he has thrown in only the cape, which she has 
torn to pieces. The male Bear goes hunting, carrying a large basket. His wife lets 
out his thread of life, which runs out irregularly. When the thread jerks, she pulls 
up a plank and hides the man imder it. The Bear returns, carrying a few crabs in his 
basket. He does not know why he has not been more successful. On the following 
day the same happens, and the woman cuts the thread of life. She marries the man, 
and explains to him how the He-Bear used to hunt. The following day the man goes 
out with the basket, reaches a lake, swims to a shoal in the middle, and fills his basket 
with crabs. They have two sons. The man then hunts hair-seals. Later on the 
man prepares to go away, and she gives him instructions Ska. 

The following part deals with the events after the man's return 
home. I begin again with the Nass version. 

The She-Bear tends the man's human child and makes friends widi his first wife. 
The children of the She-Bear were left in the mountains. In spring women go gather- 
ing berries. AMiile the human women pick them in bags, Grizzly Bear eats them. 
\Mien at home, she vomits them into dishes. The people are afraid to eat them. A 
man makes a salmon weir. Grizzly Bear carries the fish from the weir to her father- 
in-law. One morning a youth finds the weir empty because the Grizzly Bear has 
emptied it. He scolds her, calling her "Drop-Jaw," and saying that she feeds people 
with dung. The She-Bear becomes enraged and kills him. Then she remembers 
her two children and returns to the mountains. She forbids her husband to follow 
her. He disobeys, and she kills him N 200. 

In all the other vereions the reason of the Bear's leaving is the 
infidehty of her husband. The closing incident in the Nass version, 
as well as in the others, is evidently related to the discovery of the 
infideUty, which will be found treated on p. 780. 

Before Katsl's return the She-Bear forbade him to talk to his former wife, saying 
that if he should smile at her his bear children would become sick. She asks him 



744 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

to meet her on the beach and to bring lier sea animals. Kats! returns. He finds 
that his wife has married again. His steersman is afraid of the Bears. He builds a 
house with the bear crest, and is a successful sea hunter. He delivers the animals to 
the old She-Bear and her four cubs. One day he meets his former wife when drawing 
water. She smiles at him and scolds the Bear, and he smiles at her. On the follow- 
ing day, when he goes to take food to the Bears, they attack him and kill him. They 
go back into the woods, singing mourning-songs Tl 5. 

The She-Bear tells him not to smile or touch his Indian wife or to take up either 
of his children. He carries sea animals to the Bears, and the cubs take them out of 
the canoe and throw them to their mother. His steersman is afraid of the Bears. One 
day Kats! pities one of his children and takes it up. On the following day the Bear 
cubs seize him, throw him up to their mother, and kill him. Then they scatter and 
are killed in various places. The last one meets people in cam]). A girl scolds 
him, which makes him angry, so that he kills most of the people and carries the girl 
away. Finally the people Idll him Tla. 

The She-Bear forbids him to look at his former wife. WTien he reaches his village, 
he asks his brothers to tell his wife not to come near him. He is a successful sea 
hunter. One day the Bear cubs come down to the beach. He recognizes them and 
feeds them. Afterward this is repeated every day. His brothers are afraid of them, 
but he encourages them. Finally his former wife reproaches him because she and 
her children are hungry. He pities them and gi\es them to eat. The next time 
he takes food to the Bear children, he finds thorn lying on the ground with cars erect. 
When he lands, they kill him T16. 

The Masset version continues as follows: 

The Bear forbids him to look at his former wife. One day he goes hunting with 
his two human sons. He meets the Bear and gives her food. His com|)anions are 
afraid. One day when he is drawing water, he meets his former wife and smiles at 
her. Next time when he takes seals to his Bear wife, her ears are turned forward. 
She jumps into the water, attacks him, and kills him and his two sons Sk6. 

The Skidegate version is very much like the others : 

Before he returns, the She-Bear says she will wait for him at the upper end of the 
inlet, and forbids him to talk to other women. She gives him a basket in which a 
hawk feather floats (see p. 780). He sits down at the place where people draw water, 
is found, and led back into his father's house. Tliey try to gi\e him to eat, but he 
refuses. He goes sea hunting; and when his canoe is full,»he goes up the inlet. There 
he sees the She-Bear. His companions turn their backs to the Bear. The Bear and 
the two cubs Eck him, and he feeds them. This is repeated regularly. One time 
he goes to draw water and meets a girl there. The next time he goes to feed the Grizzly 
Bears, the hair on the back of the neck stands straight up. The companions are afraid . 
Nevertheless he lands. The Bear cubs are kind to him, but the She-Bear tears him. 
Thereupon the cubs tear their mother. The cubs travel about killing people. Once 
they come behind some people in camp, and a woman's child cries. She says, "Don't 
cry! Your uncle's children might come and destroy us." Tlien they go awaj' Ska. 

A variant of this tale is also told by the Shuswap Sh 720. 

17. The Hunter and his Wooden Wife 

(8 versions: Tsl52; Tl 181; BC 5.2.56; K 10.122; Ne 10.361; K 11.53; Nu 5.112; Cow 

5.49) 

A man goes hunting mountain goats in winter. His wife prepares the wool and 

weaves blankets. She dies, and the man keeps her body many days. Finally he 

buries it, and carves an image of his wife out of red cedar. He places the image in 

front of the unfinished blanket, and makes its fingers move. He also makes it turn 



BOAsJ COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 745 

its head when he enters the door. Wliene^-er }ie comes back from hunting, he speaks 
to the image and answers himself, saying that the woman can not come out because 
the yarn is twisted around her fingers. The hunters pass the hunting-hut and discover 
what has happened. Two sisters who are scolded by their mother run away, reach 
the hut, and through a knot-hole see the woman seated inside. They go in, and dis- 
cover that it is not a woman, but a wood-carving, that is sitting there. \Mien the 
hunter comes back, they laugh. He discovers them and gives them to eat. The 
elder sister eats too much, while the younger one eats sparingly. He marries the 
younger one, who makes him promise to destroy the wooden figure Ts 152. 

The Bellacoola version is as follows : 

A man named Qasa'na, who consists of one-half of a body having only one le" one 
arm, half a head, and so on, lives in Kilte'il. He carves a woman of wood, givesher 
a hat, and calls her QulE'ms. She is placed in front of a loom. A chief near Bella- 
bella sends his two daughters to marry Qasa'na. They look through a knot-hole and 
see the figure in front of the loom. They discover that the figure is made of wood, 
take off the hat, and upset the figure. When Qasa'na comes home, he scolds the 
woman. The girls laugh and are discovered. He marries them, and later on all 
return to Bellabella BC 5.256. 

Among the Kwakiutl and Nootka the story of the akler woman 
serves as the introduction to stories that have no inner connection 
with this incident. 

A man called Klwadza'^e (Sitting On Earth) carves a woman of alder wood and 
takes her for his wife. He hangs bark of yellow cedar over her hands, making it 
appear that she is weaving. The Bear appears, and takes the man o\'er ten mountains 
to visit his own xillage. They pass the house of Mouse, are invited in, and among 
other things the man is given mountain-goat wool. Thus it is Tcnown that blankets 
may he woven of wool. They pass Bluejay's house, are invited in, and are given 
berries. For this reason berries are eaten. Finally they reach the house of the Wolves. 
An old woman advises him not to enter the cliief's house. He disobeys, is eaten by 
the Wolves, who, however, restore him to life Ne 10.361. 

A better version of this story is given in K 11. 

Klwadza'^e goes out to get cedar bark. While he is peeling off the bark, a voice calls 
him and invites him to go to his house, and asks him where his wife is. He replies, 
"My wife can not speak, for she is carved out of alder wood and she has hair of yellow 
cedar bark." The rest of the story refers to the visit to the house of the supernatural 
being K 11.53. 

Another Kwakiutl story is more closely related to the Tsimsliian 
story here discussed. 

A chief has two girl slaves who are sent to bathe. Wlien they come back, one of 
them falls into the fire and dies. The other one tries to commit suicide in the woods. 
After going up a river for four days, she finds a house and sees two images of women 
in front of piles of mountain-goat wool and spindles. A hunter enters, who asks the 
figures to speak to him. He divides meat and places it in front of the figures. When 
he goes out hunting, the woman roasts the meat. WTien he returns, he thinks the 
figures are coming to life. He brings salmon, and the woman splits the salmon. He 
belie^-es the figures are beginning to work. On the following da> she throws them 
into the fire, and the man believes that they had killed each other out of jealousy. 
Then the woman appears, and claims that she was personified in the images K 10.122. 

A woman scolds her two daughters, who run awaj-, and reach two houses built close 
together. The elder sister enters one of the houses. The younger one looks through 



746 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

a chink and sees the figure of a woman carved of rotten wood. After a while the 
owner comes home, finds her; she tells him who she is, and he marries her. When 
she says that her elder sister has gone into another house, the man informs her thjrt 
Panther lives there, who kills everybody. The elder sister escapes, and the man 
marries both of them and burns his wooden wife. Then follows a story that relates 
how I^anther kills the sisters and how they are re^■ived Nu 5.112. 

Sia'latsa has a wooden figure of a woman, which is car\'ed so that it holds a spindle. 
Two girls come to the house, look through a chink, and see the figure. They eat the 
food placed in front of it. When the house owner returns, he thinks that the figure 
has come to life. On the following day the girls burn the figure. One of the girls, a 
chief's daughter, puts on her clothing. In the e\ening, when the man finds her and 
sees that the figure has been burned, he is first angry, but then he marries the girl. 
The other gh-1, who is a slave, is given to one of Sifi'latsa's men Cow 5.49. 

The Tlingit have a story of a wooden wife, which, however, is 
somewhat different in type. 

A Haida chiefs wife dies. A wood-car\-er makes a figure of his deceased wife and 
dresses it. The widower pays him for it. One day he feels the image move. After 
some time it gives forth a .sound like the crackling of wood. Then the man knows 
that the figure is ill. When it is removed, a small.red-cedar tree is found growing on 
the floor. Jt becomes very large, And for this reason the cedars on Queen Charlotte Islands 
are good. The figure begins to move about, but ne^•er learns to talk. Through his 
dreams the man knows what the figure wants to tell him Tl 181. 

In all probabilit}" these stories of the wooden wife are related to 

the stories of Coyote's wooden wives, which will be found discussed 

on p. 609. 

18. Plucking Oit Eyes (p. 154) 

(3 versions: Ts 154; Tl 173; Tl 292. See also Tl 368; Sk 111; Skg 143) 

The Tsimshian and TUngit stories are practically identical. 

A youth does not want to marry, because he is in love with a lake woman. The 
lake woman appears whenever he shouts four times. He spends the nights in the 
lake with her. They have a child. A friend of the youth observes secretly what he 
is doing. One night while the youth is asleep, his friend goes to the lake, shouts, 
visits the lake woman, and carries away the child, which gouges out the eyes of all 
the people and thus kills them. Only the youth and his sister, who has given birth 
to a child, survive. The lake child drags along a string of eyes. The youth takes it 
back to the lake and throws it to the lake woman. The youth receives from her 
gambling-slicks which are to make him wealthy. He travels south. The sister, who 
carries her chUd on her back, is given '"a garment of wealth," and it is ordained 
that whoever hears her child cry shall become ricli. The lake woman goes into the 
ocean and becomes Haklula'q Ts 154. 

A youth discovers the lake woman, who has two children. He takes one of them 
and carries it to his village. The child gouges out the eyes of the people. There is 
a woman who has given birth to a cliild. The child enters her hut and roasts the 
eyes. It tries to attack the woman too. She, however, drives it away with a cane. 
She finds all the people dead, takes a copperplate on each side, puts the child on 
her back, and becomes the spirit of wealth, the Llenaxxi'daq. If any one sees her, 
he becomes rich. The story ends with an account of a man who sees her, takes her 
child, is scratched by her, and is given wealth. Wlien he gives a scab from the 
wound to any one, that person becomes rich Tl 173. In the version Tl 292 the woman 
kills the child with her cane. Another encounter with her is told in the story Tl 368. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 747 

The incident of the child that gouges out eyes occurs as part of 
the Raven legend of the Haida. 

Raven enters the skin of the new-born child of the daughter of the heavenly chief. 
When everybody is asleep, he gouges out one eye of each person, bakes the eyes in 
ashes, and eats them. An old woman observes what he is doing. The people sing 
for him; and while they pass him along, one of them lets him fall. He drops into the 
ocean Ska 111. 

In a Masset version the child is born by the heavenly chief's daughter after she 
had swallowed a hemlock leaf. WTien the people are asleep, the child gouges out 
their eyes. An old man observes what he is doing. The child roasts and eats the 
eyes. After this has been repeated several nights, the chief breaks the stone floor of 
his house and throws him down into the ocean Sk^ 143 (see also p. 629). 

Stories of Animals or Supernatltral Beings who Marry Girls 

(Nos. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 33, 35, 43, 46) 

One of the most characteristic types of Tsimshian stories are tales 
of animals or other beings who assume the shape of young men and 
marry girls. They take them to their homes, and later on send them 
back with their children. To this group belong the stories — 

The Spider and the Widow's Daughter (No. 19, p. 15S). 

Prince Snail (No. 20, p. 161; see also note below;' Tlingit version 

Tl 175). 
The Otter who Married the Princess (No. 21, p. 166; Kaigaui 

version Kai 254 ) . 
The Widow and her Daughter (No. 22, p. 172). 
The Mink who Married a Princess (No. 23, p. 177). 
The Bear who Married a Woman (No. 26, p. 192). 
The Princess and the Mouse (No. 33, p. 232). 

1 The foUowiug version of this tale has been taken from Franz Boas, Vocabularies of the Tlingit, Haida, 
and Tsimshian Languages (Procff(?i«^5 o/fftf ^mericflTi Philosophical Society, vol. xxix, p. 205), Philadel- 
phia, 1891. The Tsimshianleft the Skeena River, where they had caught salmon. Then they camped there 
for a while. There was the daughter of a chief who was very particular whom she should marry. At night 
a good-looking young man came to her secretly and went where the chief's daughter wa^. He told her 
to run away with him, and she consented. Then they left. When they had reached his house, he let her 
stand outside, and he entered. Then his mother and father said to him, " Did you not get her, my dear?'' 
He replied, " She is standing outside." Then his sisters ran out. She accompanied them into the house. 
Then they ate and were glad. In the morning a little old woman came. Her name was Mouse Woman. 
She said, *'Bum your ornaments!" The princess did so, and the little old person took them from the fire. 
Then she said, "My dear, do you know who took you?" She replied, "No." She said, "The Snail." 
Then the chief's daughter was very much afraid. Mouse Woman said, "Go, run away! Do not run very 
far, to the place where your parents are staying. Just walk on the trail back of the house, ^^'her6 it goes 
down, there is slime. Follow that road up the mountain and go across. That is where your parents 
are staymg on the beach." The chief's daughter did so. After a while she pretended to go out, but she 
ran away. She went the way the little old woman had told her. After she had been away for some tune, 
her husband missed her. Then he knew that she had escaped. He called his whole great tribe together. 
Then they pursued her. Just when the princess reached the top of the mountain she heard a great noise. 
She guessed that they were pursuing her. Then she ran down the mountain. There was always loud 
noise. She looked back. Behold, a greatland-slide wascoming down! Trees feU, and great rocks rolled 
down. Then the woman screamed. She saw where her parents staid, and ordered them to go aboard 
their canoes. -Vs soon as they were in their canoes, she reached them. Then she was aljoard the canoe 
of her father. They were saved, but there was a great land-slide where they had been. They looked back. 
Behold, a great many snails cau.sed it! Then the princess told what had happened. It happened at 
Inverness. Therefore its name is Where A Land Slide Occurred. 



748 - TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

The Water-Being ( ?) who Married the Princess (No. 42, p. 272). 
The Story of Part Summer (No. 43, p. 278). 

It occurs also as an incident in: 

The Story of Asdi-wa'l (No. 35, p. 243). 

Story of GunaxnesEmg-a'd (No. 45, p. 285; Ts 5.294). 

As has been pointed out by Swan ton (see p. 874) stories of tliis 
type are common in the folk-lore of the Tliagit and Haida. In his 
collection of Tlingit tales, the following have been recorded: 

The Halibut People Tl 38. 

The Woman Taken Away by the Frog People Tla 53, T16 236 

(Masset version M 554). 
The Woman who Married the Devilfish Tl 130. 
The Thunders Tl 175 (Tsimshian versions Ts 161; note to p. 747). 
The Girl who Married the l !al ! Tl 237. 
The Woman who Married a Tree Tl 238. 
The Gu-1 who Married a Fire Spirit Tl 239. 
The Woman who Married the Dead Man Tl 247 (Masset version 

M 625). 
The Origin of Copper (the same as the Tsimshian GunaxnesEmg-a'd) 

Tl 252. 
The Woman Taken by the Grizzly Bears (same as Tsimshian 

GunaxnesEmg'a'd) Tl 126. 

There are also a number of Masset and Kaigani tales of this type: 

Swimming Land-Otter Kai 254 (Tsimshian version Ts 166). 

The Grizzly-Bear Hunter M 508. 

The Woman who Married the Frog M 554 (Tlingit versions Tla 53, 

T1& 236). 
The Woman who Married a Devilfish M 560; also Kai 260. 
The Half-Head that ilarried a Certain Person M 625 (Thngit 

version Tl 247). 
The Woman who Married the Grizzly Bear (same as Tsimshian 

GunaxnesEmg'a'd) M 500. 

Among the Skidegate tales I find only a version of the story of 
GunaxnesEmg-a'd (Sk 336). The idea enters as an element into the 
Skidegate story of A Slender One Wlio Was Given Away Sk 151. 
Farther south, in Rivers Inlet, this type of story is also represented 
only by a version of the GunaxnesEmg-a'd story (Ri 5.226). 

It would seem, therefore, that these stories are essentially char- 
acteristic of the Tlingit and Tsimshian, and of those Haida who are 
influenced by the former. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 749 

(a) The Girl vlio is not Allowed o?' Refuses to Marry 

(9 versions : Ta 161 ; Ts 177 ; Ts 192 ; Ts 232 ; M 500 ; M 554 ; il 625 ; Kai 254 ; 

Kai 260) 

The introduction of most of the tales dealing with marriages of 
girls to animals or supernatural beings begins with the statement 
that the parents do not wish then- daughters to marry. 

A chief has a beautiful daughter. His sons are expert hunters. Therefore the 
father is wealthy and proud. Chiefs want to marry his daughter, but the parents 
refuse. The bed of the young woman is over their own room, and she is watched day 
and night Ts 161. The parents of a young woman do not want her to marry, although 
many princes woo for her Ts 177. A widow has a daughter. Many men want to marry 
her, but she declines them all Ts 192. A great chief loves his beautiful daughter. 
Many princes want to marry her, but he refuses them all. The girl is watched care- 
fully Ts 232. The parents and uncles of a girl are unwilling to let her marry M 500. 
People come from all the towns to marry a certain girl, but the father refuses them 
M 554. The parents of a girl want a wise man to marry her and refuse all suitors 
M 625. Chiefs come from long distances to marr>- a girl. They come in ten canoes 
each time, but the father refuses to give her in marriage Kai 254, Sk 151. The parents 
of a girl refuse to let her marry Kai 260. 

(&) The Offended Animal 

(13 versions : Ts 161 ; Ts 278 ; Tl 38 ; Tl 53 ; Tl 130 ; Tl 175 ; Tl 237 ; Tl 239 ; Tl 247 ; 
Tl 126 ; Tl 252 ; M 500 ; Sk 336) 

In a great many of the stories here referred to the girl goes out 
and by some act or word offends an animal, wlio then comes to 
marry her. 

The princess walks behind her father's house accompanieil by her maid. She sees 
a snail creeping along tlie street, kicks it out of the way, and says, ''Wouldn't you 
like to marry me?" Two nights after a youth appears to her at night. His skin is 
as smooth as glass. He becomes the girl's accepted lover, and he takes her to his 
father's house Ts 161 (see Tl 175). 

It occurs in all the versions of the GunaxnesEmg'a'd stories and 
in the story of Part Summer, which belongs to the same series. 

A princess and the girls go out picking berries. She steps on the dung of a bear 
and says that it is nasty. Then the carrying-straps of her basket break. Two youths 
appear and take her home Ts 278. This story will be found discussed in detail on 
p. 835, where its distribution over the neighboring tribes is also given. 

Among the Tlingit tliis introduction appears with very great 
frequency. 

A chief's daughter goes to the beach to cut halibut. She slips on the halibut slime 
and scolds it. Then canoe-loads of people come to get her in marriage. She goes 
with them. They are the Halibut people Tl 38. Back of a town is a lake full of 
frogs, which sit on a swampy patch in the middle. The princess talks badly to the 
frogs. At night a youth appears and wants to marry her. She accepts him, and he 
takes her to his father's house in the lake Tl 53. A girl slips on the slime of a de\TJfish 
and scolds it. At night a youth appears and wants to marry her. She goes with him, 



750 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

and he proves to be the Devilfish Tl 130. A princess steps on a snail, and expresses 
her di^iist. At night a youth appears and she goes off with him T1175. The daughter 
of a Chilkat chief of the GanXxte'dt family steps on something slimy, and scolds, 
saying that people throw out their slops. She had stepped on the skin of a fish called 
l!al!. At night a youth appears. She marries him, and he stays in her father's 
house. He shows them how to haul wood over the frozen ground Tl 237. A princess 
sits close by the fire. A spark falls on her clothing, and she says something bad to 
the fire, pointing at it with her fingers. She disappears, and finally a powerful shaman 
discovers that the fire of the house has taken her Tl 239. A princess of the Cohoes 
people (L!u'kAnA-ca) trips over a skull, scolds, and kicks the skull aside. At night 
she dreams that two boys come to her. They had been chiefs' sons, and she had 
kicked the skull of the elder one. She married him. On the following morning 
she tells her parents, and the young men come down with her to the fire. Her hus- 
band appears to the other people as a skull Tl 247. 

The remaining Tlingit stories belong to the GunaxnesEmg'a'd 
series, and tell of the girl who steps in bear's dung and is taken away 
by the bears Tl 126, Tl 252. Among the various branches of the Haida 
this incident occurs only in the stories of the GunaxnesEmg'a'd series 
M 500, Sk 336. In this form the incident extends as far southward 
as Rivers Inlet (see p. 836). 

(o) Helpful Animals 

(5 veiBions: Ts 1.58 ; Ts 172 ; Ts 192 ; Ts 1.73; Ta 1.199) 

In another group of tales of this class the supernatural beings 
appear to the daughters of poor deserted people and marry them 
in order to aid them. 

During a famine a widow lives with her daughter on a brook, where she tries to 
catch salmon, ^^^lile the mother is away, a tall youth appears to the daughter, who 
offers to marry her. lie does not show himself at once to the mother, but one night 
she sees him come in. The youth then teaches the woman to make nets and proves 
to be the Spider. After a while the Spider youth takes the woman to his parents 
Ts 158. 

On the journey to Nass River a widow is encamped with her daughter. At mid- 
night a youth appears and marries her. She feels that his body stings like nettles. 
Every morning he leaves a partridge at the door and also a sufficient amount of fuel 
Ts 172. 

A widow lives with her daughter. She tells her to feel of the palms of her suitors, 
and to accept only one who has rough palms. One night a youth appears, whom 
she accepts. He proves to be a Red Bear, who provide.'^for them, leaving an animal 
on the beach every day Ts 192. 

The same incident occurs in the story of Asdi-wa'l, where a super- 
natural being appears to the starving women and feeds them (see 
p. 792). The incident is also related to the Gau'o story, in which a 
poor woman caUs the animals to marry her daughter in order to 
help them (see p. 849). 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OP TSIMSHIAIST MYTHOLOGY 751 

(d) Other Marriages of Women to Animals or Supernatural Beings 

(.TslGG; Kai254— Tsl77; Ts 232; Ta 272; T8 297; N'229; Ts 871; Tl 238; M 554; 
M 508: M 625; Sk 151— M 560; Kai 260) 

In quite a number of stories it is merely stated tliat the animal 
or supernatural being appeared and married the girl, generally 
against the wishes of her parents. 

A girl refuses to marry her cousin, although her parents desire her to do so. The 
women go out to gather fern roots and go into camp. It is chilly and they make a fire. 
Suddenly a man who looks like the princess's cousin appears and offers to take her 
home. She agrees, and, at the request of her aunt, accompanies him. She lies down 
in his canoe. He covers her over; and when they arrive at the tillage, it turns out 
that the Land Otter has taken her along. The Land Otter marries her Ts 166. 
Analogous to this is a Kaigani story: A chief does not want to give away his daughter. 
One day ten canoes come, and she agrees to go with them. She tells them to camp 
not far from the town and to send two men. She pretends to go out for water and 
goes off with the visitors. She goes aboard one of the canoes and covers her face. 
When somebody pulls her hair, she looks through a hole in her blanket and sees that 
she is being taken away by Land Otters, who are diving under patches of seaweed. 
They arrive at tlieir town, and she marries a white Land Otter Kai 254. 

A youth appears to a girl. Her parents do not want to give up their daughter, and 
the youth takes her away in the morning. He makes her lie down in the canoe and 
takes her to his house. He turns out to be Mink Ts 177. 

A youth appears to a princess whom her parents do not want to give away in mar- 
riage. She accepts him. One moniing she discovers that he is a Mouse Ts 232. 

An owl carries away a girl and marries her. Their son returns to his human grand- 
father, Nass (Ts 871). 

A princess goes out in a canoe accompanied by many young women. On a sand- 
bar a mass of foam covers the boat and carries her away to the house of a supernatural 
being, one of whom marries her Ts 272. 

A princess who is carefully guarded by her parents wishes to marry. One night a 
shining light comes to her, and a youth appears who wishes to marrj' her. He is 
Tsauda, the son of the Sun. On the following night the hea\-enh- youth sends his 
slave Halus to ask the girl in marriage. She mistakes the slave for the master and 
marries him. At the same time the slave asks for the girl's lame sister to be given 
in marriage to Tsauda. At that moment Tsauda himself appears, who takes the lame 
girl to his father's house, washes her four times, and makes her well and beautiful. 
Tsauda and his wife then return to his father-in-law Ts 297. 

A chief rejects all the suitors of his daughter. Finally the chief of the Grouses 
flies down and enters the girl's room, wearing a blanket made of fox skins. She elopes 
with him, and lives in the town of the Grouses N 229. 

A girl dreams several nights in succession that she is married to a fine-looking man. 
In reality a Spruce Tree that stands at the end of the village has married her Tl 238. 

A chief does not want his daughter to marry. One day she goes out and sees a man, 
who asks her to marry him. She agrees, and he takes her to the Frog town M 554. 

A chief's daughter refuses all her suitors, who arrive one by one in their canoes. 
Finally a person appears in a hair-seal canoe, '\\nien he is refused, he causes a flood. 
The people offer him ten slave-girls, one after another, but he is not satisfied until 
he is given the chief's daughter ' Sk 151. 

' The rest of this story deals with the rescue of the young woman from the Skypeople by whom she 
had been taken. It is quite different in type from the other stories discussed here. 



752 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

A man's daughter sleeps next to the fire. In the morning she has disappeared and 
the people can not find her. The Grizzly Bear has taken her away and married her 
because her father was continually killing grizzly bears M 508. 

A chief does not want to give his daughter in marriage. One night a Half- Head 
appears to her and marries her. The ne.xt morning the people lay down a mat and 
ask her to come down with her husband. The food seems to move by itself towards 
the Half-Head. The Half-Head goes hunting for the. people M 625. 

There are also a number of stories of a somewhat different type, 
telling of the marriage of a woman to a Devilfish.' 

A girl pushes a stick under a bowlder on the beach, and the Devilfish pulls her 
under. She is covered by the tide and disappears. She marries the Devilfish M 560. 

In the Kaigani version the same .story is told about a princess whom her father 
would not allow to marry Kai 260. 

It appears from this tliat tales of tliis type are foinid particularly 
among the Tlingit and Tsimsliian, and that the tale of the offended 
animals is practically confined to these two tribes. 

(e) The Mouse Woman as Adviser 

(Ts 162; Ts 167; Ts 273; Ts 279; Ts 1.151; Ts 5.294; Tl 127; Tl 253. See also N 127) 
A very characteristic incident occurs in all the Tsimshian tales in 
those cases in which the girl has ofl'endcd the animal, or where she is 
taken to the animal's house against her will. 

The animal takes the girl home, enters his father's house, where he assumes human 
form, and is asked, " Did you not get what you wanted?" He replies, " She is standing 
outside." Then his sisters run out and bring in the girl. After a while the Mouse 
Woman appears and requests her to burn her ear-ornaments. Mouse pulls them out 
of the fire and asks the girl whether she knows who has taken her away. She replies, 
"No," and then the Mouse informs her and gives her advice. 

Among the Tlingit we find the incident of the Mouse Woman only 
in the GunaxnesEmg'a'd story Tl 126, Tl 252 (see p. 838). 

(/) Adventures Among the Animals 

(Ts 162; Tl 175.— Ts 166; Ts 177; Ts 272; Ts 278; Ts 1.147; Ts 5.294; Tl 38; Tl 53; 
Tl 236; Tl 237; Tl 238; Tl 239; Tl 247; Kai 254; M 625) 

The stories continue with the young woman's experiences among 
the animals. 

Wlien she enters the house, she sees two large snaUs lying near the fire, who are the 
parents of her husband. They do not care for the young woman, who has to stay in 
the comer of the house Ts 162. The woman who married the Snail is taken to a per- 
pendicular cliff behind the village. She is seen halfway up with a Snail curled 
around her Tl 175. 

> Here belongs also the story of the woman who married the Devilfish (Tl 130), which, however, opens 
ivith the formula of the offended animal (see p. 749). 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 753 

A young woman finds herself in a strange country. She sees that the canoe in 
which she has traveled is a drifting log. Her mother-in-law spreads a mat, and she 
is given halibut to eat. She learns from the Mouse Woman that the Otter married 
her because she refused to marry her cousin. She is told not to eat any of the food 
given to her first. After a while she gives birth to a child. Her mother-in-law dis- 
likes her and orders her to be turned out of the house. At the foot of a tree she 
gives birth to a young otter. The Mouse Woman brings her fire, and the little Otter 
fishes for his mother. He hunts larger and larger animals Ts 166. 

Mink takes the woman to his den. Every morning Mink goes fishing and catches 
eels, which he strings up. The young woman does not eat, but merely chews fat. 
The woman dries the eels. One day she hides a string of eels. Mink becomes angry, 
and thinks he may have eaten them himself. Then the woman produces them 
again Ts 177. 

The girl is informed by Mouse Woman that the son of the chief of the supernatural 
beings wants to marry her. She has a son, who is made to grow by his grandfather 
by pulling his body. The chief of the supernatural beings calls upon a river to send 
an infant daughter to his daughter-in-law. She gives birth to a girl Ts 272. 

A girl becomes the wife of one of the sons of the Black Bear chief. In the morning 
the male Bears go to fish salmon. The female Bears pick berries. In the evening 
all come home. Some of the male Bears do not return with the rest, and people say 
that their fishing-lines broke. This means that hunters had killed them. The same 
would happen to the female Bears, and they would say that their carrj'ing-straps tore. 
In the fall the Black Bear chief invites the whole tribe, and asks them in what dens 
they will lie during the winter. \\Tien the young woman's husband names his den, 
the princess says that it will be easily found by her brothers' dogs. Therefore they 
finally select a den which is very difficult of access. She tells her father-in-law that 
her four brothers are hunters Ts 278. 

The Mouse Woman advises the girl who has been taken away by the Bears to pre- 
tend that her excrements are copper. 'When these are found, the Bears say that this 
is the reason why she scolded their dung. The Grizzly Bears go out fishing salmon. 
The women gather wood. They make a large fire in the house for the men to dry 
their blankets. The young woman's fire is extinguished by the water dripping from 
her husband's blanket. The Mouse advises her to get wet wood. Then her fire 
bums well Ts 1.151, Ts 5.294. 

The woman who marries a halibut is taken away by the fish. As soon as they get 
around a point near the village, the Halibut heat pitch, pour it over a rock, and place 
the woman on it. When she is found by her brothers, she is dead Tl 38. 

Tlie woman who married the Frog goes with him to what seems like a house. In 
reality the edge of the lake is raised, and they walk under it. The house is full of 
people Tl 53. A woman who is taken away by a Frog lives with him and has two 
children Tl 236. 

The whereabouts of the woman who had been taken away by the fire spirit are 
discovered by a shaman Tl 239. 

The woman who has been taken to the Land Otters gathers dry wood while the 
Otters are out hunting. When they come home, they shake their blankets and extin- 
guish the fire. They become angry and scratch her. A woman rooted to the floor 
tells her to get wet wood . Her success in making a good fire pleases the Land Otters, 
who lick her Kai 254. 

In a few of the Tlingit stories the young man stays with the 
woman's people in their house. 

The woman who married the L^ish l!al! lives with him in her father's house. He 
gets fuel for his father-in-law. He plays ball with the young men of the village. 
Since he is strong and throws the ball far up the river, the young people get angry 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 48 



754 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

and tear off his clothes. It is seen that his skin is covered with blotches. He refuses 
to go back home until his wife herself calls him. He sends word to his father-in-law 
to close and tie up the house. Then he goes \ip the river, holds back its waters, and 
then lets it go. Tliia causes a flood, which sweeps away the whole village, except 
his father-in-law's house Tl 237. 

The woman who marries a Tree has a child, but nobody knows who its father is. 
The child calls for its father; and the young woman's father calls first the people, 
then the people who inhabit the trees. WTien they enter, the child stops crying. 
An old man sits near the door. The child crawls up to him, and he is recognized as 
a certain spruce tree Tl 238. 

A Skull who has married a girl asks for a small canoe and hunting-weapons. The 
people can not see what the Skull JIan is doing, but in the evening he returns with a 
canoe loaded with sea food and land animals. Finally the two skulls become li\'ing 
beings. When the place where the men sit down is marked with blood, they fall over 
dead Tl 247. 

The story M 625 is probably the same as the preceding Tlingit story. The Half-Head 
marries the girl. He goes hunting and obtains much food. The people want to 
break his skull. They do not siicceed. He becomes angry and kills the aggressors. 
He goes hunting again and brings a great quantity of seals and sea otters. While he 
is away, his wife becomes sick. He feels it and returns at once. The Half-Head 
disappears M 625. 

It is fairly evident from the furtlier development of the last group 
of stories that they form a separate group, and merely use the abduc- 
tion of the girl as an introduction. 

(g) The Escape from the Animals 

The third part of the story contains the incidents connected Avith 
the escape of the woman from the animals that have taken her, or 
her Uberation, sometimes followed by the revenge of the people. 

In the Snail story given before, the Mouse Woman tells the girl how she can make 
her escape. She points out the trail marked by the slime of snails, which leads to 
her parents' house. The young woman pretends to go out, and nms away, following 
this trail. She is piu-sued, and hears a formidable noise behind her. She reaches her 
parents' village, tells them to go aboard quickly, jumps into the canoe, and at the 
same moment a land-slide comes down, which is caused by the Snails Ts, note p. 747. 

In another version of the Snail story the girl's brothers search for her in vain. 
Finally a shaman woman discovers that she had been captured by the Snails. The 
chief's sons purify themselves and try to find her. The youngest one takes with him 
woodworking-tools, fat, down, ocher, and tobacco, blood, paint, and lime. He finds 
a great plain, reaches a precipice, and sees down below a village. He sacrifices, 
makes an artificial eagle, first of red cedar, then of spruce, yellow cedar, and finally 
of various kinds of wood. By its means he flies down. Before starting he sends his 
two friends who accompanied him home. The young woman sees her brother and 
walks out. He takes her on his back and flies up. They run home, ^^^len they 
reach their father's house, the people are ordered to chop down young trees. The 
women and children are put aboard the canoes and sent to an island. The Snails 
arrive, and where they go the trees fall down. Tliey slide down, swim on the 
water, the people give battle and spear them with their trees. The Snails are killed, 
float to the island, and are transformed into shellfish. Some of their fat is driven 
ashore and is transformed into snails Ts 161. 

A young woman who had been taken away by the Snails and had been placed half- 
way up a cliff is found by her brothers, who try to make wings of various kinds of 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 755 

wood and boue. They succeed when they use yellow cedar. They succeed in getting 
her down. The brothers feel disgraced, leave the village, and become the Thunders. 
The rest of the story does not belong here Tl 175. 

The young woman who has been taken away by the Otters, and who has given 
birth to a boy, is told by Mouse Woman to kill the Otters. She closes the holes of 
the den except one, makes a smudge, and clubs the Otters as they come out. This 
makes her son unhappy. After some time the yoimg Otter wants to visit his maternal 
grandfather. On his return he promises his mother to take her home. He makes 
her sit on his back. WTien he is tired, he tells his mother to drop some gravel, which 
is transformed into a sandbar. Finally she gives some gravel to the young Otter, 
who makes a sand-spit v-hich stretches out to the mainland. They walk home. He 
carries her to a place near his grandfather's house. The women see him and try to 
club him, but his mother takes him up and they enter the house. Her parents recog- 
nize her, and she tells her story. The child goes hunting and brings vast amounts 
of food, so that the grandfatlier becomes very rich. One tribe is not invited. One 
day her Otter is out hunting. Some hunters of that tribe kill him because they do 
notknowhim. Thegrandfather sends out to find out what has become of him, and itis 
discovered what has happened. The people who killed him pay for the loss they 
have inflicted upon the chief Ts 1(18. 

The old woman rooted to the floor advises the young woman to place pitch wood 
around the house, to lay a flat stone in the doorway, and to burn the house. At night 
she sets it on fire and clubs the Otters as they try to pass out at the door. The woman 
tries to return home, but does not know the way. She gives bii-th to a young Otter, 
which gets food for her. Finally he brings a tree from his grandfather's town. He 
carries his mother to her home village. AVhen they are on the way, a gale sets in and 
they return. They try again and cross the sea. She sits down at the place where 
people get water, and is found. The young Land Otter begins to bring food to the 
people. Finally the young-man Otter returns home. The young woman cries, tells 
her father that her son has come to take her, and dies Kai 2-54. 

Before the bears go into their dens, the Bear chief asks the young woman, "How 
many mats have your brothers?" She gives a certain number for each, which means 
that as many bears will be killed as each brother has mats. The Bears gather pro- 
visions and go into their dens. Next the brothers stay out himting, and the youngest 
one finds the den of liis sister's husband. The dogs find the den, but he can not go up. 
His sister sees him, makes a snowball, and throws it down. It strikes one of liis snow- 
shoes, and he sees the impressions of her fingers. The dogs reach her and wag their 
tails. After the brother arrives, the sister gives birth to two children. She tells her 
brother to make a smudge and to suffocate the Bear. She orders him not to kill him 
with a spear. She sings a song, and gives detailed orders to her brother how to cut 
the Bear's body in accordance with instructions given at a previous time by the Bear 
himself. The sister and her two cubs are taken home. When they see clouds rising 
on the hills, they call it the smoke for their Bear grandfather. When one of them 
falls against his maternal grandmother's back, she calls them slaves, and they run 
away. From time to time they bring food to their mother and their youngest iincle 
Ts 279. 

Whenever the young woman goes out, she is accompanied by Grizzly Bear women, 
her .sisters-in-law, who guard her. Mouse Woman tells her the way home. One day 
when they are out, she pretends to help her sisters-in-law to put a load on their backs, 
but instead ties them to stumps. Then she runs away, pursued by the Grizzly Bears. 
(Here follows another story, telling of her marriage to a water-being [see p. 838].) 
Ts 1.155, Ts 5.295. 

The Tlingit stories based on the forcible abduction of a woman 
also close with her liberation or with the revenge of the people. 



756 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etb. ann. 31 

When the brothers find the woman ghied to a rock by the Halibut, tliey fill a bladder 
with blood. .One of the brothers dresses like hia sister and dives with the knife and 
the bladder. He reaches the house of the Halibut, who mistake him for the woman. 
The friends of the young man try to kill Halibut, but these see their hooks and the 
fishermen are unsuccessful. At night the man cuts off the HaHbut chief's head and 
runs away with it Tl 39. 

This part of the story is more closely related to the story of the 
revenge of the brothers, which is found on the southern part of the 
coast (see also Gau'o, p. 847). The rest of the story does not belong 
to the group discussed here. 

A man who goes bathing discovers the woman who has been taken away by the 
Frogs in the spring of the year, sitting in the middle of the lake among the Frogs. 
The people try to give presents to the Fi-ogs in order to induce them to give up the girl. 
When they are unsuccessful, they try to drain the lake. ^Vhen the water runs out, 
the Frogs are scattered. They dress the young woman and put their own odor upon 
her. The girl is taken by her people. At first she can not speak, but gradually 
regains her speech and tells what happens, ^\^len they try to remove the black 
mud that she had eaten while a FVog, she dies Tl 53. 

In another version of this story the woman sends her children to visit their grand- 
father. They are thrown out of the house. The next time they visit their grand- 
parents they are taken in and are given cranberries. When they go out, the man 
follows with dishes of food, wliich ai'e placed at the edge of the water. The dishes 
move out into the lake, and sink. The old man sends his messengers to invite the 
Frog tribe, who say that they can not come. The woman, however, appears, accom- 
panied by two noble Frogs. Then the people drain the lake. The woman is seen 
floating along with the Frogs, which cover her body except the face. She is taken 
into the house, and the Frogs are killed by being struck with human bones. The 
young woman then stays with her father Tl 236. 

A Tvoman who is married to the Frogs is discovered by children, who hear her laugh. 
The chief tells the people to drain the lake. The brothers of the woman hide; and 
when the water runs off, the Frogs are carried away. The young woman's husband 
is swimming along with her. The brothers take her. The young woman and her 
child are on her husband's back. She is taken to the house and tells the people how 
the Frogs live. Finally both she and her child disappear M 554. 

The girl who has been taken away by the Fire has disappeared. On the advice 
of a shaman, the chief orders all the fires to be put out. Then she reappears from the 
cliief's fireplace. From that time on she sometimes stays with her father, sometimes 
with the Fire Spirit. Her cousin is in love with her. ^Vhen the Fire Spirit discovers 
tliis, he calls her. He hurts her in some way, and she returns to her father's house. 
She remains single the rest of her life Tl 239. 

The Grizzly Bears have taken away a girl because her father killed too many bears. 
After two yeai's his dogs find the Bear den, and he is taken to the house. She tells 
her father not to kill any more grizzly bears, and on his way back to remain in his 
canoe at the end of the trail. Whenever he goes to that place, they give him mountain 
goats and other animals. After two years more he visits his daughter again, who by 
this time has a daughter. He wants to take the child along, but is told to wait until 
the girl is grown up. The child's grandmother goes along to visit her daughter. 
Finally the daughter's child marries among the Wolf people. The man is told to 
discontinue his visits M 508. 

The story of the woman who married a Devilfish (Kai 260, M 560) 
is somewhat different from the rest. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 757 

A year after the -woman has been taken away, two small Devilfish come up on the 
beach and go to visit the chief. This happens three times. Then the children of the 
town kill one of them. The lost woman appears wailing, and tells her father to tie 
up and close all the openings of his house. The De\iHislies make war upon the town, 
which is covered by a flood and by the slime of the Devilfish, so that everj-body is 
drowned except the chief Kai 260. 

The shaman tells that the lost woman's child is going to come. A small Devilfish 
appears, goes to the chief's house, and crawls on his body. Then the shaman tells 
that the lost woman herself will come. She is accompanied by her husband. They 
bring a great deal of food. His crew have their hair done up in bunches. Finally 
the son-in-law disappears, and the gifts which he has brought are turned into sea 
anemones and similar animals. The visit is repeated, and the woman returns with 
her husband M 560. 

The Tliiigit version of the Devilfish story Tl 130 also ends with 
the return of the abducted woman. 

After some time two small De\alfishes come to a chief's house. They are thrown 
away, but come back again. Finally they are allowed to enter, and the chief recog- 
nizes them as his grandchildren. They are given food, and disappear under a large 
rock in front of the town. The dishes which have been given to the young Devilfish 
are returned clean. He sends people to invite his daughter to a feast, and she appears 
with her husband and her children. She wears a rotten marten-skin robe. Sea- 
weeds are in her hair. Finally the people kill the Devilfish husband and the young 
ones, and keep the girl. The Devilfish attack them and kill some of the people. 

Quite smiilar to this is the Nass story of the gu-1 who married the 
Grouse. 

The Grouse enters the house of a girl who refuses all suitors. He wears a blanket 
made of fox skins, and induces the girl to elope with him. After some time her children 
come to the chief's house. The people throw stones at them, but finally allow them 
to come in. The chief sends messengers to invite the parents of the children, and 
innumerable Grouses come. They are feasted, and on the following day bring a large 
amount of fat, which covers a long pole. Finally the chief's daughter and her children 
go back to the Grouses N 229. 

(h) Comparison of Stories Relating to Marriages between Women and 
Animals or Supernatural Beings 

Summing up the various forms of these tales, we may distinguish 
a number of types: 

1. The offended animals. 

Ts 161 = Tl 175 

Ts 285 = IB 1:5 = M 500 
Ts5.294j ^T^^^^' 

Tl 38 

Tl 53 

Tl 236 = M 554 

T1237 

T1239 

T1247 =M625 
M508 



758 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eih. ax.n. 31 

2. Animals pity and help poor people. 

Ts 158 
Ts 172 
Ts 192 
Ts 1.73 
Ts 5.2S5i 
Ts 1.201' 
Ts 5.2811 

3. Animals abduct or seduce girls. 

Ts 166 =Kai 254 

Ts 177 
Ts 232 

T1238(?) 

4. Girls are married by supernatural beings or animals, and re- 
ceive gifts; clan stories or stories of similar type. 

Ts 272 
Ts297 
N 229 

Tl 238 ( ?) 
Tl 130 

M560 

Kai 260 

It appears from this list that the type of stories of offended animals 
belongs primarily to the Tlingit, from whom it was probably bor- 
rowed by the Masset. The helpful animals seem to be characteristic 
of the Tsimshian series. 

I have not included in this list the numerous Land Otter stories, 
which are somewhat different in character. All of these refer to the 
idea that drowned people are taken away by the Land Otters. If 
the drowned persons are girls, they may be married by them; and 
if men, they may marry among them. The Land Otter story Ts 166, 
Kai 254, which is included m our present discussion, is somewhat 
different in character. A few other stories have not been included 
in our discussion, although they are somewhat similar in type to the 
tales of this group. Here belongs the story of the girls who are 
scolded by their mother and are told that they are not good enough 
to marry Mountam DweUer. Thereupon they rmi away and do 
marry him Tl 222, Tl 280. I have also omitted the story of a girl 
who marries a man who is apparently very poor, but turns out to be 
wealthy and the son of a powerful bemg Tl 132. The Gau'o story, 
which tells of a mother who calls the various animals to marry her 
daughter, has been referred to in our discussion, but is in reality of a 
somewhat different type (see p. 849). 



boas] compabative study of tsimshian mythology 759 

Stories of Men who Marry Animals or Supernatural Beings 

(Noa. 16, 18, 24, 28, 35, 53) 

The reverse case — marriages of men with animals or supernatural 
beings — also occurs in this area. In our Tsimshian series there 
are — 

The Hunters (No. 16, p. 145; also N 200). 

Plucliing Out Eyes (No. 18, p. 154). 

The Chief who ilarried the Robin and the Sawbill Duck (No. 24, 

p. 179). 
The Town of Chief Peace (No. 28, p. 207; Tl 244). 

In a somewhat different form the same idea occurs in — 

The Story of Asdi-wii'l (Ts 1.89). 

The Prince and Prince Wolf (No. 53, p. 317). 

In tlie Nass River series it is found in the story of 

Ts'ak- (p. 868, N 126). 

Among the Haida tlie same idea underlies the stories of — 

The Man who Married a Frog (Kai 260; also M 557; Tl 232). 
The Man who Married the Daughter of the Devilfish Chief (Sk 292) 

Stories of tliis type are also found among the Athapascan tribes. 
Two have been recorded from the Ts!Ets!a'ut: 

The Man who Married the Marmot Woman (Tsts 263). 
The Man who Married the Cloud Woman (Tsts 265). 

A number of others are recorded in Petitot's collections (Hare 
Indians, Petitot 7.120). 

Most of these stories tell of a man who by his marriage with an 
animal or a supernatural being becomes fortunate or acquires power, 
makes a mistake by which he offends his wife, who then leaves him 
and takes away the wealth, good luck, or power. 

The story of "The Hunters" has been discussed before (p. 741). 
The essential elements of the tale in aU the different versions are as 
follows : 

A man goes hunting and meets a female Grizzly Bear. In some way he gains her 
good will and marries her. After they have children, he longs to return home, to 
which the She Grizzly Bear consents, making, however, the condition that he shall 
not look at any other woman. As long as he obeys, she continues her friendly inter- 



760 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [urn. ann. 31 

course with the man, whom she helps; but as soon as ho disobeys, she kills him Ts 145. 
The variants of the tale will be found discussed at the place referred to. 

The version of Plucking Out Eyes contained in our collection is of 
a similar type : 

A young man meets a supernatural girl who lives in a pond , and marries her. When- 
ever he shouts four times, she emerges from the lake. One of his friends watches him 
and calls the woman, who takes him to the bottom of the lake, where he steals the 
son of the couple. The child then plucks out the eyes of all the people and kills 
them Ts 154. 

The variants of this story will be found discussed on p. 746. 
A rather elaborate story of this type is that of the chief who married 
the Robin and the Sawbill Duck. 

A chief does not want to marrj*, but finally, following the ad\-ice of his tribe, sends 
out messengers to find a wife for himself. Two of these messengers reach the house of 
the Robin, which on one side has winter, on the other side summer. They take home 
the chief's daughter, who in course of time gives valuable presents to her husband. 
Other messengers find the Sawbill-Duck Woman, who also consents to marry the 
chief. In the course of time her father sends an ample supply of sea food. On their 
way to the village the woman places a large mass of mussels on the platform of the 
canoe on which she is sitting. The chief sees the mussels, wliich are considered 
cheap food, is offended, and has them thrown into the water. The sea food is trans- 
formed into stones, and the Duck Woman flies away Ts 179. 

The same element enters also into the story of the town of Chief 
Peace. 

A prince gambles away his property and is offended l)y his wife. He flees, and is 
met by a few people, who take him to the town of Chief Peace, who, in return for 
certain presents, gives him his daughter. He sends his son-in-law home with his 
daughter, gi^'ing him many presents. The princess forbi>ls the young man to look 
at another woman, but finally discovers, by means of her magic cup, that he has dis- 
obeyed her. She goes home over the surface of the water, and her husband follows 
her. WTien she looks back, he is drowned, but is later on revived by her father Ts 207 
(see also p. 780). 

The second part of the Tlingit story of the rejected lover, which 
will be discussed on p. 767, belongs here. 

The Loon dives with the rejected lover and carries him to the house of Chief Calm, 
whose daughter is given to him in marriage. Finally he wishes to return home. 
The same incident with the magic cup occurs, as well as the return of the woman and 
the death of the man Tl 244. 

Quite similar to this is an incident in the Asdi-wa'l story. 

The chief in heaven sends one of his slaves in the form of a white bear to induce 
Asdi-wa'l to come to his house. Asdi-wa'l pursues the bear and marries the daughter 
of the Sun. The Sim tests him in various ways, and finally, when he sees that he 
can not overcome him, sends him home. Then follows the same story as before. 
^^^len the woman discovers that he is not true to her, she goes home, looks back, and 
he disappears under water, but is revived again by his father-in-law Ts 1.83, 109-111. 

A man's wife is seduced by the Wolf prince. Her husband kills the latter and is 
attacked by the Wolf mother. He takes the Wolf prince's name, is adopted by the 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 761 

Wolf mother, and marries two Wolf women. Then he becomes a great hunter. He 
longs to go home, and takes his Wolf wives along. He has children; and a few of his 
children return to their own home, while the rest marry among the Indians Ts 317. 

The same element forms also part of the Ts'ak' story of the Nass 
tribe. 

After a number of adventures, Ts'ak' crosses a burning mountain, reaches the 
house of a chief, whose daughter he marries. The chief tries to kill him by subjecting 
him to a number of tests. He is unable to overcome Te'ak', who finally returns with 
his wife by the same way by which he had come N 126. 

I rather suppose that m a fuller version of the story the infidelity 
of Ts'ak" and the return of the daughter would foUow. 

The Haida stories differ somewhat from the Tsimshian stories 
which we have just described. 

A young man at T!aq° makes fun of a Frog and is carried away to the Frog town. 
The youth is asked by the Frog chief, One Whose Eyes They Fear, why he has 
offended the Frogs, and he replies that human beings do so when they want to marry 
their aunts. Then he marries the Frog Woman Kai 260. 

The same story is contained in Swanton's Masset series. 

A chief at T!a'qo has two daughters. His nephews are their lovers. One of these 
steps on the back of a frog which is sitting in the footprints of the girls. Then he 
pierces it with a stick. They lose the footprints, and do not find them again until 
they return to the same place. The elder one Is met by two men, who take him along. 
The people ask him why he teased the girl, meaning the frog. To this he replies 
that he belongs to the Ki'ksade (the Frog family of the Tlingit). They threaten that 
their chief. One Of Whose Eyebrows People Are Afraid, otU kill him. Then they let 
him marry his aunt. Finally he goes bark with many presents. The man's mother 
hates his wife, and he disappears. He goes back to the Frog town M -5.57. ' 

Analogous to the stories referred to on p. 752, of girls who are 
taken by the Devilfish, wo find a Skidegate story whicli tells of a 
man who is taken by the Devilfish chief. 

While trying to get a devilfish on the beach, the man is pulled under water. He 
is taken to the town of the Devilfish's father. Finally he gets homesick and is sent 
back with his Devilfish wife and many presents. After he has lived among the jieople 
for some time, he and his wife, for some reason, feel badly, and disappear through the 
planks of the floor Sk 292. 

A marriage with birds is the theme of Sk 264. The story, however, 
is of a difi'erent type. It deals with the Swan Maiden theme, the 
story of the man who takes away the skins of bird girls, that have 
been laid aside while the girls are bathing. 

The opening of the story M 518 recalls to a certain extent the 
stories here discussed, but it docs not end with the marriage between 
a man and the offended animals. The story is rather analogous to 

' The following Tlingit story is analogous to the tales Kai 260 and M 557 here discussed. A man of the 
Stikine KiksE'di kicks a frog on its bock and faints. His soul is taken to the house of the Frogs, where 
he is tied to a post. The chief, Frightful Face, orders him to be untied, and tells him that the Frogs belong 
to his clan. Then he is sent home Tl 232. In this story the elan relationship is different from the Haida 
versions, and the element of the marriage has been omitted. 



762 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

encounters between man and animals, that give him supernatural 
gifts, such as are characteristic of the tales of the Kwakiutl and 
Nootka. The story M 518 is identical with K 10.25. 

The Black Bears steal fish from a fish trap, and the o'mier scolds them. lie is car- 
ried off, and one day runs away with the skin of the Bear chief. The animals then 
make war on the human beings, who build a fort. The animals scatter before they 
are able to overcome the people M 518. 

The following Athapascan stories are very characteristic: 

A widower and bis son go marmot hunting. He catches a young marmot, whose 
mother follows him and is transformed into a stout woman. He cleans his tent and 
marries the Marmot Woman, who purifies him and thus makes him a successful hunter. 
Finally, owing to a mistake, he kills her brother. All the Marmots revive and run 
away, together with his wife. He follows her and succeeds in entering the den, 
which is a house. He continues to li\e with hi.s wife. Finally the man's brother 
catches him. AVTien he is skinned, a bracelet is found around his wrist, by which 
he is recognized (see p. 777), and he continues to live among the people Tsts 203. 

The same story is included in the Haida story of LAguadjt'na and 
Lgana'-ogana. 

One of a number of brothers is unsuccessful in trapping ground hogs. A woman 
comes to him and he marries her. Then he becomes successful. Against his wife's 
instructions he kills a whitish ground hog. Then the woman tells them to come to 
life, and she leaves with all the ground hogs that the man had killed. He follows 
her, and finds that she is a ground-hog woman. He stays with them over winter. 
The following spring he is trapped by his brothers and recognized by his copper 
neck-ring (see p. 777) Sk 259. 

A hunter is unsuccessful until a Cloud comes to his lodge and marries him. His 
younger brother goes to \dsit him, and discovers a small Cloud of mist moving about 
in the house. The visitor is warned never to mention the word "cloud" in the 
woman's presence. The brother and his mother go to live with the Cloud's husband, 
and finally the woman becomes visible. One day the word "cloud " is mentioned in 
the woman's presence, and she disappears Tsts 265. 

Two brothers are lost and separated from each other. The elder one finds the 
younger one, who is beautifully clothed. The wife of the younger one is iii\'isible. 
The older one receives many presents. On the following morning the tent and all 
the presents have disappeared. Hare Petitot 7.120. 

Less closely related to this group is the story of the man who married the Brant 
Ducks Tl 55 and Tl 206. He becomes a Fox, and is finally recognized by the bracelets 
which are found when he is skinned (see p. 777). We might also mention the story 
of the man who marries the Eagle (Tl 204, Tl 229) and of the Squirrel, the daughter 
of the Squirrel chief, w'ho takes a man to her father's house (N 211), although the 
general setting of all these stories is quite different from that of the group here 
discussed. 

23. The Mink who Married a Princess 

(25 versions: Ts 177; M 433; Sk 328; BC 84; K 9.117; K 10.87; K Boas 5.372; Nu 
5.114; Nu ap 905; Se 50; Lil 315; Lil 370; U 252; WLsh 37, 163; Wasco 285; Kath 
146; Kutenai; Ponca; Osage; Malecite; Maidu; Yana; Esk; Loucheux)" 

There are a considerable number of stories spread along the Pacific 
coast, telling how a person (generally a girl) who is in danger of being 
killed by a monster is asked by it how it happens that she is so beau- 

1 Compare also Tl 12, 116; M 336; Ne 9.221; K 9.175; K 10.343; Chil 16 (see p. 671). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 763 

tiful or how she has obtained certain ornaments. She then repUes 
that the monster may be made as beautiful or may obtain the same 
ornaments by subjecting itseK to some kind of procedure by which 
it is killed. In the Tsimshian version this theme has been worked 
into the characteristic tales of marriages between a woman and an 
animal, ilost of these end with the retm-n of the woman to her 
])arents; but in our present version we find inserted an incident of the 
type just described. 

A young man abducts a girl, whom he tells to lie do^vn in the canoe. AMien they 
arrive, she finds that the young man is the Mink, who has taken her to his den. The 
Mink goes fishing every day and brings in eels, which he counts. The woman hides 
them, which annoys her husband, who does not know whether he has eaten them or 
not. In spring, when the people move to Nass River, they see the canoes passing by, 
and Mink observes the people wearing white bone ornaments in their ears and in 
their noses. He asks what they are, and how the holes were made in the ears. The 
woman promises Mink to perforate his ears. According to her orders, he sharpens a 
spruce branch, and she gets ready to drive it through his ears by means of a stone 
hammer. Mink is afraid, but she encourages him, saying that people will then know 
his high rank. She tells him to close his eyes; and when he is afraid, she threatens 
to leave him. The woman drives the branch into his ears, pins him to the ground, 
and kills him, then she returns to her father's house Ts 177. 

Shell Labret, an ogre, carries a girl away on her labret. She passes underground to 
her house, where she tries to feed the girl on snails. She admires the ear-ornaments 
of the people, and the girl offers to pierce her ears. She nails her down to the floor 
of the house. The girl returns home, tells her story, and dies M 433. Practically 
the same story is told in K 9.117. 

A princess is imprisoned in a cave. The Cave Being admires her ear-ornaments. 
She nails him down to a plank and then kills him Sk 328. 

A girl's eyebrows are pulled out, and against her father's orders she goes into the 
woods, where she meets the monster Dzo'noqiwa, who wishes to have her eyebrows 
treated in the same manner. She gives to the girl her mountain-goat wool ornaments, 
which make her strong. The girl goes to call a warrior, who strikes the Dzo'noq !wa's 
eyebrows with chisel and hammer and kills her. Her body is burned, and a large 
amount of wealth is found in her house K 10.87. 

Children are playing on the bank of a river, and a monster appears chewing gum. 
She carries the children away in her basket. The mother of some of 'the children 
cries, and from the mucus of her nose a boy originates and grows up quickly. Against 
his mother's orders he crosses the river, goes to the house of the Dzo'noqiwa, where 
he finds the woman rooted to the floor, who warns him. He tries to escape, but before 
getting very far he hears the giantess following him and climbs a tree. Being asked 
what makes him so pretty, the boy says that his head was placed between two stones. 
The Dzo'noqiwa asks to be treated in the same manner, and is killed by the boy. 
She revives, and can not be killed until her life is shot, which is kept in a knot-hole 
in the house K Boas ' 5.372. 

Owl carries away a girl. The girl puts oil on her hair, face, and body, and Owl 
asks her how she has made herself look so nice. Owl wants to be made pretty too, 
and is sent to gather pitch. The girl heats it, tells Owl to shut his eyes, and covers his 
body with pitch, so that he can not open his eyes, and runs away Lil 315. 

A similar story is cmTcnt among the Kutenai, who tell that a 
giant wishes to become white like a girl, and is told by her that he 
must be baked in an oven. He submits and is killed. - 

' See Bibliography, p. 39. ^ Boas, V<Th. d. Gcs.f. Anthr. (note 1, p. 727i, p. 171. 



764 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. a.nn. 31 

Among the Bellacoola the following version has been recorded: 

A boy tries to recover his sister, who is taken away by a Snene'tq (who corresponds 
to the Kwakiutl Dzo'noqiwa). He goes up the river and climbs an overhanging tree. 
The Snene'iq sees his reflection and thinks that she looks very pretty. She brushes 
her hair back, and the boy imitates her movements. At last she discovers him, and 
asks, "^\'hat did your mother do to make you so pretty?" She wants to be made 
pretty too, but the boy tells her that she can not endure the treatment. She insists, 
and he takes her up the river to find two stone knives with which to cut off her head. 
He makes her lie down with her neck on one knife, tells her to shut her eyes, and 
cuts off her head with the other. The head jumps back, when the boy passes his 
hand over the wound and prevents the head and body from uniting BC 84. 

The Nootka tell the same story of a being called Ei'scoitl (Pitch 
Inside). 

Children play on the beach giving feasts. They do not give anything to one girl, 
who calls Ei'scoitl. She appears, carrying a basket on her back, puts the children 
into it, closes their eyes with pitch, and carries them home. Only one child escapes. 
A youth pursues her an<l liides in the branches of a tree over a pond. Tlie woman 
appears, sees his image, and thinks it is her own reflection. She admires her own 
beauty, but finally discovers the youth. She calls the boy down, tries to put him 
into her basket, but does not succeed. She asks him how he succeeded in getting so 
strong. He replies that he put his head on a stone, and that he was struck with 
another stone. She asks to be made strong too, and finally the youth consents to 
subject her to the same treatment. He tells her to lie down on a flat stone. She is 
scared. He tells her to close her eyes, then he crushes her with a heavy stone. He 
goes to her house, finds the children, dissolves the pitch by means of oil, and takes 
them home. One girl had been killed and roasted Nu 5.114. 

Another version of the same tale will be found in Nu ap 905. The story con- 
tinues with the revival of the woman. 

Among the Seshelt the story occurs as an incident in the tale of 
Eagle and Owl. 

Eagle and Owl have no wives. Two sisters visit them in their house, and Eagle 
and Owl marry them. Owl's son is a Frog; Eagle's son, a boy. As soon as the Frog 
is bom, the mother puts it into a lake. One time the husbands do not return from 
hunting. The women search for them; and when they are unable to cross a lake, the 
Frog child takes them across the water. Theygoon, leaving the Frog behind. Finally 
they find their hu.sbands in the house of an ogre, Yanexemekwon, who in\'ites the 
women to a game of sliding down a mountain. They are to be killed by falling down 
a precipice. The women tie lines around themselves, and, when reaching the preci- 
pice, spit out red and white paint, which looks like blood and brains. The line, 
however, pulls them back, and they return safely. (Here the incident of the stupid 
monster is introduced .) 

The ogre admires the long glossy hair of the women, and asks how it may be obtained . 
They say that their hair was made long by putting pitch and hot stones on their 
heads. The ogre asks to be treated in the same manner. They put pitch on her 
head, and one of the women holds her own hair in front of her eyes in order to make 
her believe that her hair is growing. Thus they induce her to submit until she is 
killed Se 50. This story is identical with Lil 315, which has been referred to before 
(p. 763). 

Two men. Homed Owl and Golden Eagle, are captiu-ed by the cliff ogre Koma- 
ksii'mut. Their wives, who are sisters, try to rescue them. Owl's son Deer is left in 
the house playing with bow and arrows and a (miniature ?) fawn. The women carry 
along Eagle's daughter Frog. The monster had plucked out Eagle's feathers, which 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 765 

the \yomen follow, picking them up. They lead across a lake, which the sisters cross 
in Frog's skin. After reaching the ogre's house they have a sliding-match. The 
sisters slide down into a lake the water of which becomes red from red and wliite 
paint that they spit into it. Then they promise to make the ogre's hair grow. They 
put pitch on her head and heat it with hot stones. They hold their own hair in front 
of her face to make her believe that it is growing. The fourth hot stone that is put 
on burns through her head and kills her Lil 370. 

The Uta'mqt call the monster Xe'niax. Two sisters marry Owl and Eagle. Owl's 
child is Frog, Eagle's a boy. The men are captured by Xe'niax. Eagle's son is left 
in the house playing with bow and arrows and a miniature fawn. The sisters carry 
Frog along. They follow the line of feathers which Owl and Eagle have plucked out 
and dropped along the trail. They follow the line of feathers across a lake and reach 
Xe'niax. In place of the sliding-contest there is a struggle between the sisters and 
Xe'niax, who tries to throw them down a cliff. Frog saves them by pushing them 
back when Xe'niax tries to throw them down. Then follows the burning of Xe'niax, 
as told before U 252. 

Among the Kathlamet and Wishram the incident occtu's in the 
Raccoon tale. 

Raccoon steals the contents of his grandmother's caches. She strikes his face 
with a firebrand. He climbs a tree, and throws fruits into which he has put thorns 
down into his grandmother's mouth. She cries for water and is transformed into a 
bird. Raccoon begins to travel, and enters Grizzly Bear's house. Grizzly Bear asks 
him who painted his face so nicely, and wishes to be painted too. Raccoon replies 
that he was hit with a chisel and that pitch was poured over his face. Bear lies on 
his back and is scared; but, on being encouraged, he lets Raccoon strike him and 
pour pitch over his face. After this he is told to jump into the water. Grizzly Bear 
pursues him, and the story takes up other incidents Kath 146. 

Grizzly Bear asks Raccoon how he got the stripes on his nose. He answers that 
he poured pitch and urine over himself. Grizzly Bear asks to be treated in the same 
way, lies down, and is hit with an adze Wish 163. 

Among the Upper Chinook the story belongs to the At!at!a'lia 
cycle. 

Coyote hears that At!at!a'lia and Owl are stealing people. He ties rushes all over 
his body, so that it makes a rattling noise. The ogre asks him how he managed to 
become that way. After some resistance, he tells her that he put pitch over his 
body and then burned himself. She asks to be treated in the same manner. They 
go to the ogre's oven, in which she is baking children, who are sitting there by twos. 
He sends the mourners to get pitch. It is rubbed over the ogre's body and over 
her eyes. He pushes her into the oven. The people hold her down with forked 
sticks, and she is burned. He tells her that she must stand the heat until he in- 
forms her that it is enough. After this follows another incident. Owl, the hus- 
band of the ogre, appears, bringing some more people. Ashes are throw over him. 
He becomes gray and is transformed into an owl Wish 37. 

Coyote puts broken shells into his leggings, which rattle when he dances. The 
At!at!a')ia questions him, and he says that he had his leg-bone broken on a rock. 
The At!at!a'lia is afraid, but eventually submits and is changed into a rock, \\'asco 
285. 

This story has a very much wider distribution in North America, 
and I give a few examples. 

The Rabbit has been taken bj- the Eagle to his eyry. There the young Eagles 
ask him, "O elder brother! of what sort is the way you do that?" The Rabbit 



766 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.anjj. 31 

replies that he became this way because the people struck his head with one stone 
while he was resting on another stone. The Eagles request to be treated in the same 
way, and are killed, Ponca 30.' 

Lox meets Bear. Lox tells him that he made the gull white. Bear wishes to be 
made white too. Thereupon Lox makes an earth oven, heats stones, makes the 
Bear go in, and closes it. When the Bear can not endure the heat, Lox tells him. 
that he is just beginning to get white. He is kept until he dies, Malecite.' 

Prairie Chicken meets Wolf, who asks him how he came to be spotted. Prairie 
Chicken replies that he went into the hollow of a tree, put a stick at the bottom, and 
set fire to it. Wolf tries to imitate liim. His eyes burst out of their sockets, and 
Prairie Chicken takes them along. (Then follows a story of how Coyote caught 
Prairie Chicken, Osage.') 

Versions of an analogous story are also knowTi in California. 

Coyote meets blackbirds, and asks them why they are black and handsome. They 
tell him that they were made so by digging a hole in the ground, putting red-hot stones 
into it, lying down in it, and being covered over. Coyote wants the same thing 
done to himself, and is biu-ned up, Maidu.* 

Coyote tells Skull that he has made another skull into a person by firing him in an 
oven. The Skull wants to be treated in the same way and is killed, Yana.^ 

The following belongs to the Eskimo of St. Michael and Norton 
Sound, Alaska: 

A man pretends to be dead. He is buried, escapes in his kayak, and goes to 
marry three girls. His wife discovers what has happened and enters the house of 
these girls, who admire her light complexion and tattooing. She promises to make 
them equally beautiful, but tells them that they will hardly be able to endure the 
pain. She orders them to bring some oil to a boil! Then she thrusts their heads in 
and thus kills them Esk Nelson 467. 

In another version of this tale, obtained from the Loiicheux,^ the incident appears 
in somewhat different form. The husband is Wolverene, the wife Wolf. The Wild- 
cat seduces Wolverene, and Wolf tells Wildcat to look into the kettle in order to see 
herself. Then she pushes her in, and thus kills her. 

• I suspect that the story of the stupid monster is one of the group 
of tales which are widely spread over the Old World and the north- 
western part of the New World. We have from the Old World 
versions which are probably related to the present story, from Fin- 
land and also from Africa. These have been collected by Dahn- 
hardt ' and Krohn.' 

The reconstruction of this tale, according to Krohn, is as follows: 

Fox and Bear see Woodpecker on a tree. Fox says that at a former time he painted 
the Woodpecker. Bear inquires whether he may not be painted in the same way. 
Fox is requested to do so. He leads Bear to a haystack and orders him to go up. 

' James Owen Dorsey, The Cegiha Language (.Contributions to North American Ethnology, vol. vi). 
Washington, 1.S90. 

3 Edward Jack, Maiiseet Legends (Journal of American Folk-Lore, voL vm, p. 19S). 

3 George A. Dorsey, Traditions of the Osage (Publications of the Field Columbian Museum, Anthropo- 
logical series, vol. vn, p. 10). 

'Roland B. Dixon, Maidu Myths (Bulletin of American Museum of Natural History, vo]. xvn, 1902, 
p. 92). 

» J. Curtin, Creation Myths of Primitive America, p. 333; also Edward Sapir, Yana Texts ( University 
of California Publications, vol. rx, p. 127). 

6 Frank Russell, Athabascan Myths (Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. xra, 1900, p. lii). 

' Natursagen, vol. rv, p. 239. 

8 Kaarle Krohn, Biir (Wolf) und Fuchs. Eine nordische tiermarchenkette (Journal de la SociHe Finno* 
Ougrienne, vol. n, pp. 67 ct scq). Jtelsingfors, 1SS9. 



BOis] COMPARATB'E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 767 

He lights a fire, quiets the Bear, who wants to jump down. Fox tells him to wait a 
while in order to strengthen the color. The Bear's hair is singed, and for that reason 
they have retained this color. 

In a version from Esthonia, Wolf meets Fox, who says that he has tried to change 
his color by the fire of a haystack. Wolf desires to have his color changed too, and is 
told to jump through the fire. His hair is singed, and for this reason the wolf smells 
like singed hair. 

Krohn mentions also the follovsdng African tale, according toBleek:^ 
Jackal has caught plenty of fish. He in\dtes Hyena to participate, hvt lie eats 
the whole .supply. A Guinea Hen comes, and Hyena admires her color. Jackal 
pretends that he has made them, and at his request promises to paint Hyena too. 
He orders Hyena to bring white paint and a sharp knife. He holds down Hyena 
and cuts his back. Owing to this incident, the hyena has the marks on its back. 

25. The Princess who Rejected her Cousin 

The story of the princess who rejected her cousin occurs among 
the Thngit, Haida, and Tsimshian in almost identical form. The 
principal point of the story is that a girl induces her cousin to dis- 
figure himself and rejects his approaches. He is made beautiful by 
a supernatural being; and when he retm-ns, he, on his part, rejects 
the girl. She goes to be made beautiful too, but instead she is dis- 
figured by the supernatural being. The tale may be related to a 
southern story told on the Gulf of Georgia, which deals with the 
experience of a young man who had his head changed because it was 
displeasing to a girl whom he loved. 

(a) Xorthern Vfrsions 

(5 versions: Ts 185; Ts 6.37; Tl 243; M 654; Sk 354) 
A princess refuses to marry her cousin. One day she pretends to be kind to him, 
and te)ls him that she will maiTy him if he makes a deep cut on his cheek. He does 
so and is laughed at. After some time the same happens, and she tells him to make 
a cut on his left cheek. A third time she asks him to cut off his hair. When he sends 
a messenger to ask her in marriage, she says that she does not want to many a bad- 
looking person like him, and one who cut his hair like a slave. The youth is ashamed 
and leaves the village. He reaches a small hut, and sees a woman sitting inside, who 
says, "Come in, if it is you who has been rejected by his own cousin !" \\'hen starting, 
he was accompanied by four friends, three of whom had gone back. The woman 
whom he \-isits tells him that he will reach the house of Chief Pestilence, and advises 
him what to do. Before crossing a brook the prince orders his last companion to stay 
behind. He r uns into the house of Chief Pestilence, which is full of maimed people, 
among whom there are many good-looking women. They call and beckon to him, 
but, following the instructions of the old woman, he remains standing in the doorway 
until Chief PestOence comes forth from his room, accompanied by his daughter. He 
is asked to sit down next to him, and Chief Pestilence boils him in his tub. The 
skeleton is laid out on a board. Chief Pestilence's daughter jumps over it. He 
revives and is verj' beautiful. The chief combs his hair with a comb of crystal, and 
the hair becomes red, reaching down to his loins. He staj-s there for two years, which 
seem to him Like two days. He goes back, finds his friend dead, and carries the 
skeleton to the chief, who re\'ives him, as described before. He gives long hair to him 
also. The two youths return home, and the girl who has rejected him makes him 

1 Reineke Fuclis in Afrika, p. S3. 



768 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. asn. 31 

advances. He takes no notice of her. Finally the youth makes her disfigure herself 
in the same way as he had to do before, and finally lauf^hs at her and leaves her. The 
princess sets out with her maid, and reaches the house of Chief Pestilence. On their 
way they meet a man, who asks them where they are going, but she passes by without 
listening to him. Tlie maimed people call her. She does not wait for the chief to 
come out; and as soon as she enters the house, they fall on her, break her back, and 
make her lame, turn her head and break one of her arms. Her maid is treated in 
the same way. They return home, and finally die Ts 185. 

In Ts 5.278 the house of Chief Pestilence is also described, although the story itself 
is not recorded. It is stated there that the persons of both sides of the house are 
hermaphrodites, who kill those who follow their beckoning. 

In Nu ap 917 occurs the incident of boiling a person in order to make him beau- 
tiful; but otherwise the story does not belong here. 

The nephew of a chief li\'ing in the north with his cou.^in is in love with a girl who 
rejects him. The boy comes in dressed in abalone shells, nevertheless she rejects him. 
One day the girl asks her cousin to accompany her when she goes to get spruce bark. 
\Miile they are in the woods, she tells him to take off his marten robe and throw it 
into a pond. Next she tells him to pull off his hair and to throw away his shell orna- 
ments. 'When he has done all this, the girl runs away. The youth lies down and 
cries. He sees a Loon swimming in the sea, who tells him that he has come after him. 
The fourth time this happens he sees a man coming up to him, who is the Loon. The 
Loon dives with him, and comes up far off,shore. \\'hen he emerges, hair is growing 
again on his head. The third time he emerges he sees a village, and the Loon 
tells him that he is to marry the chief's daughter. He is given shell ornaments and 
a marten robe. The chief is the Calm. After some time the youth wishes to return. 
He is given presents. The daughter is given a cup by means of which she can tell 
whether her husband is faithful. \\'hen one day his cousin seizes him and speaks 
to him, his wife discovers it and leaves him. He follows her. She looks back, and 
he is drowned (see p. 779) Tl 243. 

The two Haida versions that have been recorded are both placed 
in the Tsimshian country. In the Masset version, which is combined 
with another story, special stress is laid upon the point that the youth 
does not speak the Haida language. It would seem likely, for this 
reason, that the story was learned by the Haida from the Tsimshian. 

A prince named Ga'ogal wishes to marry his cousin, who dislikes him. She tells 
him to pull out his eyebrows, his eyelashes, his hair from his head, and his hair from 
his body. After he has done so, she leaves him. The youth ascends Mount Q la'gan. 
He eats devil's-club and searches for dead animals. He clubs a sea Hon and stuffs 
the skin with moss. When it is dry he goes into it. He tries several times to swim 
in it, but gives it up. He hangs up the sea-lion skin among the trees. It covers his 
head, and it occurs to him that if he should use four stones for ballast he might use 
the skin. He tries to dive, and is successful. He tries larger stones, and is still 
more successful. He then swims around the island QIa'gan and in front of his 
father's town. His hair grows again and is of a reddish color. The fourth time 
he swims to Nass River and is seen by the fishermen. When they harpoon 
him, he cuts off the spear-heads inside the skin. The people lose all their 
hunting-spears and war-spears. He goes back and takes off the sea-lion skin. He 
hides the arrows, spears, and harpoons, goes back to Nass River, where the people 
are boiling olachen. The people try again to kill the sea lion, but the same happens 
as before. He goes to the place where he had eaten devil's-club, discovers Queen 
Charlotte Islands, and swims out there. He discovers sev'eral Masset towns. The 
people try to kill him, and he takes away their arrows and spears. At night he lands 
behind the towTi, comes out of the skin, and carries the weapons into the woods. He 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 769 

goes to the town in human form, but does not understand their language. He finds 
the chief's house, and seea the chief's daughter seated behind the screens in the rear 
of the house. He goes to the place where he has hidden the sea-lion skin and sleeps 
there. He appears again as a sea Hon and takes more arrows and spears. He goes 
to the chief's daughter and talks to her, but she does not understand his language. 
He marries her. The next morning the chief calls him to the fire. He is very beau- 
tiful. One day he goes to the place where he has hidden the weapons and the skin 
and retiu-ns to Q la'gan. He brings the weapons from Nass River to his father-in-law. 
He and his wife learn how to cultivate tobacco. He tells his wife and his father-in-law 
what has hajjpened to him, and he is sent home. He takes along the weapons which 
he has taken from the ilasset people and goes to his father's town. The people there 
do not believe that he is alive. Since he is beautiful, his cousin likes him. He puts 
her to shame, and she dies M 654. 

At Q!ad6' (Metlakahtla) there is a youth who loves a girl. She rejects him, and 
tells htm to pull out his hair, his eyebrows, his eyelashes, his mustache, and the hair 
on his body. Then she refuses him. He whittles arrows and shoots them up to the 
sky, making a chain. He places the bow at the bottom of it and goes up. He roachea 
the Moon's town and is invited in and made to sit at the right-hand side of the Moon 
m the rear of the house. The Moon takes the innermost one out of a set of five boxes 
and takes out a comb, moistens his hands with water, and rubs the youth's eyes. 
Thus he is made good-looking; and by combing, his hair is made long and beautiful. 
The youth stays many nights, and is sent back with instructions not to look at the 
girl. He is sent back home, refuses to look at the girl, who dies Sk 354. 

Deans 6.37 records a garbled version of this tale: The youth is induced to cut his 
hair. He goes up to the sky and marries the daughter of the Sun. This is given as 
a Tsimshian tale. 

(h) Southern Versions 

(3 versions: Sts HUI-Tout 5.354; LkungEn Hill-Tout 7. 346; Lil 336. See also Sh 5.14) 

A youth is in love with a girl. WTien he approaches her, she orders him to wash 
himself. \\Tien he returns, she orders h'un to scrub his privates with gra\-el. When 
he returns again, she rejects him outright. Tlie youth then starts off into the woods. 
[Here follow incidents that do not belong to the story here discussed. He marks 
his trail in order to find his way back, meets blind men who are making a canoe, and 
takes away their adze, which they are passing from hand to hand. He restores their 
eyesight. They are Willow Grouse. They direct him to a house in which two blind 
women are cooking food. He restores their eyesight. They direct him to Sand-Hiil 
Crane, who in turn directs him to the house of the Face Maker and tells him what 
to do.] The youth enters and asks for a change of face. He is shown boxes ftill of 
faces, and finally finds one with long black hair, leaning against the wall. This 
one he takes. The Face Maker sprinkles medicine over the youth, cuts off his head, 
and puts in its place the new one. Then he sees that his former head was very ugly. 
He goes back home, sits down behind the village, and wi.shes for the gii'l's younger 
sister to come and see him. This happens, and the girl tells her elder sister of the 
beautiful man whom she has seen. Now the girl approaches him, but he treats her 
in the same manner as he had been treated. [Here follows another story telling 
how the girl creates a duck of excrement, which the youth is caused to pursue. When 
he finally hits it, it is retransformed into excrement. The youth reaches a coast on 
the other side of the ocean. Under the upturned canoe he conceals his younger 
brother, who had accompanied him. He himself cuts his chest and lies down. A 
duck comes. He catches it and shakes it until the bones drop out. He does the 
same to a diver and an eagle. He dons the eagle skin; the brother, that of the duck. 
The canoe is put into the diver skin, and they fly off. The younger brother and 
the canoe arrive at home, while he flies into the clouds, where he finds an old couple. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 49 



770 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

He kills mountain goats for them. Finally he is put into a basket and let down. 
He is told not to uncover his face until he reaches the ground.] Sts 5.354. 

A girl refuses her suitor. The youth sets out to seek the Face Maker. Following 
the instructions of his grandmother, he takes fat and rod paint along. He follows a 
trail indicated to him, sees smoke, and finds a hole in the ground. WTien his shadow 
is observed, the people inside think it is a cloud. He is called in, gives fat and red 
paint to the owner, who in turn lets him select a beautiful face. He opens all tlie 
chests, and the youth finally finds a face that suits him. (Here follows again an 
incident that does not belong to our story.) The youth is warned not to go near a 
mountain where a witch lives. He disobeys and is caught by her. In vain he tries 
to escape. Eventually she swallows him, and he squeezes her heart, which makes 
her sick. The Crane is asked to cure her, and the youth holds on to the bill, so that 
Crane, when he withdraws it, falls backward . Following the ad\dce of a slave- woman, 
the witch is cut open, and the young man comes out. The youth and the slave- 
woman float down the river on a raft, and he returns to his home. The girl now 
wishes to marry him because he is beautiful, but he rejects her in the same way as 
she had done before. She resolves to get a new face at the Face Maker's home, who, 
however, gives her an ugly face, LkungEU HQl-Tout 7.34C. 

A squint-eyed woman scratches her husband so that he loses his good looks. He 
asks the advice of an old woman, who tells him to go to the house of a man who keeps 
heads. He reaches there, and is shoTro many heads, and accepts the last one, which 
is kept in a small covered box. He cuts off his ovra head and puts the new one in 
its place. "When he goes out, he is so beautiful that the women's heads that hang 
on the wall ask him to marry them. On his way back he passes the house of Black- 
Bear Woman and Crane Woman, whom he marries. Their children ^wsh to see 
their paternal grandfather, and he travels home with them. His former wife's son 
laughs at the new wives. His former wife wishes to be taken back. She goes to get 
a new head, but chooses a very ugly one. The people take her and her boy and throw 
them into the water, where they become supernatural beings Lil 336. 

Here belongs also the story of the gambler who visits a man who provides him 
with a new, beautiful head Sh 5.14. 

27. The Pkince ■who "\Ta.s Takex Aavay by the Sprixg S^vlmon 

(13 versions: Ts 192; Ts 6.81; Tl 301; Tl 311; Kai 243; Sk 7; BC 74; BG 5.266; 
BC 5.262; H ap 886; Nu ap 919; Chil 21; Sh 690) 

This story is exceedingly complex, its incidents being related to 
quite a number of distinct tales. It will therefore be best to take 
it up in parts. The mcidents which occur in the various versions of 
the story are as follows : 

I. Story of the boy who is taken away by the Salmon, lives in the 
Salmon village; returns to his parents, who catch him in the form 
of a salmon; and resumes human form. The story ends generally 
with an explanation of the salmon taboos. 

II. Story of a Salmon boy who is taken back by the Salmon, and 
who is accompanied by another person, whose experiences are the 
principal theme of the tale. 

III. An entirely independent story, telling of tlie ascent of the 
.Salmon boy to the Sim, his marriage with the Sun's daughter, and 
the tests to which he is subjected. 

The essential points of these themes, which, however, appear with 
considerable variation, are as follows. 

1 A Tsimshian storv. 



BOAS] 



COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



77.1 



I. (a; A boy is scolded because he has performed some action on a 
sahnon which is considered as offensive, but which really benefits the 
Salmon chief. 

(b) The Salmon take him to their village, and his life m the village 
is described. This part contains particularly the incident of obtam- 
ing food by killing a Salmon boy, who is restored when his bones are 
tlu-own into the water or into the fire. 

(c) When the time for the salmon-rmi comes, the Salnaou take the 
boy back. Incidentally it is described why the various salmon go to 
different rivers, and why the salmon appear in a definite seasonal 
order. 

(d) The boy is captured by his father and cut open by his mother. 
He is recognized by the copper necklace which he wears, and regains 
human form. 

(d') The youth returns with his Sahnon wife and many presents. 

(e) The salmon taboos are described. 
(/') The boy becomes a great shaman. 

II. (a) From the Salmon the boy has attained magical powers, 
which he uses for catchmg birds. Owing to a mistake made by his 
friends, he dies. 

(b) The Sahnon take hhn to theu- country, and without their 
knowledge one of his companions goes with him. 

(c) The companion makes himself known to the Salmon boy. 
{d) The companion marries the Sahnon chief's daughter. 

(e) The companion is homesick and is taken back. 

III. (a) The youth is covered with feathers and flics up to the Sun. 
(6) He marries the daughter of the Sun, and is tested hj his 

father-in-law. 

(c) He is sent back to his parents. 

The various versions are arranged in the foUowuijr order: 



Ts 


Tl 


Ivai 


Sk 


Ciiil 


BC 


BC 5.266 


n ap 












H 






— 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


Ila 


- 


_ 


_ 


- 


_ 


_ 


_ 


116 


_ 


- 


la 


la 


la 


lo 


la 


- 


la 


la 


lb 


16 


16 


16 


16 


16 


16 


16 




_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


Ilrf 


lid 


Ud 


Ic 
If 
Id 


Ic 


Ic 


Ic 


Ic 


Ic 


- 


- 


Id 


Id 


hi 


Id' 


Id 


Id' 


Id' 


- 


le 


- 


(!<■) 


- 


le 


le 


- 


- 


1/ 


1/ 


V 


- 


- 




- 




lla 


— 


— 


— 


- 


~ 


— 


— 


lib 


_ 


_ 


- 


_ 


- 


- 


- 


lie 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


~ 


BC 5.262 


- 


lie 














_ 




z 


_ 


_ 


Ilia 


IIIo 


Ilia 


_ 


_ 


_ 


_ 


— 


III6 


III6 


(1116) 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


IIIc 


IIIc 


IIIc 





772 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

(i a) The Boy who Is Scolded because he Has Stolen Salmon 

There is a famine in Gits lala'sEr. The chief's eon and his slave-boy are left at home 
by their parents, who go to gather bark. The prince is making arrows, and the sk^-e 
cries for hunger. Therefore the prince opens the box in which his mother is keeping 
her last large dried spring salmon, unfolds it, and gives a piece to the slave. Wlien 
the mother discovers this, she scolds her son. The prince feels insulted, and leaves 
his father's house. The slave-boy tells the people what has happened. The prince 
is looked for, but can not be found Ts 192. 

A KiksA'dl of Daxe't baits a snare for gulls, ^^^len he asks his mother for food, she 
gives him a moldy piece of salmon Tl 301. According to another version, a boy of the 
same family at the same place plays on the beach and catches sea gulls. He is given 
a piece of moldy salmon, throws it away, and goes back to his snares Tl 311. 

At Kasaan a boy is given a piece of moldy salmon, which he does not accept Kai 243. 

During a famine a woman gi\'es to her child a small part of a dog salmon, which he 
throws into a swamp, where it swells up Sk 7. 

A woman scolds her husband because he gives too much seal meat to her stepson. 
The boy is annoyed, takes bow and arrows, and leaves his home BC 5.266. 

A man carries home from a feast food, which his son eats greedily. The father 
scolds him and tells him to marry the daughter of the Salmon chief. The boy sulks 
in bed and then goes out shooting birds H ap 886. 

Next follows the boy's journey to the Salmon village. 

A canoe comes up the river. The people take the boy aboard and invite him to 
accompany them to his father. He is told to lie down, and he sleejis until they reach 
the vOlage. The houses are carved with representations of the spring salmon. They 
go to the chief's house. The chief is lying sick in the rear. He has been ill for two 
years, because his body (that is, the spring salmon) had been kept folded up in a box 
for two years. The Mouse Woman informs the prince in the usual way that he is in 
the vSalmon village, and tells him what to do Ts 194. 

When the boy runs out to the snare, he disappears in the water. Tlie drying salmon 
run down with him. The Salmon people carry him away to their home. It seems to 
him that he is traveling in a canoe. The Salmon chief makes him his son. The 
canoe is followed by the sea gull. He stays in the Salmon \'illage a whole year Tl 302. 

He goes to catch a sea gull and disappears in a water-hole. His parents think he is 
drowned. The boy has been captured by the Salmon people, who take him to their 
village. He is always hungry Tl 311. 

He goes bathing, gets into a water-hole, and is lost. His soul is taken away by the 
Salmon people Kai 243. ' 

Two persons in a small canoe come and take him along. They laud at the chief's 
house Sk 7. 

Boys are playing on the bank of a river. One of them is carried on a piece of ice to 
the Salmon village Chil 24. 

The boy's arrow strikes a salmon-bone. He asks it to take him 1o the Salmon chief's 
country. The bones ask to be thrown into the sea. The Salmon can not jump until 
hia neck-bone is thrown into the water. The boy is told not to touch the Salmon's tail 
and dorsal fin, and is carried along. (Here follows the description of the dangers of the 
journey, which are generally described in i c.) H ap 886. 

He slioots, and his arrow happens to strike salmon-bones, wliich shout, and ask to 
be thrown into the river. WTien the boy finds all the fish-bones and throws them into 
the river, the salmon is completely restored. The salmon takes the boy on board his 
canoe and tells him to close his eyes. In this vemon the villages of the other animals are 
described on the journey out to the Salmon country, not on the return journey. They 
pass the country of the Robin, the Thrush, another bird, and of the Partridges. Here 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 773 

the youth wishes to marry a womau (II d). They go on, and pass the country of 
various kinds of salmon. Finally they come to the house of the Spring Salmon. 
(Here the incident of vagina dentata is introduced, that is not found in the other 
Salmon stories, but which is characteristic of the story of the Transformer's marriage as 
told by the Kwakiutl [see Co 5.69]) BC 5.266. It is implied also in the doubtful 
story M 349, in which mention is made of a traveler who meets a dangerous woman 
(see No. 63, p. 604; No. 12, p. 614; 809). 

The chief tells the boy that he sent for him because he unfolded hie feet and arms 
when taking the salmon out of his mother's box, and that this cured him Ts 195. 

A woman tells him that he was taken away because he had said something against 
the Salmon people Tl 313. 

(i 5) The Salmon Village 

Beliind the houses, on a sand-hill, children are playing. The boy clubs one. It is 
transformed into a spring salmon, which he roasts, and throws the bones into the fire. 
Tlien he goes to a brook and drinks. In the evening a boy cries, "My eye is sore!" 
The visitor is told by the Mouse to look for the eye of the salmon, which he finds and 
throws into the fire. At once the boy is well. Next the game happens mth a rib 
Ts 194. 

He eats fish eggs in the town, and is laughed at because he is eating dimg Tl 313. 
He sees salmon eggs lying about. AMien he eats them, people say he is eating dung Kai 
243, Sk 8. When the people are visiting the country beyond the ocean, Bluejay eats 
berries, and the dwellers of that country shout, "He is eating excrement!" Chin 66. 

The Salmon people take him to Amusement Creek, where cranes jump up and down 
facing each other, and where all kinds of birds are shouting Tl 302, Tl 312. 

He is told to catch salmon in a creek and to roast them whenever hungry, to put the 
leavings and the roastiug-sticks into the water. The eye of one person is sore, and he 
is told that he must ha\'e left it on shore Tl 313. 

There are crowds of people, the souls of the Salmon that have been killed. A woman 
who had been taken there before tells him to go to the playground, to pull a child out 
of the stream and cook it and throw the bones into the water. One child has a sore eye, 
which becomes well when a salmon eye that he lost is thrown into the water Kai 243. 

A person half rock tells him not to eat what is offered to him. The person who is 
half rock tells him to get salmon from a stream at the end of the town, to roast it on a 
spit, and throw the bones into the fire. He leaves the eye of a salmon, and the chief's 
son is sick until the remains of the salmon e>e are burned. Tlie same happens with a 
rib Sk 8. 

There is no description of the Salmon village in BC 5.266. 

The youth is told to go to the playground of the children, and to throw one of them 
into the water. It is turned into a salmon, which he takes home. When throwing the 
bones into the water, he overlooks one eye, and the boy has only one eye. It is restored 
when the eye is thrown into the water H ap 886. 

When the boy arrives at the Salmon village, a woman who sits in front of a house 
weaving a basket tells him to kill a boy and throw the bones back into the water. 
Since the eyes are not thrown back, the boy is blind, but recovers when the eyes are 
put into the water Chil 24. 

The most important element in the descriptions of the Salmon 
village is the transfonnation into salmon of the young men who are 
killed, and their restoration. This incident is a prominent element in 
the Bungling Host story (see p. 698), and occurs also in a number of 
other tales referring to visits to the Sahnon country or to the ob- 
taining of salmon. The revival of animals whose bones are thrown 
either into the water or into the fire occurs also separately. 



774 TSIMSHIAjr MYTHOLOGY |eth. axn. ai 

In Rivera Inlet we have the story of the Salmon chief, who orders his daughters to 
swim, and who then come back, each carrying a salmon, ^\'hen one of the guests 
(in tliis case Raven^ hides a bone of the nose of the salmon, her nose bleeds Ri 5.210. 

The same story is told by the Newettee. The Salmon chief chilis four boys. Raven 
retains the occipital bone of the salmon. \\'hen the bones are thrown into the sea, one 
of the boys has no pin for his blanket K 10.34G. 

The daughter of a chief marries a Dog. In the same house lives Sturgeon, who 
throws the child into the water. It is transformed into a stui'geon. 'WTien the bones 
are thrown into the water, the boy revives Sts 5.27. 

Two boys are taken to the Salmon village. Two boys are killed; but when the 
bones are thrown into the water, they re\'ive Quin 112. 

The same incident of the ro\dval of the fish when its bones are thrown into the water 
occurs in the Thunderbird story discussed on p. 713 Nu 5.104. 

The incident belongs also to other tales, and is found, for instance, 
in the story of the origin of the salmon (K 9.173; Ne 10.391). 

A chief tries to make salmon of bark, but is unsuccessful. He visits the Salmon 
chief, who orders him not to hide any bones of the salmon that he is given. One has 
been stolen, and the chief is unable to recover it. When the visitors return and throw 
the bone into the water, salmon originate. 

The Transformers Xais catch the Sun in order to obtain information in regard to the 
home of the Salmon. They travel across the ocean, passing various obstacles, and 
reach the home of the Salmon. The Salmon chief orders four youths to swim and 
enter the salmon trap in a creek behind the village. They become salmon, are taken 
out and roasted. \\'hen the bones are thrown into the sea, the four youths reappear. 
On the following day the Transformers keep some head-bones, and one of the youths is 
lacking the bones of cheek and nose. When the missing bones are thrown into the 
water, the youth is well again Squ Hill-Tout 3.520.' 

The description of the village contains also a reference to the 
dancing Herrings: 

At the end of the village is the house of the Herrings, who are dancing. When any 
one looks in through a knot-hole and puts a hemlock branch into the house, it is full 
of herring spawn Ts 204. 

In one house the people are alwaj's dancing. 'When he looks in, his face is covered 
with fish eggs. These are the Herrings Tl 313. 

The dancing Herrings are also mentioned in the Skidegate Raven legend. Raven 
looks into the house in which the Herrings are dancing, and they spawn on his 
mustache. Next he pushes in a hemlock branch, the Herrings spawn on it, he 
draws it out and eats the spawn Sk 134. 

The Herring people are dancing at the end of the town before starting for the land of 
human beings. The boy is told to push in a branch, but not to look in. He disobeys, 
his face is covered with herring spawn, and the branch is covered with it when he 
pulls it out Kai 244. 

People arrive, who dance in their canoes. The person who is half rock tells him to 
shove a hemlock branch into the house where they are dancing and not to look in. He 
disobey.'i,'and his head sticks to the house and is full of eggs. The hemlock boughs are 
full of herring eggs Sk 9. 

This incident occurs also in the Raven tale Sk 135. 

Descriptions of the Salmon village are found also in the tales of 
the origin of the salmon, discussed on p. 671. 

' See also pp. 672, 699. 



BoisJ COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 775 

(if) The Rrturn of the Salmon 

The Salmon chief sends scouts to see whether the cottonwood leaves, which they 
call salmon, are in Skeena River, '\^^len he hears that the leaves are in the river, he 
tells the people to move. They pass in order the village of the Silver Salmon, the 
Humpback Salmon, the Steelhead Salmon, Dog Salmon, Cohoes Salmon, and of the 
Trout. The villagers all state that they will go up the rivers at definite times. 
He asks the people of each canoe where they will go, and they name their rivers. 
The Spring Salmon chief and the prince go up to G'itslala'sEr Ts 19(5. 

The Salmon people know that the month has come for them to go up the rivers. 
They take the prince along. The Cohoes Salmon break their canoe, therefore they are 
the last to arrive. They pass under the s'lt (probably the horizon^ which cuts some 
of those who pass through. The Indians see a cloud shaped like a canoe coming up. 
The Fish camp, and put flat sticks into the ground. Tliey pelt one another with 
hot stones, which leave scars on their skins. They continue the joiU'ney to the coast 
and meet the Herring tribe. The two tribes taunt each other. The Salmon chief 
asks the people to what ri\-ers they are going. The Salmon call the houses for smoking 
fish'^forts." They call human beings " Seal children's dog salmon." Thepeopleput 
sharpened poles into the water, on which the salmon fall when jumping 11 303. 

The woman tells the boy that the Salmon are going to start for the coast. They pass 
through the -iV, which opens and shuts and cuts some of the salmon in two. They meet 
the Herrings, and the two tribes taunt each other. They tell to what rivers they are 
going. They call salmon traps "forts;" and when these are ready, they start for the 
rivers Tl 314. The moving horizon is also mentioned in the widely diverging variant 
Quin 112. 

The Herring people start. A long time afterward the Salmon people follow. They 
meet the Herrings. The two parties taunt each other, and by their remarks the Her- 
rings produce the marks on the skin of the salmon . The Salmon go to Kasaan . ^\^len 
they stand up in their canoes, people think the salmon are jumping. A long, thin 
big-headed salmon is their canoe Kai 244. 

The Salmon people start towards the surface of the earth. Those who have injuries 
are not allowed to go. In the fall many Salmon people have sore feet and sore eyes. 
The youth goes with them, ^\■hile traveling, some are lost in a batch of floating char- 
coal, others in a batch of foam. They pass under the edge of the sky, which moves up 
and down, where some are cut in two. Finally they see what looks like stars. These 
are the rivers. They go up. The people see them, and shout, "E'yo! " (see p. 675.) 
The Salmon wait until the fish traps are finished. They call these "forts." They 
shake the sky with a canoe-pole, and thus produce rain Sk 11. 

After their visit to the Spring Salmon they return . He marries in the village of one 
of the various kinds of fish, and then goes home with his wife and many presents. 
Various kinds of fish accompany him BC 5.267. The various Salmon villages are 
also mentioned in Nu 5.120. 

In the Bellabella version the Salmon villages and the dangers of 
the journey are described on the way out. 

The salmon ha\-e to pass through a hole by which an Eagle is seated who is watching 
for fish. They dart through when the Eagle looks away. After passing through the 
hole, they reach the villages of the various kinds of Salmon. The Steelhead Salmon 
are tall and strong; the Humpback Salmon, poor and weak; the Dog Salmon have big 
teeth H ap 886. 

The Salmon make hooks of wood, which they use in ascending rapid rivers. They 
start upstream Chil 24. 

The Transformers who visit the Salmon chief give him some medicine, and in 
return are promised that the various kinds of salmon will visit the country of the 



776 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [oth. ann. 31 

Indians every year, each at a definite season. At the same time the salmon taboos 
are announced. It is particularly forbidden that salmon-bones are to come near a 
corpse Squ Hill-Tout 3.520. 

(i d) The Capture of the Salmon 

III the Tsimshian version there follows nere a description of the 
method of catching salmon (Ts 197). 

Incidentally it is told here that the prince's father calls the shamans to investigate 
his whereabouts. The shamaii tells him that as soon as they eat the dried spring 
salmon, the Salmon chief will recover completely and will bring back the boy Ts 198. 

The boy, who has assumed the form of a salmon, is caught by his father. A woman 
cuts it, and finds a small child in the stoma<'h. The child grows very quickly, and 
tells that he is the prince who had been carried away by the Salmon. Before leaving 
the Salmon country, the prince had been given by the Salmon cliief a round pebble, 
which he is always holding in his mouth (see p. 861) Ts 202. 

The salmon swim up the river, and the method of fishing is described in some detail. 
The boy, who has assumed the shape of a salmon, swims to his father's canoe, sticking 
his head out of the water. He is pulled on a sandbar and clubbed. VTien his mother 
cuts the salmon, she finds a copper necklace under the skin, by means of which she 
recognizes her son. The salmon is put into a basket, which is jilaced on the roof 
of the house, and on the next morning a man is found in its place TI 306. 

The boy in the form of a salmon swims close to his father's canoe. The father 
spears him and loses consciousness. UTien the mother cuts off the salmon-head, she 
finds her son's copper necklace. The salmon is placed on a mat surrounded with 
feathers. The mat is placed on top of the house, and the shamans sing. In the 
middle of the night something shakes, and the man sees that the head of the salmon 
has assumed human shape. Gradually he revives. He has obtained now the spirits 
Moldy End Of Salmon and Sand-Hill Crane At The Mouth Of Amusement Creek, Sit 
(Horizon) Woman, Herring, and Salmon People's Canoe Tl Zlo, 316. 

The Salmon boy jumps towards his mother. She makes a wall of rocks and kills 
him. ^^^len she cuts off the head, she strikes the copper neck-ring. The salmon is 
put on a mat, which is placed on the roof of the house. After two days a noise is 
heard, and a human head is coming out from the salmon. The people purify them- 
selves. After four days the boy is out down to the shoulders. After two days more 
he comes out completely Kai 245. 

The Salmon youth recognizes his mother, who clubs him. Wlien she cuts off his 
head, her knife strikes her son's copper necklace, by which he is recognized. The 
salmon is placed on a clean board and put on the roof. After four nights a noise is 
heard. The rain washes off the salmon skin, and he becomes a human being Sk 12. 

Deans' version Ts 6.81 contains only the incident of the disappearance of the boy 
who wears a copper bracelet, the capture of a salmon that wears the same bracelet 
under iis skin, and the restoration of the boy. 

The youth and his wife learn that the salmon traps of the Indians have been finished . 
They enter the trap. The youth wishes that his father treat him carefully. The 
salmon are hung up to dry. Then they assume human form BC 77. 

In the Bellacoola version 5.266 it is simply stated that the fish, on arriving, assume 
human form. The boy asks his father to clean his house. The boy believes that he 
has been away two days only, but in reality he has been away two years BC 5.267. 

The young man is homesick, and returns with his wife and many presents. He 
meets his brother near his father's house. It is foimd that he has been away for 
four years. He gives presents to the people H ap 888. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 777 

The boy in the form of a salmon wishes his father to catch him; his sister, to carry 
him to the house. There he resumes human form Chil 24. 

The incident of the recognizing of an individual who lias been 
transformed into an animal by his ornaments occurs in another con- 
nection in Tl 113, where a girl who has been transformed into a fox 
is recognized in this manner. 

In a Haida and TslEtsla'ut tale a man who has the form of a mar- 
mot is recognized in the same manner by his brothers; viz, by Ms sis- 
ter. Wlien he is skiimed, his bracelets are found under the skin 
(Sk260; Tsts264). 

(il a) The Boy Has Attained Magical Powers from the Salmon, which 
he Uses for Catching Birds. Owing to a Mistalce Made hy His 
Friends, he Dies 

Tlie prince makes an eagle trap and catches eagles, assisted by his four friends. 
The friends do not know what kind of bait the prince uses. One day the prince 
takes the round pebble out of his mouth and puts it into that of his friend. He is 
transformed into a small salmon, which is taken up by a large hawk. The prince 
dies and is buried. His friends watch the body; but one after another leaves, 
except the prince's dearest friend Ts 202. 

The Salmon boy plays with a companion on the bank of a river. He tells his 
friend to shout e\'ery time he approaches the hut. The Salmon boy hunts bii-ds 
from the hut, and has always a large supply. One day the friend does not shout. 
When he enters, he sees a Salmon vomiting pieces of quartz. The friend informs the 
people, who place the dead salmon on poles near the water. The boy watches it 
BC 74. 

(ii h) The Salmon Take Him to their Country, and without their 
Knowledge One of His Companions Goes with Him 

The dead Salmon boy's friend hears a canoe coming up the river. The crew take 
the body out, which revives. They go aboard. The friend goes aboard too; but 
neither the people nor the Salmon boy notice him. He tries to talk to the prince, 
who, however, does not seem to hear. He touches him, and the prince feels pain. 
The boatmen wear large cedar-bark neck-rings. He presses these, and they faint. 
They reach the Salmon village, where the Salmon boy is welcomed, but nobody 
notices the friend Ts 203. 

A canoe comes up the river, and the Salmon is called to go aboard. He tells the 
crew to keep close to the bank of the ri\'er. The friend jumps aboard, but is not 
noticed. XMien they land, they see him. (Here follows a description of the various 
Salmon villages.) \\'Tien they reach the last Salmon village, the children smell the 
Salmon boy's friend, and say he smells like the country where they go every spring. 
They can not see him BC 74. 

The incident of a person, generally a shaman, touching super- 
natural beings' without being visible to thent, and causing them 
discomfort, occurs also in other connections. 

In a story of two Haida shamans it is told how one of them dies because he breaks 
his taboos. Then the supernatural powers of the shamans appear at the grave. They 
skin the body of the dead shaman and go aboard . The other shaman, who is watching. 



778 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

jumjis aboard. He sees that, somethiBg round hangs from the armpit of the super- 
natural beings. He squeezes it, and the spirits almost die. The spiiits restore one 
another, and are well again as soon as he lets go. They land, and he continues to 
squeeze the round thing hanging from the chief's armpit. The greatest shaman among 
the supernatural beings sees what is happening, while the human shaman remains in- 
visible to all the others. 'When he finally lets go, he is given the other shaman's skin, 
who finally is revived Sk 294. 

TracUcally the same story is told by the Masset and Kaigaui. In this case the 
shaman presses the supernatural beings with his knees M 565, Kai 240. 

(ii c) The Companion Malces Himself Known to the Salmon Boy 

The friend takes the pebble out of his mouth and puts it into the prince's mouth, 
who sees him at once. (Here follows a repetition of the killing of the children [i h] 
and the description of the dancing Herrings.) Ts 204. 

(ii d) The Companion Marries the Salmon Chiefs Daughter 

This incident is closely related to the tales of the dangerous women 
{vagina dentata) which are so frequent in the mythology of the 
Kwakiutl, and wliich belong in many cases to the Test theme (see 
p. 809). In the Salmon myth the tale is confined to the Bellacoola 
and their immediate neighbors, the BeUabeUa. It is inserted in the 
visit of the boy's friend to the Salmon village, where he tries to marry 
the daughter of the Salmon chief. 

WTien walking through a village, they see a house with snapping door. The friend 
sees a beautiful girl inside, and wants to marry her. It is explained that this is impos- 
sible. He insists and marries her. They have a daughter BC 76. 

The form in which this incident is given in BC 5.267 is evidently 
distorted. Here the relation to the southern tales appears even more 
clearly. 

The Salmon boy and his friend reach the country of the Partridges. He wishes to 
marry one of them, but Salmon says that he will die if he should do so. The boy 
insists and survives. They go on and pass through the vilhiges of different Salmon. 
In the \'illage of the Silver Salmon, finally, they see four girls bathing. The friend 
assumes the form of a little boy, whom the girls mistake for their slave. When they 
recognize him, they run away. E\'idently this episode is parallel to the character- 
istic incident in the story of Gwana'la^lis (see p. 814). 

The Salmon boy instructs his friend to look for the chief's daughter, who is bathing 
in a lake. He carries away one of them and marries her without the knowledge of her 
father. The woman gives birth to a child, and her father tries to discover who the 
child's father is. The people are tested one after another, and the boy is recognized. 
The people smell him when he arrives H ap S87. 

(ill) The Ascent of the Salmon Boy to the Sun 

This story is entirely mdependent, and is foimd only among the 
Bellacoola and their neighbors, the ChUcotta. It belongs to the series 
of test stories which will be found discussed on p. 794. The only part 
that is characteristic of this story is the manner of the ascent. In the 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 779 

three versions that have been recorded the boy covers himself with 
feathers and fhes up to the Sun. 

The youth catches eagles by means of a pole with attached noose. He collects the 
down, lies down on a mat, and covers himself. He asks his younger brother to beat 
time with a staff, and flies up in the shape of a large feather BC 78. 

A boy kills birds by means of arrows which are attached to strings made of hair. He 
covers himself with the bird skins, lets his younger brother beat time, and flies up in 
the shape of a feather BC 5.262. 

The boy's sister tells him that all his brothers have gone up to the Sun to get wives 
and have died there. He kills ducks, plucks their feathers, lies down on them, and 
when his .iLster blows he rises up into the sky Chil 24. 

{Nooika Version) 

The same theme is treated in the Nootka story, "How Ya'io^a' 
Married the Salmon Prmcess" (Nu ap 919-932). 

Chief Ya'lo^a" is the lover of a woman whose husband gouges out one of his e^es while 
he is asleep. A wise man advises Ya'lo^a" to travel round the world and marry a 
princess who has supernatural power. He is given a swan's skin, which he puts on. 
He takes along ten small baskets filled with eagle down. He ^•isits a number of vil- 
lages, but does not find any woman that suits him. Finally he sees one who almost 
pleases him, but he determines to go on. He reaches the \-illage of a small fish, but 
does not stop there. He comes to the village of the Herrings, where he hears children 
playing. He reaches the \dllage of the Silver Salmon, where he sees women with light- 
colored hair, but he goes on. He reaches the village of the Spring Salmon, whom he 
finds very ugly. He reaches a double village. On one side of the bay is that of the Dog 
Salmon; on the other side, that of the Humpback Salmon. Since the Humpback 
Salmon went out to kill the swan before the others, these salmon are first to arrive 
every season. He does not swim away, and the chief catches him. He gives it to his 
daughter as a pet. The chief resumes human form and marries the girl. The chief 
carves an eye of alder wood and gives it to Ya16%'. In return he receives the eagle 
down. The people send a boy to swim in the sea, which becomes a salmon and is 
eaten. Skin and bones are put back into the sea, and the boy re\'ives. His wife has 
a son. The young man is homesick. Then the Salmon chief sends messengers, who 
report that Ya'io^a' 's parents are mourning his death . The chief tells Yalo^a' that they 
wish to get presents of eagle down, mussel-shells, and (?), and that bones and skins of 
salmon must be thrown into the sea. Yalo^a' receives a magical blanket, which trans- 
forms him into a salmon . Ya'lo^a' goes back accompanied by the Salmon people. He 
goes ashore in the form of a salmon, assumes human form, and goes to his parents, who 
after a while recognize him. The son tells his father that he will find him the following 
day . The father is ordered to make a salmon trap ; and when it is finished , it rains a lit- 
tle. Salmon are found in it, and the old man clubs the largest one until it groans. This 
is done according to instructions received from the boy. As soon as the bones of the 
salmon are thrown into the water, Ya'lo^a', his wife, and his children appear Nuap 919. 

A Shuswap variant is very brief, and tells only of the boy drh'ting down the river, 
and of his being sent back and recovered Sh 690. 

28. The Town of Chief Peace 

(2 versions: Ts 207; Tl 244) 

The son of a chief is a gambler. He loses his property, and being downcast refuses 
the food that his wife offers to him. She scolds him, telling him to eat the salmon of 
the daughter of Chief Peace. After sulking for several days, he goes away, taking 
along tallow, tobacco, and coppers. On the beach he is met by two people who come 



780 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

in a canoe and take him along. Tho prince lies down and sleeps in the canoe, until 
they arrive at a village. The Mouse Woman tells him that this is the town of Chief 
Peace, and advises him to give the chief presents of fat, tobacco, and copper. 'When 
placed on a mat, these presents are enlarged in size. In return Chief Peace gives him 
his only daughter in marriage. The young man is homesick. The chief loads two 
canoes with food, which magically decreases in bulk. The canoes are alive, and 
have to be fed. A\Tien the prince arrives home, he is recognized. The daughter of 
Chief Peace shakes the canoes, and the food assumes its normal bulk. The princess 
is placed on a plank and taken down to the low-water line, where by means of 
digging-sticks made of ash she digs out whale, sea lion, seal, halibut, cod, and bull- 
head. The following day she digs out six whales, which she presents to her hus- 
band's relatives and to the people Ts 207. 

The end of the Tlingit story of the rejected lover (see p. 767) is 
probably identical with the story here discussed. 

After the girl has induced the young man to pull off all his liair, she leaves him. He 
is foimd by the Loon, which takes him out to sea, dives with him several times, until 
they reach the village of Chief Calm, who gives him his daughter in marriage. The 
youth is homesick, and is sent home by his father-in-law with many presents Tl 244. 

Her husband has to bring water for her in her root basket, which she tests by dipping 
into it a plume which she wears behind her ear. As long as he is true to her, the water 
remains clear. One day he speaks to his former wife. When the daughter of Chief 
Peace dips the plume into the water, it is slimy. She feels insulted, and leaves him, 
walking over the water. Her husband follows her. When he tries to hold her, his 
hands pass through her body, which has V)ecome like a cloud. She orders him to go 
back. When he does not obey, sh<' looks back, and he is drowned. She reaches her 
father weeping. He opens the floor of his house, catches the bones in his bag net, and 
revives the young man Ts 213. 

In the Kwakiuth tale of Scab, the daughter of the heavenly chief carries her 
husband to the sky. On the way he loses his hold, drops down, and is drowned. 
The story is clearly related to the northern version K 9.79. 

The incident of the water test is of very common occurrence in 
the tales of northern British Columbia, and occurs in many different 
connections (Ts 1.113; Tl 245; Tl 256; M 424; Sk 22.3; BC 106; BC 
5.255; Chil 39; Lil 321; Se 54). in the story of Asdi-wa'l (Ts 1.111) 
it occurs in exactly the same form as in the present story. In Sk 223 
the same incident occurs in a slightly different form. 

The man gets water in which a hawk feather is floating. When the woman pulls 
out the feather, clear drops of water fall off. AMien he is not faithful to her, the water 
adheres to it. She cries, takes a white powder out of her box, spits it on her hands, 
and rubs her feet with it. Her husband imitates her actions. She goes back over 
the sea. The rest is as before. 

In M 424, the same story as Sk 223, it is told that the woman dips her feather into 
the water, and that the water is slimy when her husband is unfaithful. 

In Tl 245 the water becomes slimy when the woman puts her quill into it, while at 
other times it is pure and drips off like raindrops. The end, the restoration of the man, 
is omitted. The story ends with his drowning. 

In BC 5.255 he smiles when he sees his former sweetheart; and when he carries the 
water to his wife, it is red. She disappears. 

In BC 106 the woman forbids the man to let smoke touch her blanket. He talks to a 
girl; and when he comes back, his wife touches the left side of her neck with her 
finger. The finger becomes red; and when she dips it in the water her husband has 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 781 

brought, it becomes a thick jelly. The man excuses himself by saying that he did not 
know what his wife meant when she said that the smoke should not touch her Ijlanket. 
Later on they return to the man's former home. There he speaks to his former wife 
and disobeys the Wolf wife's orders. She leaves him, but he follows her tracks. 
After this follows a story that does not belong here BC 106. In the LUlooet version 
the Eagle woman plucks a feather from her wing and dips i( into the water. Then 
she knows what her husband has done Lil 321. 

Among the Seshelt the incident occurs in connection ^rith the story of the man who 
marries among the Eagles. On his return his Eagle wife tells him that he must not 
look at another woman. She dips the eagle quill into a cup of water. AVhen she thus 
discovers that her husband has disobeyed her, she leaves, walking over the water. 
He follows her; and when she looks back, he sinks Se 56. 

In a Tillamook tale a woman from across the ocean gets homesick and returns 
walking over the water Till 28. 

29. vSrcKiNG Intestines (p. 214) 

(5 versions: Ts 214; Ts 5.272; N 7; Nea 5.170; Ne6 9.209. See also Tl 245; Kai 263; 

Sk 70; Sk 352) 

Tills scory appears as the Introduction to the Tsimshlan Raven 
legend, and has been discussed under this aspect on p. 634, where 
the following versions are recorded: Ts 214, Ts 5.272, N 7, Xeo 
5.170, Xe& 9.209. 

In our present collection the story occiu-s without reference to the 
Raven tale, and analogous tales referrmg to a woman who feigns 
death have been recorded from neighboring tribes. 

A woman who has a lover pretends to die, and, in accordance with her request, 
is placed in a box on a tree. Her lover puts some wet wood into the box and 
escapes with the woman. Then follows a story telling how it was discovered that 
the woman had eloped Sk 70; Sk 352. 

The Kaigani version is placed at Klinkwan. The introduction is the same as in 
the last version. .The husband weeps under his wife's grave. His daughter tells 
him that she has seen her mother at another house. Then he discovers that the 
grave-box is empty. The story ends with an account of the way in which the man 
murdered his faithless wife and her lover Kai 263. 

The Tlingit version is placed at KUlisnoo, and is practically identical with the 
preceding one Tl 245. 

30. BuKxixG Leggings and Bi-tining Snowshoes (p. 216) 

(3 versions: Ts 216; Ts 5.279; Sk 348. See also K 5.130) 

A chief who is married takes a second wife [from the upper course of the Skeena 
River Ts 5]. She has four brothers who are hunters [she has ten brothers who are rich 
Ts 5]. The brothers come every year with provisions for their sister, therefore the 
chief loves his young wife. [The brothers come to visit their sister, bringing pro\-is- 
ions, skins, and other valuable presents Ts 5. The uncles and brothers of the young 
wife bring food, cranberries and other kinds of berries, so that they are unable to con- 
sume them. They also give him much property Sk.] The first wife is jealous because 
the chief loves the younger wife more dearly. One day the chief and his brothers-in- 
law gamble. One of the brothers has his face painted red for good luck. They are 
plaj-ing on a gamb Ling-mat. The first wife of the chief sends her slave-girl to the 
gambler to ask Mm for some of the red paint and promises to meet him behind the 



782 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

house. The young man declines. The slave-girl returns several times, and finally 
he gives her some of the rod ocher, but declines to meet the chieftainess. The woman 
then rubs the paint on her face, and tells her husband that the youth has done violence 
to her. The chief orders the door locked and the brothers slain. Their bodies are 
thro\vn behind the house. [The first ^vife sends a slave-boy (evidently an error in 
place of a slave-girl I to ask for some of the red paint. The young man sends it to her 
reluctantly. In order to attract her husband's attention she jiretends to be embar- 
rassed. She says that the youth has given it to her. The chief becomes jealous and 
kills the ten brothers Ts 5. The first wife sits in the comer of the house weeping for 
her dead child. She has pitch on her face. In the night she goes to the bed of the 
middle one of the brothers, who has his face painted and his hair covered with down. 
She rubs herself against it. ^^^len the chief sees this, he takes to his bed with grief. 
The brothers leave. Later on the chief invites them to xasit him; and when they 
are asleep, he pours boiling water over them and kills them. The bodies are placed 
under the trees Sk 348.] 

Since the young wife is now poor, the chief has no regard for her. Every day the 
young woman goes into the woods with her child to wail. [The bodies of her brothers 
are laid in a row in the woods. The gambling-utensils are placed next to them. 
Cedar bark is placed under their heads. Their faces are covered with gambhng- 
mats Ts 5.] The chief's people make fim of her in the house. The chief tells them 
to trip her. \Mien she falls, they laugh at her, and she creeps to her bed in the corner 
of the house. [The people make fun of her and trip her. One day she falls down 
the three steps of the house. The first ■wife of the chief pretends to pity her and 
places her next to herself Ts 5.] This is repeated every day. She has nothing to eat, 
and only wishes to die. One day after weeping all day, she opens her eyes. There 
is a flash of lightning, and a youth appears, who asks her what ails her. She tells 
him. [She weeps with closed eyes. ^V'hen she opens them, there is a stroke of light- 
ning, and a youth appears Ts 5.] The youth says, "My father the Sun sent me because 
he is displeased with your weeping." He gives her his own leggings, snowshoes, and 
moccasins, tells her to throw them down in front of the chief, and to say, "See what 
happens to the leggings and snowshoes of those whom you murdered !" He tells her 
that there will be a stroke of lightning, that the chief will call his people, and that 
all will come except Disbeliever, who is blind, ^^^len the chief sends for him, the 
youth will take his form. He will be taken to the house, and she is instructed to 
leave at that time. [He asks for one pair of leggings of one of the brothers, shakes 
them, throws them down, and fire appears. He instructs her as in the other version, 
except that she is merely told to run away when Disbeliever enters Ts 5.] ^V^len she 
returns, she steps right up to the chief, who is surprised that his wife does not go along 
the wall of the house. He tells the people not to trip her. She throws the leggings 
down in front of him, and there is a stroke of lightning, and all happens as foretold 
by the supernatural youth. Disbeliever, on entering, feels of the bundle that the 
supernatural youth had made and makes fun of it. He opens the bimdle, strikes 
the ground, but nothing hap])ens. He puts on leggings and snowshoes, runs around 
the fire, there is a stroke of lightning, and everybody is burned Ts. [The people talk 
about what has happened all night. Disbeliever will not be convinced. On the 
next morning all are called to the house. Disbeliever refuses to go. He makes fun 
of an old man who is going. Finally he goes, puts on the leggings, fire appears, and 
all the people are destroyed Ts 5.] 

The woman sits by the side of the bodies. The supernatural youth jumps over 
each of them four times, and all revive. They move inland, and becoine the 
TslEtsld'ui. [The supernatural youth steps four times over their bodies, all revive 
and rub their eyes as though they had slept. They return to their own \'illage, and 
the people who had put on black paint as a sign of mourning put on red paint Ts 0.] 



BOAS) COMPAKATrV'E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 783 

The Skidegate version differs materially from the two Tsimshian 
versions. 

After the young woman's brothers and uncles ha\-e been shiin and thrown behind 
the house, the chief makes war on his younger ^"ife's tribe and destroys them. The 
mother of the young woman i.s saved. She weeps and prays, stretching her hands 
upward, and out of her thigh issues a child. She makes a bow for him, with which 
he kills first birds, then larger animals. He has a copper bow and a copper neck-ring. 
His mother tells him what has happened, and warns him not to go to the houses. 
He disobeys, hides behind the town, and wishes for his sister to come. She obevs 
the wish, and tells him that she is treated badly by the chief. He gi^-es her his copper 
neck-ring, and tells her to say that she found it for her husband. She is told that 
when she gives it to him it will begin to bum, and she is to run away. She is also 
given the copper bow, and the same happens. The fire then destroys the people. 
The youth asks her to take him to her brothers' bodies. He spits medicine on them, 
and they revive. He is the Moon, who had come down because the young woman's 
mother had prayed to him. The story then goes on telling of the feats of the youth 
and his unties Sk 348. 

A Kwakiutl story of a man who kills the lover of his faithless wife is somewhat 
similar to tliis. He cuts off the head of his wife's lover while they are asleep. The 
woman escapes to her brothers. Her husband kills the latter during a feast. Then 
follows their re^^val as in the Tsimshian tale, but without the incident of the Disbe- 
liever. I consider this tale a recent imj)ortation among the Kwakiutl, because it 
differs very much from all the other talcs of this people K 5.130. The Disbeliever, 
or "the one without ears," is also referred to in Sk 172, note 32. 

31. HakIula'q 

(4 versions: Ts 221; Tl 103; M 380; Sk 256) 

This is evidently a modified version of a complex tale that is more 
fully developed among the Tlingit and Haida. 

The (liild of the monster Hakluld'q is drifting between two islands. When the 
people take it aboard, their canoes are upset. The people try to make war against 
the monster. When they go out, they kill many sea otters on an island. On their 
way back one of their number spears the cliild. The monster comes up. A whirlpool 
opens and swallows the canoes. One escapes. The same happens again; and only 
one chief, his nephews and nieces, remain. They try to make a canoe that will with- 
stand the waves, first of spruce wood, then of yellow cedar, finally of yew (see p. 822). 
The last named is strong enough. It is faster than a flying bird . "V^Tien they pass the 
cliild, they take it aboard. They land on one of the islands. The monster comes and 
asks for his child. Wlien they refuse it, it causes the island to roll over. They escape 
in their canoe. The child dies. "While they are on the island, the eldest one of the 
men seduces his sister. She ties weasel skin on his head, and he is transformed into 
a saubill duck. On their return they see the monster asleep on the surface. They 
throw it into the canoe, a wiiirlpool opens, but they escape. The monster dies in the 
canoe. The young men marrj', and the yoimg cliief takes the HakIula'q for hia 
crest Ts 221. 

The Masset have a story of people who borrow a fast canoe of a bird, cut off the 
head of a floating sea monster, whose father threatens to overturn the island on which 
they had saved themselves M 380. In the elaborate Skidegate version of this story 
the canoe belongs to the jellyfish Sk 256. 

The story of LAkltcine' contains an episode telling of the killing of a sea monster 
that is floating on the surface with open eyes while asleep, and whose scalp is taken. 
The storjr is related to the HakIula'q tale, but the relation is more remote Tl 103. 



784 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

32. The Prince Who Was Deserted (p. 225) 
(20 versions: see p. 785') 

This story consists of three parts: I. The story of the boy who, in- 
stead of catching salmon, feeds the eagles, is refused food in winter, 
and is finally deserted. II. The grateful eagles provide food for the 
boy. III. The boy sends a giill with food to a person who pitied him 
when he was deserted by the tribe. IV. The people send to ascer- 
tain the fate of a deserted boy. The messengers find that he is rich, 
and are given food. One of them hides some of the food and gives 
it to his or her child, who is starving. The child chokes, the chief- 
tamess puUs out the morsel of fat, and thus it is found out that 
the deserted boy has become rich. V. The people return and seek 
the good will of the deserted boy. 

Tales of this type are very numerous, and appear in many different 
combmations. I will designate the variants by numbers. 

I. A child gives offense and is deserted. 

(1) A boy, instead of catching salmon, feeds eagles. 

(2) He eats food sent home from a feast. 

(3) He is lazy. 

(4) A girl steals sea eggs. 

(5) A boy is greedy and begs for food. 

(6) A boy eats while training for supernatural power. 

(7) A girl marries a dog. 

(8) A girl has a child from an unknown father. 

(9) No details. 

II. Animals or supernatural beings help tlie deserted boy. 

(1) Eagles whom the boy has fed feed him. 

(2) He finds food at the foot of a cedar. 

(3) He mends a heron's bill, and the heron helps him. 

(4) The girl catches a sea-spirit in her fish basket. 

(5) The Dog cliildren help their mother. 

(6) A boy receives lielp in a vision. 

(7) The Sun helps the children. 

(8) The father of the deserted girl's child helps her. 

III. A bird carries food to the deserted cliild's relatives. 

IV. The discovery of the good fortune of the deserted cliild. 

(1) A slave's child that is fed secretly, chokes, and in tliis 

way the wealth of the deserted child is discovered. 

(2) An old person who has visited the deserted boy is dis- 

covered eating secretly the food given to him. 

V. The retnrn of the people. 

(1) The people dress up theii' daughters, wishing the boy to 
marry them. Some of these are so hungry that they 
dip up the grease from. the water and are rejected. 

1 1 have not discussed all the tales of this type, because very often the motive is used as an introduc- 
tion (as in N 137, Sic 227, Sk 288, Sk 26, Wish 139, 2(30), and the stories themselves are exceedingly 
varied in character. 



boas] 



COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



785 



(2) The youth marries a girl that has heen kind to him. 

(3) The people are killed and transformed into stones. 

(4) A whale kills the people. 

(5) All the people are fed except the youth's parents. 

(6) The food given to the people can not be exhausted. 

These incidents appear in the following combinations: 



Tsa225, Ts6 5.300, N IdO 

Sk 356 

M415 

Hap 885 

M705 

M460 

Skl73 

T1262 

BC 5.263 

ChiI7 

Nu 5.114 

K5.132, Co5.92 . . . 
Ne 9.249, Ne 5.180 . . 

Cow 5.51 

Squ Hill-Tout 3.532 . 

Sts5.19' 

Quin 127 

Chin 51 



1(1) 


11(1) 


III 


IV (1) 


1(1) 


11(1) 


- 


IV (1) 


1(1) 


11(1) 


- 




ill) 


11(1) 


- 


- 


1(9) 


11(3) 


- 


- 


I (9, 1) 


11(2) 


- 


IV (1) 


1(2) 


II (2) 


Ill 


IV (1) 


1(3) 


11(1) 


- 


IV (1) 


1(7) 


n (5) 


- 


IV (1) 


1(7) 


II (5) 


- 


IV (1) 


1(7) 


11(5) 






1(7) 


11(5) 




IV (2) 


1(4) 


11(4) 




IV (2) 


1(6) 


11(6) 




IV (2) 


1(6) 


11(7) 




IV (2) 


1(5) 


11(7) 






1(7) 


II (5) 


- 


- 


1(8) 


11(8) 


~ 


IV (1) 



va) 

V(2) 

yh 

V(2) 

V(l) 

V(4 

V(3. 

V(5) 

V(3) 

V(3) 

V(6) 

V(4) 

V(5) 

V(5) 

V(2) 

V(5) 



At the Gid-wul-g a'dz town at Sandbar (Tso, &■) live a chief and his four brothers-in- 
law. His only son is chewing kidney-fat all the time Tsa. [There is a prince whose 
father is dead; his mother has four brothers; the oldest one is the chief Ts6; a chief's 
son lives in a village N ; there is a prince who had ten uncles Sk 356.] The boy sits on 
the roof and makes arrows Tsn [makes bow and arrows N]. The people go to fish hump- 
back salmon. The boy and his little slave go to a sandbar, catch salmon, and give 
them to the eagles. WTien the eagles are fat, their feathers drop off, and he gathers 
them Tsa. [^\'hile the people are fisliing, the boy does not pay any attention to the 
salmon. He plays with three slaves. His uncles order him to help, but he refuses. 
He steals the gills of salmon, which he uses as bait for catching eagles. He builds a 
small house of cedar bark, such as are used as eagle traps. He takes the feathers of the 
eagles Ts&. The cliief orders the people to fish salmon. The boy puts a salmon on 
the saud to attract eagles, pulls out their feathers, which he gathers N. The boy fills 
liis canoe with salmon, which he uses to feed eagles on a sandbar. The people come 
to know about it Sk 356. The Masset version opens in a slightly different way. An 
eagle lives on Mountain Island in Nass River. A boy goes fishing in his canoe. When 
an eagle calls, he leaves liis salmon for it and is scolded. He repeats this several times, 
and the people resent it M 415. A chief's son, laxdze, goes fishing with other boys. 
They make a fish weir and catch salmon. Tliey string them on a rope, but forget to tie a 
knot at the end, so that the salmon drops off. This annoys the boy's father. The eagle 
picks up the salmon and takes those that the boy left in the river H ap 885.] The boy has 
boxes full of arrows Tsa [two boxes of arrows Tsfe; many boxes of feathers N]. [The 
boy's mother looks after the youngest uncle's wife, therefore the boy picks crabapples 



1 This story is practically identical with the various versions of the tale of the Sun and the boy of the 
inlan d Salish Lil 296,354, 355; Lil HiU-Tout 6.201; U 230; Ntl 5.17; Ntl Teit 2.51; Ntl Teit 3.367. A 
strongly modified form is given in Sh 710. The relationship between this tale and Ne 5.194 has been dis- 
cussed in No. 37, p. 5%. See also Wish 141, Wasco 261. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 50 



786 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

and cranberries for her. AMien the tribe moves, the mother and her son live with the 
mother's uncle Sk.] 

The tribe moves. [They move back to the winter village Tsb.] In winter the food 
is all used up Tsa. [The mother has no food, because, without the help of her Ijoy, she 
has not been able to dry a sufficient supply of salmon Ts5. In winter the people eat 
salmon and berries with grease N. In the spring the provisions are used up Sk, M 415.] 
The father is displeased. lie orders his brothers-in-law not to feed the boy Tsa. [The 
uncles refuse to feed the boy Tsb. No food is given to the prince N, Sk, M.] The 
father says, "Let the eagles feed him" Tsa, 6 [''Let him live on the food that he 
gathered for the eagles" Sk 356]. The chief's nephews make a fire. The people sit 
around it, and the boy is chewing fat. The father does not give any food to the boy, 
and tells him to get food from the eagles. The boy goes to the house of his eldest uncle, 
who spreads a mat and tells his wife to feed him. She prepares food. A^Tien the boy 
stretches out his hand to take it, he says, "Let the eagles feed you," and takes it 
away. This is repeated in the houses of all the uncles except the youngest one Tsn. 
[The mother asks for food for her boy. The uncle first says, ' ' Let him go to the eagles. ' ' 
Then he calls the boy. His wife prepares food ; and when the boy stretches out his hand 
to take it, he takes it away, telling him to get food from the eagles Ts6. The people 
refuse to have anything to do with the lioy and his grandmother M.] The youngest 
uncle takes pity on the boy and feeds him Tsa. [He gives him berries and crab- 
apples. The boy does not at first want to take the dish, thinking that it will be taken 
away from him Tsb. The youngest uncle's wife gives him the dorsal fin of a salmon, 
which he chews Sk.] The youngest uncle cries for pity T.sa, h. 

A Skidegate story belonging to this group opens somewhat differently. A chief 
sends a hair-seal flipper home from a feast. His son eats it. This annoys the father 
so much that he orders the boy to be deserted Sk 173. 

Next follows the desertion of the boy. 

The chief is angry, and orders the tribe to move to Nass River Tsa, N. [The chief 
is angry, and before the olachen appears he orders the tribe to move, to take along all 
their pro%-ision8, and to put out the fires Ts6. The people leave the boy and his 
mother Sk. The father orders the tribe to leave. The grandmother and the boy 
remain behind H ap 885.] 

The youngest uncle's wife leaves a dried spring salmon, a bucket with crabapples, 
fire, a small bucket of grease. A little slave and the boxes of arrows are also left Tsa. 
[The youngest uncle orders his \vife to leave provisions and a fire-drill in a bag Tsb. 
The boy's mother buries a clamshell with fire and half a spring salmon. She tells the 
boy's grandmother where it is hidden. The boxes of arrows are also left N. The 
youngest uncle's wife says, "Dig where I sit down to defecate." He finds a bag with 
split humpback salmon and other food. The youngest uncle leaves an old small 
canoe Sk. His younger brother and his dog stay with him. One of his uncles' wives 
tells him to dig where she sits down to defecate. He finds a small box. Fire and 
food are in the box Sk 174. The grandmother hides a little fire in a clamshell H ap 885.] 

The prince builds a small house of old boards and bark. He feeds the slave with 
the food left for him. He sits outside making arrows Tsa. [The boy makes himself 
strong and works. He builds a small house. The slave lives inside, the boy stays 
outside. He feeds the slave with pro\'i8ions left for him Ts6. The grandmother 
starts a fire. They have no food. The boy sits outside every morning N. The 
prince feeds the dog and his younger brother Sk 174.] 

One morning an eagle screeches on the beach Tsa, N [on a rock on the beach Ts5, Sk]. 
[The eagle wliich he fed in the summer calls him M 415. The eagles watch them 
H ap 885.] The prince sends his slave down. He finds a trout. The slave takes 
it up, roasts it, and eats it alone Tso. [The slave finds a small fish Ts6. The 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 787 

slave and the grandmother eat the trout N. The eagle flies away. The boy goes to 
the rock and finds a spring salmon. They steam it, and the boy and his grandmother 
eat the soup Sk. The boy finds the tail of a spring salmon under the eagle jM 415. In 
the morning the grandmother sends the boy to the beach, where he finds a halibut,, 
■which they roast and eat H ap 885.] On the following day there are many eagles screech- 
ing. The slave finds a bullhead, which they steam in a hole. The slave eats it. This is 
repeated for several days. They dry the meat. Next follow silver salmon, of which the 
prince eats a little ; then a large spring salmon, which is so heaw that the prince must 
helpdrag it up; then a seal and a sea lion. In order to bring it in, they make a cedar 
rope, which they fasten, and haul in the sea lion at high tide. Finally whales are 
found. Six of these are carved, and four are left on the beach. Three houses are full 
of food Tsa. [In Ts6 thS order is a flounder, a small halibut, of which the ]>rince takes 
a piece in his mouth without swallowing it, a squid, a large halibut, which the slave 
drags up -with difficulty, a humpback salmon, seal, and sea lion. After this the eagle 
does not return, but more food is found on the beach — seals, sea lions, and whales. 
Four houses are full of food in the places where the uncles' houses had been. He 
builds a small house for his mother. The beach is covered wath food. In N the order 
is bullhead, trout, sculpin. Then two eagles appear. A salmon is found. The 
prince must help drag it up. Then three eagles appear. A spring salmon is on the 
beach. The prince's grandmother roasts it, and they have much dried salmon. The 
slave is now large and strong, because he has plenty of food. The eagle is heard far 
out towards the water, and a halibut is found, which the prince drags up. Then many- 
eagles screech, and one after another a seal, porpoise, a sea lion, are foimd. The sea 
Hon is fastened to the beach, and dragged in with a line of cedar twigs. Last of all, 
whales are found N.] 

The Haida story Sk 173 does not introdiice the incident of the eagle, but instead 
the dog barks behind tlie house. The boy takes his bow, and sees under the roots 
of a cedar a pool of water in which there is first a salmon, then two salmon, then three, 
finally twenty. Then he begins to eat. The number of salmon increases until there 
are forty salmon. Finally the dog digs out a Salmon Creek. The boy builds houses, 
which he decorates with salmon figures. He makes a fish trap and has plenty of 
food. (Here follows a story telling how a being appears which steals the salmon [see 
pp. 723, 820].) 

Parallel to the last story is the Masset tale M 460. which is localized on Skeena 
River and is said to belong to the G'itlanda'. It opens with the statement that a 
foolish grandmother and her foolish grandchild live alone. Evidently they have 
been deserted, and the boy's female cousin has left him a piece of salmon and some 
fire. The grandmother makes an ax, and the boy cuts a cedar. He digs a trench 
around a skunk-cabbage. They live on clams. He finds a salmon in the trench. 
Every day he finds more. (Then follows the incident of the being that steals the 
salmon.) 

After these incidents the story continues at the same point where 
the Tsimshian story opens. 

An eagle is screeching on the beach while the boy is going eveiy day trying to get 
birds. He feeds the eagle. Finally he does not find any birds in the woods, and his 
grandmother tells him to go to the place where the eagle sits. There he finds first a 
spring salmon, then a seal, then half the tail of a whale, then a whole whale M 4G0. 

In another Masset story it is told that an old woman and her grandson are deserted. 
While the old woman gathers shellfish the boy mends the bill of a heron, wliich in 
return gives them first a piece of a salmon, then a whole one, a piece of a porpoise and 
a whole one, parts of a whale and then a whole one. Then they make many boxes, 
into which they put the grease M 705. 



788 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

A Bird Carries Food to the Child's Relatives 

(11 versions: Tsa 229; Ts 5.302; N 179; Sk 182; Ne 5.180; Ne 9.259; K 5.133; Nu 
5.115; Cow 5.52; Sts 5.20; Squ Hill-Tout 3.534) 

The next incident of our Tsimsliian story has a wide distribution 
on the North Pacific coast. It appears in a number of different 
tales, all of which refer to the fate of a deserted child. 

After numerous adventures the prince shoots a small gull, puts on its skin, and 
flies to Naas River, where the people are fishing. He takes away a single olachen 
that is in the canoe of one of his father's slaves. A\Tien he is flying away, they recog- 
nize his anklet Sk 182. The prince calls a gull, borrows its •skin, puts it on, and flies 
with the seal meat to Nass River. He flies over his father's canoe, drops some seal 
meat in the stem of the canoe, where a slave-woman is sitting. She puts it into her 
glove, and sees the gull going down the river Ts 229. He catches a gull, takes its skin, 
puts it on, and flies to the place where his uncle's tribe are fishing. He looks for 
the youngest uncle. Tlie people say it looks as though the gull wanted to alight. 
He catches a fish and drops it in his uncle's canoe. \Mien he flies away, one person 
sees his feet and remarks that the gull has human feet Ts 5.302. He shoots a gull, puts 
on its skin, takes a piece of seal meat and drops it into one of the canoes. The hunters 
remark that it is strange that the gull should drop meat N 179. Ha'daga, the deserted 
daughter of O'^meal, calls the gull, wishes it to be a person. She ties blubber on 
her back and sends her to her grandmother, who had taken pity on her. The Gull 
finds the old woman mending a blanket and crying. She gives her the meat Ne 
9.259. In another version the same incident is repeated, the only difference being 
that the Gull finds the old woman digging clams Ne 5. 

A woman who has given birth to Dog children is deserted. She calls the Raven, 
wishes him to become a man. She ties four pieces of whale meat on his back. He 
flies to the old woman who had taken pity on the deserted girl, and meets her 
digging shellfish. The woman tries to drive away the raven by throwing stones at it, 
but the raven speaks to her and gives her the meat K 5.133. The mother of the Dog 
children, who has been deserted, transforms a piece of whale skin into a rook (?). 
She lets the bird carry the meat to her grandmother, who is met crying Nu 5.115. A boy 
who is sent to fast and bathe for power builds a fire, eats, and is desert ed . After obtain- 
ing food, he calls the Raven and lets him eat herrings. The Raven shakes himself, 
so that he can fill up with herrings. Then he carries them to the boy's grandmother. 
When he reaches her, he cries, " MEla'o!" Cow 5.52. A boy who bathes for power eats 
fern roots and is deserted . A Dog calls his attention to fire hidden by his grandmother. 
He makes a blanket of bird skins, which the Sun exchanges for a blanket producing 
quantities of herrings. The Crow pays him a visit. He gives it four herrings to 
take to his grandmother Squ Hill-Tout 3.o3-l. A boy is deserted because he begs for 
food. The Sun takes pity on him; and when he is rich, he calls the Crow, who swal- 
lows a herring and is sent to take it to the boy's grandmother. The Crow calls, "Ma'o/" 
Sts 5.20. The beginning of this last tale is identical with the tale of the boy and the 
Sun, which is told by the Thompson Indians, Teit 2.51, U 230. The Thompson 
version, however, does not contain the element here discussed. 

The Gift of the Deserted Child is Discovered 

(22 versions: Ts 229; Ta 5.298; Ts 5.303; N 182; Tl 264; M 472; Sk 183; Sk 289; Sk 
357; BC 5.264; Chil 10; Sh 5.10; Sh 684; Sh 711; Quin 127; Chin 53;— Ne 5.180; Ne 
9.259; K 5.133; Nu 5.115; Cow 5.52; Squ Hill-Tout 3.535) 
After the food has been secretly given to the person who had pity on the deserted 

child, this person eats it or gives it to his or her children, who choke because they 

eat too greedily. Then the meat is pulled out of the mouth, aud in this manner it is 

discovered that the deserted child has plenty to eat. 



BOAS] COMPAEATrV'E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 789 

The woman who has received the meat gives a little to her husband and to her chil- 
dren. The child chokes. The slave- woman can not reach the meat, but the chief- 
tainess, who has slender fingers, takes it out of the child's mouth. The chieftainesa 
smells of it, and notices that it is whale meat. Then the slave-woman is compelled 
to tell where she got the meat Ts 229. The slave takes a piece of meat under his cape. 
In the evening the slave-woman gives it secretly to her child; and when the child 
chokes, she says that it cries because it soiled its bed. The chieftainesa, however, 
pulls out the morsel and discovers what has happened Ts 5.303. The slave living in the 
comer of the house gives a slice to his wife and child, and the same happens as before 
N 182. The incident is also introduced in the GunaxnesEmg'a'd story in Ts 5.298. The 
head slave gives some to his child, who chokes. The chief tainess pidls out the fat, 
puts it on a hot stone, and it sizzles. Then the slave has to tell Sk 357. 

The child of the head slave chokes, and the chieftainess finds that it is eating 
fat. The slave then tells what has happened to the prince Sk 183. The incident 
Sk 289 is presumably the same, although it is merely said that the slave hid food 
under his tongue for his child. 

A slave, his wife and child, arrive from Skeena River and are given seal meat. They 
are not given anything to take back and are forbidden to tell what they have seen. 
At night the slave child sucks the seal blubber and chokes. It cries, "Fat, fat!" 
The slave pretends that it is crjdng for milk. Then the slaves tell M 472. 

In the Tlingit version the introduction to this incident is slightly different. The 
slave has obtained the meat in another way. He hides it, and in the evening shows 
it to his children. Oneof them cries, "Little fat, little fat!" On being questioned, 
the slave says the child cried for the inside of a clam. The chieftainesa sees that the 
mouth of the child is greasy, and it is discovered that the slave has some fat Tl 264. In 
the Bellacoola version the incident refers to the Dog children. The old woman who 
had taken pity on the Dog mother receives a piece of seal blubber, which she gives to 
her daughter, who chokes. The chief pidls out the morsel, and it is discovered that 
the old woman is in the possession of blubber BC 5.264. 

The setting in the versions from Vancouver Island is somewhat different. The 
old woman who has been given the meat is mending a mat; and while she pre- 
tends to bite the cedar bark, she bites off a piece of the meat. A child observes her, 
and it is discovered that she has meat Xe 5.181. Ne 9.259. A child observes the old 
woman eating secretly, and speaks to her about it until she gets angry and tells that she 
obtained food K 5.133. The flea discovers that the old woman is eating fat secretly, 
Tlafimen 5.93. Theold woman shows the meat and tells what the bird said Nu 5.115. 
The old woman roasts the herring secretly, and after doing so three times she is dis- 
covered Cow 5.53. The Crow disgorges the herrings and gives them to the boy's 
grandmother, who roasts them secretly. The children see her, the chief questions her, 
and she tells what has happened .Squ Hill-Tout 3.535. A similar incident relating to 
Crow occurs in Sh 684. In Sh 5.10 and Sh 711 the children are overheard when 
they quarrel over the food. 

It is very remarkable that the northern version reappears on the 
western coast of Washington. 

The Crow takes back food for her children. One of them chokes and coughs it up. 
In this way it is discovered that they have meat Qum 128. The Crow gives her 
children whale meat. One of the children chokes, and Bluejay discovers it Chin 53. 

The position of these incidents is not cjiiite tlie same in all the ver- 
sions of our story. In tlie version Tsa the incident of the choking 
cliild follows immediately the incident of the bird carrying food to 
the child's grandmother. In aU tlie other versions it follows the 
visits of a number of slaves who are sent to incjuire into the fate of 
the deserted prince. 



790 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

After the chief has learned oi the \'isit of the gull, he calls in his wise men, who sug- 
gest that his son must have been successful. He sends messengers in a canoe, who find 
the water near the beach covered with grease and bones. The prince refuses to let 
them land. They ask for pity. He admits them, feeds them, but< forbids them to 
tell his father. He asks them to call his youngest uncle, and to request the other 
tribes to buy provisions Tsa. When the chief thinks that the boy may be dead, he 
sends two slaves and one slave-woman to get his bones. They find the boy wealthy. 
At first he will not admit them, but later on feeds them, but forbids them to take any 
food along Ts6. The chief sends a hunter and slaves to ascertain the fate of the boy. 
They find the water covered with grease; and, since they are hungry, they dip up the 
grease and eat it. After a while they are allowed to land. The prince asks them to 
say that he is dead, and forbids them to take food along N. Slaves are sent to look for 
the prince. He gives them food, but forbids them to take any along Sk (all versions). 

The father sends his slaves to look for his son's bones. They find whales on the 
beach. The prince is about to shoot the slaves, but is restrauied by his wives. He 
orders them to take off their clothing, and he feeds them. He orders them not to 
touch the meat and to tell his father that they could not find his bones Sk 182. 

Slaves are sent to burn the body of the deserted boy. They are called in, fed, but 
forbidden to take food along Tl. 

When the slaves return, they tell that the boy is rich Ts6 [that he is dead N. that 
they burnt the bones Tl]. 

In all these versions, except the lirst, one of the visitors takes 
some food along; then follows the incident of the choking child. 

A modified form occurs in another story of a deserted child. Magpie rolls up the 
fat in moss and feeds it to his children. Raven discovers the fat when they quarrel 
Ntl Teit 3.369. The version (^hil 10 is very similar to this one. 

The Return of the Tribe 

Wlien the chief learns that the boy is rich while his own tribe is starving, he orders 
the people to move back Ts 230, Ts 5.303, N 184, Tl 265. The eldest uncle dresses 
up his two daughters and places them on a box in his canoe Ts. The chief had four 
daughters; the second and third brother, each three; and the youngest, two daughters. 
They dress them up Ts 5. The uncle dresses up his two daughters and places them on 
planks on the canoe N. The uncles dress up their daughters. The youngest uncle 
has a lame daughter, the same one who has been kind to the prince Sk. The elder 
wife of the uncle tries to dress up. She wipes her face with a rag, which, however, 
contains some hard material, with which she cuts her face Tl. 

^\^len the canoes reach the house, the young women dip up the grease from the water 
and eat it. The youth forbids them to land, but relents when his youngest uncle 
arrives, whose daughter he marries. The prince is ashamed of the girls who dip up the 
grease, and does not want to see them. He distributes the food and becomes a chief 
Tsa. The youngest brother does not dress up his daughters. \Yhen the canoes 
approach the village, the eldest daughter of the chief dips up the grease and eats of it. 
The boy is seen sitting on the roof of one of the houses, and the chief offers him his 
daughters. He threatens to kill his three uncles, but invites the youngest one to come 
ashore and marries his daughters. Finally he relents and gi\es presents to the people. 
He takes the name The Deserted One and becomes a chief of the Gid-wul-g'adz Tsi. 
The prince does not allow the people to land, and shoots at the canoes. Finally he 
relents. One woman dips up the grease from the water, which makes the boy ashamed . 
He marries his youngest cousin. He gives a festival, becomes a chief, and takes the 
name Little Eagle N . The youngest uncle is invited home. The prince marries the lame 
girl. He declines the othergirls and sells food t« his uncles. It is stated that this story 
belongs tcf the Tsimshian family NIstoy Sk 357, The uncles' daughters are dressed 
up and sit high in the canoes. Near them coppers are raised on poles. He marries the 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 791 

youngest one, evidently the daughter of the uncle who helped him Sk 289. The 
uncles return, and decide to offer the boy their daughters in marriage. They eat of 
the decayed whale meat that is floating on the water. Only the youngest one, who is 
not dressed up, does not do so. She eats hemlock bark. The boy intends to shoot 
the people, but his wives prevent it. He smells that the women have eaten decayed 
whale meat, and he refuses them; but he marries the yoimgest, who had eaten hemlock 
bark .Sk 183. He gives whales to his uncles and marries the chief's daughter. 
Another, rather brief story is added at the end M4IG. He feeds the people. They 
dress theii' daughters in marten skins, and he marries the girl who has been kind to 
him M 473. The uncle's daughters come to visit him, report that he has reached 
home. He marries the youngest girl, who has been kind to him (story of the 
Tsimshian family LEg'e'°x) M 714. 

The people return, dress up their daughters, and present them to the youth as wives. 
Raven, who has given the advice to leave the boy, also dresses his daughters, but they 
are refused . While every one is given plenty of food , Raven receives only the entrails 
of fish Squ Hill-Tout 3.535. 

The thi-ee stories BC 5.263, K 5.133, and Nu 5.115 refer to the chil- 
dren of the Dog, and all end in the same manner. 

The father returns to the village; but when they approach, the daughter makes a 
gale, in which the canoes capsize. All the people except the old woman who had 
pitied her perish BC 5.265. \Mien the chief returns to his daughter, her sons swing 
the death-bringer, the canoe is upset, and the people in the canoes are transformed 
into stone. Only the girl's grandmother is saved K 5.133. The people return ; and 
when they arrive in front of the village, the boys go down to the water and wash their 
hair. This brings about a gale, in which the canoes capsize. Canoes and people 
are transformed into the islands at the entrance of Barclay Sound Xu 5.115. 

The Cowichan story does not belong to the group of stories of the 
gratefid eagle, and ends in a peculiar manner. 

AMien the chief hears that his son is wealthy, he returns. He does not recognize 
him. because he is beautiful and because he has a wife — a Dog who had been trans- 
formed into a beautiful woman. Every morning the boy strikes the water with cedar 
bark, and at once it is full of herrings. One day, following instructions received in a 
\'ision, the boy takes revenge. A whale appears. The boy calls it ashore, and he asks 
the people to carve it. Those who had been kind to him he places on one side; the 
others, on the other. These the whale kills with its tail Cow 5.53. 

The people return, and he wills that the food shall not satiate his uncle and 
his imcle's wife. They die. He marries the uncle's wife, who had been kind to 
him. (Here the story continues like the Cowichan story. He sends his helper to get a 
whale, which drifts to the beach. He forgets his helper, and for this reason the whale 
destroys the people Tl 266.) The boy invites the people to come back. The people 
dress up their daughters because they desire him to marry them. The boy gives 
presents to everybody except to his parents Sts 5.20. The Quinault version simply 
ends with the statement that the people went back and the boys became chiefs Quin 
128. In the Chinook version the incident appears as part of the Bluejay cycle. 
Crow has been fed by the deserted youth and his sister, and at Bluejay's instance the 
people go back. A gale arises, and they almost die of cold. After five days they are 
allowed to land. Bluejay is not admitted to the house. He offers his daughter in 
marriage, but she is rejected. The young man marries the chief's daughter Chin 53. 

33. The Princess and the Mouse (p. 232) 

The chieftainess Gundax has a daughter, Sudal, who is guarded carefully by her 
parents. The Mouse comes to her in the form of a youth, and she accepts him. Her 
father is ashamed, and she is set adrift in a box which is fUled with coppers, skins, and 



792 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [hth. axx. 31 

furs. The box lands on Queen Charlotte Islands, and is found by a chief and his wife 
who have lost their daughter. They open the box. Many mice run out. They 
discover the young woman, and adopt her, saying that she is their daughter retiuned. 
She marries the chief's nephew and has several children. The children fall against 
their father's mother's back and are scolded (see p. 428). The mother tells them her 
story, and the children decide to go back. They cross the sea, pole up the river, and 
land in front of the mother's father's town. Their canoe is transformed into a hill. 
They li\'e in their grandfather's house. The woman married among the Haida goes 
inland and meets some young people, who tell her that they are her children. She is 
taken to their town, and sees the dance of the Mice. The children, after some resist- 
ance, allow her Haida husband to visit them, and he is taught the dances of the Mice. 
This is the origin of the Mouse dance among the Haida. 

The incident of the sending-adrift of a youth occurs in other con- 
nections, particularly in the story of the jealous uncle or brother, 
who puts a young man into a box and sends him adrift. The youth 
finally lands in an Eagle town, where he marries, Kodiak 90/ 
Tl 201, Sk 277, Ne 10.365, 370 (see also Ri 5.228). 

34. The Young Chief who Married his Cousin (p. 238) 

A chief who is married to his cousin takes a second wife. The first wife is jealous. 
She leaves her husband, and goes back to her father. One day while she is picking 
berries a supernatural being appears to her, asks what troubles her, and she tells him. 
The woman marries the supernatural being. She stays in the woods and has a son. 
The supernatural being gives presents to her father. In winter the woman gives birth 
to a boy. The supernatural being tells his wife to go picking crabapples. She spreads 
mats under the trees, and they are filled by the Codfish, who is the slave of the super- 
natural being. The boy is taken to the supernatural being's father, who makes a 
cradle for him. The supernatural being is given presents; and the child is returned 
in a cradle, and is given a cradle-song. The supernatural being sends home the 
woman and her child, and kills the second wife of the chief by upsetting her canoes 
Neither the woman nor her son marries again. The young man provides plenty of 
food. 

35, 36. Asdi-wa'l 

(3 versions: Ts 1.71; Ts 5.28.5; N 225) 

This story consists of three parts: I. The meeting on the ice; 
II. Man-iage mth the daughter of the Sun; III. The sca-hoa hunters. 

I. THE MEETING ON THE ICE 

A woman livesat GitsIala'sEr; her daughter, in a town farther up the river. During 
a famine each decides to visit the other in order to obtain food. They meet between 
the two towns on the ice. Their husbands have died of starvation. They camp at 
the foot of a large tree, make a house of branches, and start a fire. The young woman 
finds a rotten hawberry, which she divides with her mother. At night a man visits 
the young woman. In the morning the bird of good luck Is heard, and the young 
woman goes to gather bark. She finds a squirrel among the bark. The following 
day a grouse, then a porcupine, beaver, mountain goat, a black bear, a grizzly bear, 
a caribou. After finding the last, she turns round and sees a youth standing behind 

1 F. A. Golder, Tales from Kodiak Island {Journal of American Folk-Lorc, vol. xvi). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 793 

her. He tells her that he is the one who visited her, and that he has given her the 
animals. He says he wants to marry her and disappears. She tells her mother, who 
accepts him, and at once the voice of the bird of good luck is heard again, and more 
animals fall down. They dry the meat. The youth lives with the women. A boy is 
born, whom his father makes grow by pulling his forehead. The father gives to his son 
his bow, four arrows, a lance, a hat, a cane, a basket, and a bark raincoat, and tells 
him that whenever danger threatens he will come to his assistance. Then he disap- 
pears. The people learn about these events, buy meat, so that the women become 
rich. The mother of the young woman dies. Her daughter gives a potlatch and 
names her son Asdi-wa'l. The boy becomes a famous hunter Ts 1.71-83. 

The version Ts 5.285 is practically identical with the preceding one. The women 
find some haws. They hear a bird singing, "Ho, ho!" They sacrifice red paint, 
eagle down, and cedar bark, which they throw into the fire, and ask the bird of good 
luck for food. At midnight a youth appears to the young woman, asks her to con- 
tinue to sacrifice, and tells her to take the bark of a hemlock. She finds a grouse. In 
the evening they hear the bird, sacrifice again, and every day the young woman finds 
a larger animal, finally a mountain goat. They dry the meat. The young man 
appears every night, finally shows himself to the mother, and marries the young 
woman. His name is Ho. He makes his son grow by pulling his forehead, and teaches 
him hunting and the taboos of hunting. Then he sends the women back to their 
home and disappears. He tells his wife to name the boy Asi'wa. The young man 
becomes a great hunter and marries. The boy becomes a great hunter of land animals 
Ts 5.285-287. 

The Nass version tells that two sisters were living in Lax-q'al-ts!a'p and G-it-wunk- 
se'tk. They meet on the ice at a place that is called since that time WTiere They 
Met On It (Hwil-le-nE-hwa'da). The woman who was going up river has only a few 
hawberries; the one going down river, a small piece of spawn. They build a small 
hut of branches and light a fire. The woman from G-it-wunkse'lk has a daughter. 
At midnight a man appears to the younger sister, and promises to make a fish weir for 
her. His name is Houx. The next morning he biulds a weir, which soon is full of 
trout. He goes hunting, and brings porcupines, then mountain goats, a bear, and 
several bighorn sheep. The women dry the meat and the fish. The woman gives 
birth to a boy. When he is able to walk, his father makes snowshoes and sends him 
bear hunting. At first the boy is unsuccessful, and the father finds that this is due 
to his making a mistake in the pattern of the snowslioes. He makes new ones, and 
the boy is successful. He kills goats on the other side of the mountains. Then his 
mother calls him Asi-hwi'l. The father makes snowshoes for him with which he can 
climb the steepest mountains. He gives him two tiny dogs — one spotted, and one red — 
which become large when put down (see p. 742),' and frighten the goats, so that they 
fall down. He gives him a mountain staff which strikes holes into rocks. He tells the 
women that their brothers are looking for them, and that he will go into hiding. The 
brothers arrive and leave again. Houx sends the women home and disappears. 
The people take them to G-it-xade'n. The boy's name is announced. Here an 
incident is added in the Nass version telling of Asi-hwi'l's meeting with a man called 
Large Ears, who kills goats by clapping his hands, wliich are covered with mittens. 
Then Asi-hwJ'l shows him the use of his dogs and of his snowshoes N 225-227. 

II. MARRIAGE WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE SUN 

(ii a) Asdi-wa'l is Induced to Visit the Sun 

A white bear appears on the ice of the river. The hunters are unable to kill it. 
Their lances break when they strike it. Asdi-wa'l puts on his hunting-apparel and 
pursues the bear, which goes up a mountain. Asdi-wa'l pursues it on his snowshoes. 

1 This idea is also found in the story K 10.39. 



794 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[BTH. ANN. 31 



WTien the bear gets to the top of the mountain, it kicks it, and a gorge originates. 
Asdi-wa'l places his lance end to end with his quiver, lays them across the gorge, 
and crosses over. This is repeated twice. At the end of a plain Asdi-wa'l sees a 
ladder reaching up to the sky. The bear climbs it. Asdi-wa'l follows. On top is a 
prairie full of flowers. A path leads to a house. The bear enters, and Asdi-wa'bsees 
through a hole that the bear is a young woman who is taking off her wliite-bear 
blanket. She shakes ashes out of her blanket. Asdi-wa'l is called in and married 
to the daughter of Chief Sun Ts 1.83-87. 

Asi'wa has been married one year when a white bear appears on the ice of Nass 
River. He tries to shoot it, but his arrows break. He pursues the bear up the river. 
His companions desert him. The bear climbs a steep mountain. He follows on his 
snowshoes.' On top he finds a large house, which the bear enters. The bear takes 
off his skin and appears in the form of a man, an old slave of the chief. Asi'wa ia 
called in, and learns that the white bear is a slave who had been covered with stone 
and ashes. The chief gives his daughter to Asi'wa in marriage Ts 5.287. 

Supernatural Being In Heaven covers his slave with ashes, and sends him to Xass 
River, where he appears like a white bear. The hunters are unable to kill it. ^\■hen 
Asi-hwi'I sees it, he puts on his snowshoes and pursues it. The bear climbs a verti<al 
cUff, and Asi-hwi'I follows. The marks of his snowshoes may still be seen. On top 
he sees the bear enter a house. He hears the people singing, "Asi-hwi'I is picking 
the bones of my neck!" The version as recorded does not tell of his adventures in 
the sky, but merely states that he returned and lost the bear N 227-228. 

(ii h) The Sun Tests Ms Son-In-Law 

In the versions Ts 1.71, which in this part is evidently most com- 
plete, follows a long account of the tests to which the Sun subjects 
his son-in-law. This is a form of the widespread Test theme, which 
has been fully treated by Robert H. Lowie.^ The following forty-five 
versions have been recorded on the North Pacific coast: 



Ts 1.89. 


BC75. 


K 5.136. 


Xtl Tcit 3.317 


Ts 5.274. 


BC79. 


K 9.459. 


Ntl Teit 3.364 


Ts 5.287. 


BC 5.260. 


K 10.96. 


Lil 345. 


X 131. 


BC 5.266. 


K 11.12. 


Lil 348. 


Kodiak 90.^ 


Ne 5.171. 


Co 5.65. 


Quin 104. 


Tl 119. 


Ne 5.198. 


Co 5.69. 


Chin 58. 


Tl 19S. 


Ne 5.199. 


Nu 5.117. 


Wish 79. 


Tl 4.256. 


Ne 9.195. 


Squ 524. 


TUl 30. 


Tsts 267. 


Ne 9.211. 


Sts 5.39. 


Till 136. 


Sk 220. 


Ne 10.366. 


U209. 




Sk 240. 


Ne 11.196. 


U253. 




Sk 277. 


Ne 11.238. 


Ntl Teit 2.39. 





Some of these are different versions of the same tale; and in order 
to understand more clearly the significance of the Test tale, it is 

» It is e\idently a misunderstanding that the text asserts that he took off his snowshoes in order to follow 
him. 

' Robert H. Lowie, The Test-Theme in North .\merican Mythology ^Journal of American Folk-Lore, 
vol. XX], pp. 97-148). 

' F. A. Odder, Tales from Kodiak Island (ibid., vol. xvi, pp. 15-31, 85-103). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 795 

necessary to combine the tales which belong together. Most marked 
among these groups are the following: 

A. The jealous uncle or brother who throws a youth into the sea. 
The youth is carried to an Eagle to^^^l, marries an Eagle girl, and 
takes revenge, Kodiak90,Tl 198, Sk 277, Xe 10.365: also Ri 5.228, 
Lil 320, Se 54. 

B. The Raven tale Ts 5.274, Xe 5.171, Xe 9.211. 

C. Dza'wadalalis K 5.136, K 9.459, K 10.96, K 11.238. 

D. Gwa-'^nalalis Xe 5.198, Xe 9.195, Xe 11.196. 

E. Qa'mxulal Xe 5.199, K 11.12. 

F. The visit in heaven Co 5.65, Co 5.68, Squ Hill-Tout 3..524. 

The following are the essential coutcnt.s of the tests that occur 
on the Xorth Pacific coast : 

(1) A jealous uncle or brother subjects a youth to tests. 

(a) A supernatural being expects a certain pei-son to become 
the husband of his daughter. When the youtli arrives, he 
is subjected to tests. 

(2) The door of the house in which the girl lives kUls every one 

who enters. The youth jumps through the snapping door, 
(a) The youth is made to pass through a cave that opens and 

closes. 
(6) The door of the house is watched by dangerous animals. 

(3) On the floor of the house a death-bringing mat is spread out, 

on which the youth is made to sit down. 

(4) The }-outh is induced to fell a tree, which kills people that 

touch it. 
(a) The girl's father or the jealous uncle takes the youth to 
split wood, to work on a canoe, or to do some work of 
similar kind. He throws his hammer mto the crack, asks 
the youth to get it, and causes the tree or canoe, etc., to 
close over him. The youth spits out red and wliite paint, 
which is mistaken for blood and brains, breaks by his magic 
strength the material that imprisons him, and returns. 

(5) The youth is induced to climb a tree or cliff, and the attempt 

is made to kiU him by causing him to fuU down. 

(6) The attempt is made to drown him in a whirlpool or swift- 

rumiing current. 

(7) He is sent to kill the dangerous devilfish. 

(a) He is sent to kUl the clam which crushes people between 
its shells. 

(b-f) He is sent to kill or capture sea lioii, seal, eagle, wood- 
pecker, dogs, and other animals, which kQl people. 

(8) He is sent to pick berries in winter. 



796 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. a.nn. 31 

(9) He is subjected to a heat test. 

(a) The smoke test. 

(b) He is given burning food to eat. 

(c) He is given red-hot stones to swallow. 

(10) He is given poisonous food. 

(11) The woman whom he is to many kills all her husbands by- 

means of her toothed vagina. 

(12) He is set adrift in a box. 

In a niunber of cases the youth punishes the jealous uncle or 
father-in-law. 

(13) A flood fills the house of the father-in-law. 

(14) The animals whom the youth captures at the order of Iiis 

father-in-law attack the latter. 

(15) Fish kill the father-in-law. 

(16) Berries which the youth has collected grow out of the body 

of his father-in-law. 

(17) The youth takes away his father-in-law's canoe, and leaves 

him. 

(18) Firewood gathered by the son-in-law threatens to burn the 

house. 

In the most southern group of stories of this class, in the region of 
Columbia River, a few other tests occur: 

(19) A diving-match. 

(20) A climbing-match. 

(21) A shooting-match. 

(22) A gambling+match. 

(23) A waking-match. 

(24) A whaling-contest. 

(25) A wrestlhig in the air. 

Following is a detailed description of the distribution of these 
incidents: 

(1) The Jealous Uncle 

(7 veraions; Kodiak 90; Tl 119; Tl 198; Tl 4.254; Sk 277; BC 5.260; Ne 10.366) 

A man kills his nephews when they are a few days old. WTien his sister gives birth 
to another child, she pretends that it is a girl. Finally the man discovers the deceit, 
Kodiak 90. A man has foiir sisters married in different villages. When his sisters 
\'isit him, he kills their sons Tl 199. A chief is jealous of his nephews and kills one 
after another Sk 277. K Iwexala'lagilis ha,s four wives. He is jealous of his brothers 
and kills one after another Ne 10.365. (These four incidents belong to the story of the 
man who married the eagle.)' 

1 This story has been recorded Irom Rivers Inlet, but without reference to the jealous uncle. His place 
is taken by a cruel chief, w ho maltreats his slaves R i 5.228. From the Seshelt we have it without the Test 
theme 8e 54. Another version has been recorded among the Lillooet, I.il 3'i>). The stories Tl 202 and 
Tl 229 are also related to this group. 



BOAS] COMPABATR'E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAIv" MYTHOLOGY 797 

A man kills the ten sons of his sister one after another. Afterwards another child 
is born in a magical way, who is Raven Tl 4.254. Raven takes the wife of Raven At 
Head Of Xass River out of the bo.x in which she is kept. Raven At Head Of Nass Ri\er 
becomes angry and tries to kill him Tl 119.' 

Astas \'isits the spirit of the hunters To'alaL !iL and seduces his wife. Then To'ala- 
LliL tries to kiU him BC 5.260. 

(la) A Father-In-Law Tries To Kill His Son-In-Law 

(30 versions: Ts 1.89; Ts 5.274; Ts 5.287; N 130; Sk 220; Sk 240; Tsts 267; BC 79; Ne 
5.171; Ne5.198;Ne5.199; Ne 9.195; Xe 9.211; Ne 11.201; K 5.136; K 9.460; K 10.96; 
Kll.12; Nell.238; Coo. 66; Coo. 70; Nu5.118; Squ.525; U209; Xtl2.39; LiI34o;Lil 
348; Sts 5.39; Chin 33; Kath 113. See also Quin 103, Chin 57, Wish 79, Till 30) 
He ^\Tio Got Supernatural Power From His Little Finger flies into the bedroom of 
the daughter of Many Ledges in the form of a spark. The woman says that her father 
kept her to marry him. ^^'hen Many Ledges learns that ,his daughter has married se- 
cretly, he tries to kill his son-in-law Sk 240. Supernatural Being Who Went Naked goes 
to a chief's house. The girls see him and want to marry him. He takes a lame girl. 
His father-in-law tries to kill him Sk 220. The Chief In Heaven induces Asdi-wa'l 
to come to his house, and gi-s-es him his daughter in marriage, then he tries to kill 
him Ts 1.89, Ts 5.287. Ts'ak' visits a chief who lives beyond a burning mountain, 
and marries his daughter. The chief tries to kill him N 129. Gwa'=nalalis wishes 
Q la'neqe^lak" to marry his daughters. After he has done so, he tries to kill him 
Ne 5.198, Ne 9.195, Ne 11.196. The story of Dza'wadalalis's daughter, who marries 
Q!a'neqe«lak", is just like the preceding K 5.136, K 9.459, K 10.96, Ne 11.238; and 
the tale of Qa'mxulal belongs to the same group K 11.12, Ne 5.199. The Chief In 
Heaven tries to kill his son-in-law Ts 5.274, BC 79, Tsts 267, Ne 5.171, Ne 9.211, Co 
5.66, Co 5.70, Nu 5.118, Squ Hill-Tout 3. .525. 

A cannibal tests his son-in-law Ntl Teit 2.39, U 209. Supernatural people test 
the Wolf, who wants to mari-y one of their daughters Lil 348. The Transformers 
are tested by a girl's father Lil 345. The Moon tests a man who has married the Sun's 
daughters rather than those of the Moon Sts 5.39. 

Different from the preceding are a number of Test tales in which 
transformers are challenged to contests Quin 103, Chin 57, Wish 79, 
Tdl 30. 

(2) The Sxappixg Door 

(15 versions: N 130; Ri 5.228; H 5.239; BC 75; BC 5.253; Ne 5.186; Ne 5.204; K Boas 
5.387; K 5.136; K 5.166; K 9.460; Nu 5.118; Co 5.81; Squ Hill-Tout 3.525; Till 30) 

^^^len Ts'ak' reaches the house of the chief, he coimts four, the door opens, and 
he places his crj'stal cars-ing across so that it can not close again. Then he goes to 
the chief's daughter N 129 . The door of a house in the Salmon \-illage snaps at visitors 
who enter BC 75. The door of Dza'wadalalis's house kills \'i3itors. G'i'i approaches 
the door, pretends to enter, jumps back, and then jumps in when the door opens 
again. He marries the prince-ss K 5.136. Q la'neqe^lak" enters Dza'wadalalis's 
house. He follows the daughter, whom he has married, in the form of an ermine, 
and thus passes through the door K 9.460 1 mentioned also in K Boas 5.387). The house 
of the Heavenly Chief has a snapping door Nu 5.118. The house of Bright Day has 
a snapping door Squ Hill-Tout 3.525. 

' See the discussion of this incident on pp. 621, 641. 



798 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

The idea of the elosmg door which kills people occurs also inde- 
pendently of the Test theme in many of the stories of the North 
Pacific coast. 

The entrance to the house of Alklunda'm is described as an eagle, which bites 
every one who enters BC 5.253. The entrance to the house of the sea spirit Q lo'moqwa 
is described as a canoe-swallowins monster H 5.239. The house of the Thunderbird 
catches the heel of a person who jumi).s in Ri 5.228. A chieftainess, one of the ancestors 
of the Nfewettee, is said to have built a house with a snapping door Ne 5.186. The 
same is told of a Kwakiutl family K 5.166. Among the Comox the house of the owner 
of the fire also has a snapping door Co 5.81. A trail is obstructed by the snapping 
mouth of a monster Ne 5.204. 

In a Tillamook tale the lightning-door is described. A \'isitor jumps in; when he 
jumps out again, the door cuts off half of his back Till 30. 

(2 a) The Closing Cave 

(6 version.';: Ts 130; Ts 1.97; Ts 5.274; Tl 314; M 421; Sk 332. See also BC 5.253; 

n 5.239; H 5.228; Ne 5.186; K 5.166; Co 5.81; Till 30) 

Asdi-wa'l is sent to get water from a spring in a cave that closes. The slave who 
accompanies him is killed. Then Asdi-wa'l counts. The fourth time he jumps in, 
draws the water, and escapes Ts 1.97. 

Here belongs also the incident in the story of Nalq, who passes through the cave 
which closes Ts 130. and of the boy who went to marry Many Ledges and spits 
medicine on the closing cave M 421. 

Parallel to these are undoubtedly the stories of the opening and 
closing hole in the sky ami of the opening and closing of the horizon. 
The former belongs to the Tsunshian version of the origin of Raven. 

Sucking Intestines reaches the hole in the sky. He counts four times and then 
passes through Ts 5.274. The moWng horizon occurs in the Salmon story Tl 314. 
In a Skidegate tale, travelers reach the edge of the sky, which opens and shuts down. 
Two of them are cut in two, two e.-scape Sk 332 (see No. 3, p. 737). In Tl 103 the 
motive of the SjTnplegades appears in var>-ing forms. 

In the interior the closing cave appears in the tale of the transformation of the 
marmot (No. 9. p. 613). 

(2 b) Dangerous Animals Watch The Door 
(7 versions; Nu 5.118; Sts 5.32, 39; U 209; U 250; Ntl Teit 3.307; Chin 55) 

In the southern versions we find, in addition to the closing door, 

the idea that dangerous animals protect the entrance. 

When Anthtine tries to enter the house of the Heavenly Chief, a watchman calls 
the animals. The visitor rubs himself with slime of snails, and the rats and snakes 
that protect the house can not attackhim. ^^'hen the door snaps, he jumps back, and 
jumps through as soon as it opens again. Then he marries the girl Nu 5.118. The 
entrance of the house of the Sun is watched by two large wolves. The visitor tlirows 
bones at them, which stick in their throats. Then he jumps past them into the house 
Sts5.39. — In another StsEelis story, animals watching a trail are mentioned Sts 5.32. 

In the interior we do not find stories in which the snapping door is 
mentioned, but merely the watcMul animals that kill all intruders. 

In a Test story of the Lower Thompson Indians, Grizzly Bear and Rattlesnake ap- 
pear as watchdogs V 209. In another Lower Thompson tale the door is protected 
by Rattlesnake, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, and Wolf L' 250. In a Nicola \'alley 
tale Wolf, Panther, Grizzly Bear, and Rattlesnake are the protectors of the door of 
Deer's house Ntl Teit 3.307. In the contest story Chin 55 there are also animals 
watching the door. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 799 

(3) The Spine Seat 

(15 versions: N 130; Tl 4.256; Ne 5.171; Ne 9.211; K 5.136; K 9.173; K 9.460; K 10.97; 

Ne 11.240; Xe 11.243; Nu 5.111; Nu 5.118; Co 5.66; Sts 5.39; Squ Hill-Tout 3.526. 

See also Nu ap 895). 

The chief places liis nephew on a board and tries to cut his neck with a siiw set 
with glass or obsidian teeth Tl 4.256. 

Although apparently this part of the Raven legend differs some- 
what from the ordinary Spine Seat tale, I think it may belong here. 
It is, however, worth remarkuig that north of Nass River we do 
not find any other mention of the spine seat. 

The chief orders a bear skin to be spread out in the middle of the house. Its hair 
is very long and kills those who sit on it. Ts'ak" places an ice cari'ing under his feet 
and breaks the hair, then he sits down and marries the princess N 130. The youth 
who becomes the father of the Raven is called out of the young woman's room. He 
jumps down and slides over the floor, thus breaking off the spines with which it is 
set Ne 5.171. The youth who is to become the father of Greedy One is called out of 
the yoimg woman's room by her father, who spreads the death mat. Through his 
supernatural power he survives Ne 9.211. 

Dzawada'lalis asks G'i'i to sit down on the death seat. The young man fastens 
flat stones under his feet and on his back, and breaks all the spines K 5.136. Q!a'- 
neqe^lak" is called by Dzawada'lalis out of the young woman's room. Q la'neqe^lak" 
puts on his ermine skin, is thrown on the spine mat, and is apparently dead. He is 
thrown out of the house, but returns unharmed. On the following day he appears 
in the same way in the form of a deer, is thrown on the spine mat and apparently 
killed K 9.460. Q.'a'neqe^lak" is called out of the yoimg woman's room. He puts 
on the deer mask, jumps on the spine seat, seems to die, and is thrown out of the 
house. He reenters in the form of an ermine. On the following day he jumps out in 
the shape of a mountain goat, then that of a grizzly bear, and the same happens as 
before K 10.97. In stUl another version he comes out of the room every time in the 
form of a deer and reenters in the form of an ermine Ne 11.240. In the same version 
this test, is followed by the heat test (see p. 806). Then he is called again to come 
out of the room, appears in the form of a grizzly bear, and destroys the quartz on the 
spine mat. After this he brings out his wife Ne 11.243. 

AMien Anthtine enters the house of the Heavenly Chief, he ])laces stones under his 
feet and on his back, and breaks the spines of the seat Nu 5.118. 

K !wek !waxa'we^ is found by the Salmon chief after having married the Salmon 
Girl. He is called to come out of the room and asked to sit down on the settee, which 
is set with squid bones. K!wek!waxa'we^ puts a sandstone on his back and crushes 
the spines K 9.173. Boys are told to sit down on a porcupine. Before they enter 
the house, One Leg, the Crane, has made them sit down on slate. By this means their 
skin has become hard and they break the quills Co. 5.66. The visitor is made to 
sit down on a bearskin which is full of sharp claws. He fills his blanket with stones; 
and when he throws himself on the bear skin, these break off the claws Squ Hill- 
Tout 3.526. His skin has been hardened so that he can break the spines Sts 5.39. 

Another Nootka story may belong here. ' 

The Wolves have taken away a prince in order to initiate him. He has covered 
himself with a seal skin, and the Wolves believe that he is a dead seal. They notice 
that he is not like other seals, and think he is still alive. They pass the place where 
they kill game. The ground at this place is covered with sharp spines, and the Wolves 
trj' to throw him onto these. They are, however, unable to do so Nu 5.111. 

In the Nootka story of the origin of the fire, it is said that the floor 
of the house of the Wolf who owns the fire is set with spikes (Nij ap 895) . 



800 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

(4) Falling Tree 

(10 versions: Ts 1.101; Tl 119; Tl 4.256; Sk 240; BC5.260; Ne5.199; K 11.12; 00 5.67; 

Kath 113; Coos' 27) 

The >outh Raven is sent to cut fuel. Skeletons of those who ha\e been killed lie 
at the foot of the tree. When he begins to cut it, pieces of glass fall down, but do 
not harm him. He carries the wood home and starts an enormous fire Tl 4.256. 
Raven At Ilead Of Nass River sends Raven to fell a tree. The tree falls on him, but 
can not kill him because his body is made of rock Tl 119. He Who Got Supernatural 
Power From His Little Finger is sent to cut down an alder tree. His wife tells him 
not to start cutting it until after lightning has flashed in it four times. His father-in- 
law gives him a stone wedge. The alder tree comes together four times, lightning 
shoots forth four times, then he spits medicine and begins to chop it. He is held tight 
by the wood. Then he calls his father's supernatural powers, who have their hair 
tied in bunches with cedar limbs. Two carry wedges; two, hammers. They split 
the wood, i)ull him out, and he heals himself by rubbing his body with medicine. 
Human bones burst out of the wood. He kicks the alder to pieces, and ordains that 
it shall be useful to people Sk 240. 

Asdi-wa'l is sent to get firewood. Bones are scattered around the foot of the tree. 
The tree leans over; and when he strikes it, it falls on the father-in-law's slave and 
kills him Ts 1.101. 

The Bellacoola version 5.260 is probably somewhat distorted. 

A'stas, who has become the lover of the wife of the hunting-spirit, is sent by the 
latter to fetch fuel. In doing so he falls, but is saved by an amulet of bird's down. 
I presume this incident is analogous to those here discussed. 

Qa'mxulal complains that he has no luewood. Q la'neqe^lak", the son-in-law, goes, 
pushes over a pine tree, pulls off the bark, and carries it home. It forms an inexhaus- 
tible supply K 11.12. Possibly a similar idea is referred to in another version of 
this tale, in which Q la'neqe^lak" is sent with other slaves to get wood and proves to 
be of very great strength. He throws over a tree, piles the wood up in the canoe, and 
later on starts a fire which destroys Qa'mxulal's house Ne 5.199. The father-in-law 
orders the youth to get fuel. They ask the Woodpecker to cause the bark of a tree 
to fall down. They carry it home, give a small piece to their father-in-law, who 
scolds. He finds, however, that the supply is inexliaustible Co. 5.67. 

It will be seen from this svmimary that the last three versions 
differ essentially from the preceding ones, so that obviously the 
incident of the falling tree that is to kill the son-in-law belongs to 
the northern group of tales. 

The following two tales are also related to the falling-tree test: 

An old man, the relative of a woman married to Panther, tells Mink, the younger 
brother of Panther, to go with him to get fuel. They throw the tree over by starting 
a fire at its base. The old man makes the tree fall on Mink. Wlien he goes to the 
canoe, he finds that Mink has loaded the canoe Kath 113. 

A youth marries Sun and Moon, the daughters of the chief in heaven. The father- 
in-law goes with the young man to chop wood. He is given a digging-stick to uproot 
a fir tree. The whole tree comes down, but the youth flies away to one side and ia 
unharmed, Coos 27. 

The falling tree occurs in a different connection in the Transformer tales of the in- 
terior (see No. 6, p. 612). 

' Leo J. Frachtenberg, Coos Texts ( Colurnbia University Contribution to Anthropology, vol. i, 1913). 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 801 

(4 a) Wedge Test 

(28 versions: Kodiak 90; N 133; Tl 119; Tl 4.25G; Sk 277; BC 81; Ne 5.198; K 5.136; 

Ne 9.197; K 9.4«1; K 10.98; Ne 10.365; Ne 11.202; Ne 11.244; Nu o.llB; Nu 

ap 909; Coa 5.67; Co6 5.70; Sts 5.39; Squ Hill-Tout 3.526; Chil 25; Ntl Teit 2.39; 

r 209; Lil 345, 349; Quin 113; Chin 34; Coos ' 27) 

The uncle asks the youth to help him get wood. He starts to split a big log, drops 
his wedge, and tells the youth to jump in. Tlien the uncle knocks out the other 
wedges and leaves. The youth rubs the log with a sour cranberry, which causes it to 
open. He goes home and throws the wood down at his uncle's door, Kodiak 90. The 
uncle goes with his nephew to split a rotten tree. The uncle drops a wedge and asks 
the youth to get it. ^^^lile he is in, the uncle knocks out the brace. The youth cuts 
it from inside and comes out. He carries one-half of the tree home and throws it 
down in front of the house Sk 277. Klwexala'lagilis takes his youngest brother to 
split wood . The youth borrows the wren mask . K ! wexala'lag ■ ilis throws his hammer 
into the spread tree, and, when his brother jumps in, knocks out the props. The 
youth puts on the wren mask, and jumps out before the tree closes. He kicks the 
two halves apart and carries them home Ne 10.365. (These three incidents belong 
to the story of the man who married among the Eagles.) 

I suspect that the Kodiak version is somewhat distorted. It seems 
more likely that the red cranberry was intended to make the imcle 
beheve that the juice was the boy's blood. 

The uncle asks Raven to help him spread his canoe. \Mien he is inside, the uncle 
knocks out the spreading-sticks, and the canoe closes over him. Raven breaks the 
canoe, carries the halves home, and throws them down in front of his uncle Tl 4. 250. 
Raven At Head Of Nass River asks Raven to clean out a canoe. AMien he obeys, the 
canoe closes upon him. He breaks the i?anoe with his elbows and cuts it up for fire- 
wood Tl 119. Ts'ak' is sent by his father-in-law to split a tree. The slaves drive in 
the wedges with their long-handled stone hammers, push Ts'ak' in, and knock out 
the wedges. They beUe\e they see blood coming out, which, however (as may be 
assumed), is in reality red ocher. He kicks the tree apart, carries one-half on his 
shoulders, and throws it into the father-in-law's house, so that the front breaks N 133. 

Dzawada'lalis asks his son-in-law to get wood for making a cradle for his grandchild. 
The father-in-law throws the hammer into the open tree; and when the youth crawls 
in, he knocks out the props. Blood seems to ooze out. The son-in-law escapes; and 
when the old man reaches his canoe, he finds the youth lying down in the bow K 
5.136. Q la'neqo'lak" hides alder bark and bird's down in his armpits. He is induced 
to crawl into the tree, as before. He lets the alder juice ooze out, which the father- 
in-law believes to be blood. He blows out the bii-d's down, which the father-in-law 
believes to be brains. Q !a'neqe-lak" puts on the wren skin, hops over the trees, 
and thus makes it split. He carries the wood to the canoe K 9.461. A second xqy- 
sion is practically identical with the preceding. Q la'neqe^lak" escapes in the shape 
of a wi'en and carries the cedar home K 10.98. AVe ha^•e another version of the 
same story. Q la'neqe'lak" spits out the juice of the alder bark, puts on the wren 
mask, and escapes. He follows his father-in-law and gives him the hammer. The 
same test is repeated, and this time Q la'neqe^lak" kicks the cedar apart and carries 
home one-half of it. The father-in-law pretends that he has been going to get help 
K 11.244. 

Gwa'^nalalis asks his son-in-law to help him split boards for a house. He throws 
in his hammer, and the same happens as before. Qla'neqMak" gets out of the tree, 

' Leo J. Frachtenberg, Coos Texts. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 51 



802 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. anx. 31 

follows his father-in-law, and gives him the hammer Xe 5.198. Gwa'^naialis goes 
with his son-in-law to split boards, throws in his hammer, knotks out the props. 
Blood seems to come out. Q la'neqe^lak" follows him, carrying the hammer. The 
same happens a second time Ne 9.197; Ne 11.202. 

La'iq asks the youths, his sons-in-law, to help him split boards. The young men 
borrow a bird's blanket and red and white paint. The father-in-law throws in his 
hammer; and when the young people jump in, he knocks out the props. Blood and 
brains seem to come out. The boys fly home and arri\e there first Co 5.67. The 
same is repeated in Co 5.70, where the youth flies out of the tree in the form of a 
woodpecker, passing close by La'iq. Anthti'ne's father-in-law goes with him to split 
wood. He throws in the hammer; and when Anthtine crawls in to get it, he knocks 
out the props. However, the old man is unable to kill the youth Nu 5.118. [He 
transforms himself into mucus, which runs out of the crack Nu ap 909.] The latter goes 
with his father-in-law to help him build a canoe. The canoe is of stone and has a 
deep fissure. The old man throws his chisel in and tells the boy to get it. Wlien 
he is inside, he makes it close. The youth throws pipe-clay over his shoulder, which 
the old man believes to be his brains. The young man finds bones of many peojjle 
down below, but passes out and overtakes the old man before he gets home Squ Hill- 
Tout 3.526. 

The Moon asks the young man who has rejected his daughters to help him get a 
cedar. The Moon throws hLs hammer into the crack and knocks out the props in order 
to kill the young man, who puts in two bones that have been given to him. He throws 
out white paint, which the Moon believes to be the youth's brains. When the old 
man opens the tree to get the body, he finds the young man sitting inside unharmed 
Sts5.39. 

A cannibal sends his son-in-law to split a tree. His companion, by means of magic, 
causes the tree to surround the boy. He thinks he sees blood and brains ooze out, 
which, however, in reality are red and white paint, which the boy spits out. The 
boy spUts the tree with a stone arrow-head (wedge U 209), carries the drj- wood 
home, and throws it down into the underground lodge Ntl Teit 2.39. A youth is told 
to split wood. It is made hard by magic, then suddenly soft, so that the wedges 
drop out into the crack. The youth is told to get them, and the people cause the 
crack to close. He spits out red paint, puts his "thunder-stone'' across, and is saved. 
When the people are gone, he splits the wood and carries it home, when it assumes a 
large bulk Lil 349. The old people send their son-in-law to get firewood. The youth, 
who appears as a decrepit old man, seems to cut it down with difficulty. The youth 
is attacked and killed. \Mien the people leave, he arises, gathers the wood, makes 
it assume the size of a small bundle, and takes it home Lil 345. 

The same incident occurs also in a Quinault and a Chinook tale. 

The Thunderer asks his son-in-law to help him split a log. He tells him to crawl 
in and stem his arms against the log. Then he knocks out the wedges. The young 
man breaks the log and carries it home Quin 113, Chin 34. 

There are a few strongly aberrant tales of this group. 

The Sun asks his son-in-law to help him split wood. They select a snag. The 
Sun drops his hammer into the water. He sends his son-in-law to get it. As 
soon as the youth dives, the Sun causes the sea to freeze and goes home. He tells 
his daughters that his son-in-law has drifted away. The youth assumes the form of 
a fish and jumps out of a crack in the ice. Then he goes back to the house, carrj-ing 
the hammer BC 81. The Sun is splitting wood with a stone ax. The head of the ax 
flies off and falls into the lake. The boy dives for it, but the Sun has placed nets at 
different levels in the water. He slips through the first net in the form of a fish, 
through the second in the form of a hair, and carries the ax back to the Sun ChQ 25. 



BOASJ COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 803 

Analogous to this and perhaps to the Katlilamet (114) talc of 
Mink, who is thrown into the water in a wedge basket, is the following 
Coos mcident: 

The chief and his son-in-law load a canoe with wood. The chief throws his hammer • 
into the water, and the youth dives for it. ^^^lile he is under water, the chief 
causes ice to form, which the youth breaks, Coos 27. 

The old chief keeps fish in front of his house, who kill every one who goes bathing. 
^\■hen splitting wood, he lets his hammer fly into the water, and sends Anthti'ne to 
dive for it. The fish can not harm him Xu 5.118. 

(5) Precipice 

(10 versions: Ts 1.89; Ts .5.287; Kodiak 91; Tl 201; Sk 277; BC 80; BC 5.2C0; Ne"l0.369; 

Chil2C; Lil 346) 

The uncle takes the youth to get ducks and e^s. They ascend a steep bluff. The 
boy takes eagle down in each hand between thumb and first finger. 'When the uncle 
pushes him down the precipice, he is carried down by the down and alights safely. 
He gathers in ducks and eggs, is carried up by the bird's down by blowing under it, 
and goes back to his uncle's house, Kodiak 91. The youth is given by his father a 
bracelet of eagle down. By turning it he is able to avoid danger. The jealous uncle 
puts sharp-pointed sticks around a high tree, takes his nephew up to the top, and 
throws him down. He lands safely TI 201. The uncle asks hLs nephew to go with 
him to a cormorant rock. The boy takes a weasel skin and feather. There is a net 
on top of the high cliff in which a cormorant is caught. When the boy goes up, the 
uncle pushes him down. He puts himself into the feather and lands safely. Then 
he climbs up in the form of a weasel, sets the net, and catches many cormorants Sk 277. 
The jealous man asks hLs younger brother to accompany him to the cormorant rock. 
He lets his younger brother down by a rope and then cuts it. The youth transforms 
himself into an ermine and escapes K 10.369. (These four versions belong to the storj' 
of the man who married among the Eagles.) 

In the following group the precipice test is connected with moun- 
tain-goat hunting. 

Asdi-wa'l is told to hunt mountain goats. When on top of the mountain, he puts up 
his cane and dresses it with his hat and raincoat. His father-in-law produces a fog; 
and when it clears away, the figure is seen on top of the moimtain, and the people 
believe that he can not mo\-e. Meanwhile the youth has gone across the mountain. 
He finds the house of the mountain goats, where the goats are dancing. He kills a 
great many and returns Ts 1.91. The same is told in Ts 5.287. Asi'wa is sent by his 
father-in-law to hunt moimtain goats. The bones of people are at the foot of the 
moimtain. The old chief produces fog by throwing water over red-hot stones. The 
youth puts up his dressed cane and waits until the fog disappeare. Then he kills 
many mountain goats and returns. 

A'stas goes with the Mountain Spirit to hunt mountain goats. The spirit sends a 
serpent in pursuit of the hunter. It causes a rock-slide; but A'stas is saved by his 
amulet, and assumes the form of a feather BC 5.260. The Sun transforms his daughters 
into mountain goats, and orders his son-in-law to hunt them. The Sun ad\ises him 
to climb the right-hand side of the mountain, and gives him four arrows with weak 
points. After he has spent his arrows, the goats throw him down the precipice. He 
is transformed into a ball of bird's down and alights safely. Then he shoots the goats 
with his own arrows BC 80. The Sun sends the youth to hunt mountain sheep and 
pushes him over the edge of the precipice. Before reaching the ground he turns 
into a flying squirrel and lands safely Chil 26. 



804 TSIMSHIAN- MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

The parents-in-law order the boy to go up a mountain huntinsr. ^^'hile he is away, 
they cause a snowfall, but he escapes on his snowshoes. He kills much game, which 
he reduces in size, ^\^len he has carried it home, he throws it into the house, and it 
becomes as large as before Lil 34G. 

(6) Drowning 

(9 versions: N 134; Tl 4.257; BC 81; Co 5.67-, Squ Hill-Tout 3.527; Ntl Teit 2.40; 

U 210; Lil 346; Kath 114) 

There are various forms in which the attempt to drown the youth 
is described — ^in a whu'lpool, or in the rapid current of a river, or in 
other Vays. 

The uncle instructs the Raven to catch a devilfish, ^^^len he stands in the bow 
of the canoe, ready to harpoon it, the imcle causes him to fall overboard, but Raven 
saves himself Tl 4.257. 

Ts'ak' is sent to spear a seal. The chief's nephew and two slaves accompany him. 
When Ts'ak' is standing in the bow of the canoe, ready to harpoon the seal, he is to 
be pushed into the whirlpool in which the seals are swimming. Instead of this, 
Ts'ak' pushes the slave into the whirlpool N 134. 

The Sun asks his son-in-law to 'help him raise the trap of the salmon weir. The 
youth is in the bow of the canoe. The Sun causes it to rock, and he makes the youth 
walk to the trap over the top beam of the weir. Then he upsets the beam, and the 
youth falls into the whirlpool below the weir. The youth takes the form of a salmon, 
lands, and returns safely BC 81. 

La'iq transforms his dog into a bird and orders his sons-in-law to kill it. ITiey go 
out in their canoe. La'iq causes a gale to arise; but the boys, by singing and beating 
time on the gunwale, produce good weather and return safely Co 5.67. The father- 
in-law transforms his dog into a loon, which the youth is to shoot. He is unable to 
kill it, asks his vdie for her father's kettle, and pursues the loon in it. The old man 
shakes his bear-skin garment, turns it several times, and puts it on again, and thus 
produces a gale. The young man kills the loon, which, on dying, barks like a dog. 
The youth sings, and the tempest subsides. On his way home he kills many ducks 
Squ 527. 

The father-in-law orders the youth to spear a salmon. His companion tells him to 
wait until a fish comes along with a man's head and hair. He does so; and when 
he spears it, he is taken down into the water. The youth, however, overcomes the 
monster and carries it home Ntl Teit 2.40, U 210. The same incident occurs in a 
Lillooet tale. The youth returns, carrying two water monsters Lil 346. 

Here belongs probably also an incident in a Kathlamet Test tale. 

Mink is put into a basket containing wedges and hammer. The old man who takes 
him along makes the canoe shake so that the bag falls into the water. Mink, however, 
escapes and carries home wedges and hammer Kath 114. 

(7) The Devilfish 

(4 versions: Tl 178, 199; Tl 4.2.57; Sk 241) 

The youtli is sent by his mother-in-law to capture the giant devilfish. By 
magic means he makes it small and takes it home, where it swells up Tl 178. 
The youth takes the devilfish stick of his imcle. By turning his bracelet around 
twelve times he causes the devilfish to become small. He kills it and drags it home 
on his stick. He enters and throws it down in front of his uncle, where it reassumes 
its natural size Tl 199. The uncle sends Raven to get the devilfish. \\'hen Raven 
is ready to harpoon it, he throws him overboard. The youth kills the de-^-ilfish, goes 



BOAS] COMPARATH-E STUDY 01? TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 805 

home, and throws it down in front of his uncle Tl 4.257. The chief sends his son-in-law 
to get the dexilfish. His wife tells him not to attack it until it has spit upward and 
until there has been lightning four times. He shoots it with arrows received from 
his father. It shoots up water four times. Then he spits medicine on it and is swal- 
lowed. He thinks of his father's helpers. Four of these appear and chib the devilfish 
in its eyes. They pull out the youth. He cures himself by spitting medicine on 
his body. There are many human bones in the devilfish. He tears it apart, and 
ordains that it shall be useful to man. He carries half of the devilfish home and throws 
it down at the door of the house Sk241. 

(7 a) The Clam 

(5 versions: Kodiak 92; Tl 200; Sk 24.3; Sk 278; Ne 10.368) 

The uncle invites the youth to go with him to get clams. They wade into the 
water until they find a -v-ery large one. ^^^len the boy bends over, the clam closes 
over him. He cuts the ligament-s with his knife and escapes, Kodiak 92. The uncle 
takes the youth along the beach and pushes him into the clam. The youth turns his 
bracelet four times, is transformed into a ball of feathers, cuts the clam, and gets out 
Tl 200. The imcle takes him to .get a cockle and pushes him in, but the youth cuts 
the ligaments with his knife. Half of the cockle he throws away, and half he carries 
home and throws it down in the house Sk 278. The jealous brother sends his youngest 
brother to kill the giant cockle. He takes a fire-drill along, i.s swallowed by the 
cockle, starts a fire inside, and comes out unharmed Ne 10.369. (These incidents 
belong to the tale of the youth who married among the Eagles.) 

The youth is sent to get a clam. His vriie tells him to wait until the clam has spit 
out water four times. After it has done so, the boy digs it out, and finds himself in 
its mouth. His father's supernatural helpers appear, strike the ligaments of the clam, 
and pull him out. He scatters half of it and ordains that people shall make use of it. 
The other half he takes home and throws it down in the house Sk 243. 

(7 b-d\ Sea Lion. Seal, axd Eagle 
(3 versions: Tl 178: M 423; Sk 241) 

The incident of sending the youth to kill Yarious animals that are 
to destroy him is enlarged upon in one of the Skidegate Yersions. 
After having been sent to kill the devilfish, he is to get a sea lion, a 
seal, an eagle, and a clam. The mcidents are all of the same character. 

He Who Got Supernatural Power From His Little Finger is sent by Many Ledges to 
club a sea lion. His wife tells him not to attack it until after it has looked at him 
and growled four times. He does so, but the sea lion sucks him in. His father's super- 
natiu-al helpers kill the sea Hon with clubs, pull out the youth, who restores himself 
by putting medicine on his body. Then he pulls the sea lion apart, scattere one half, 
and ordains that it shall be useful. The other half he throws down in the house of his 
father-in-law. Exactly the same happens with the seal. 'When he is sent to get the 
eagle, his wife says, "Go to it after its eye mucus has dropped four times." He shoots 
it from two sides, scatters one half of it, and ordains that it shall be useful. The other 
half he takes home and throws it down in the house Sk 242. — In M 423 the youth 
is sent to kill the eagle, seal, and de\'ilfish. In the analogous Tlingit story he has 
to overcome de\dlfish, rat, and sculpin Tl 178. 

(7 e) Dogs 

(1 version: Ne 10.368) 

The jealous brother sets fire to the roof of the house and asks his yotmgest brother 
to extinguish it, intending to have him killed by the ferocious dogs which he keeps 
on top of the house. Tlie youth kills the dogs Ne 10.368. 



806 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

(7/) The Woodpecker, Bear, Grizzly Bear, Raccoon, Panther 
1,8 versions: BC 82; K 11.18; Co 5.68; Sts 5.39; Quin 113; Chin 33; Kath UG; Wi.sh 87) 

The incidents grouped together here belong to the southern Test 
stories. The fathcr-in-hiw sends the youth to capture wild animals, 
and is attacked by them. 

Qa'mxulal asks his son-in-law Q la'neqe^lak" to bring two woodpeckers to peck off 

the insects from the house. Q la'neqe^lak" obeys, and orders them to continue pecking 

day and night K 11.13. La'iq orders his sons-in-law to bring the woodpecker. They 

obey Co 5.68. Both of these incidents are followed by the revenge of the animals 

(see No. 14, p. 810). The Sun asks his son-in-law to catch a bird. He brings it, and 

the bird pecks out the Sun's eyes BC 82. The Moon sends the youth to catch the 

red bear. His grandmothers make two bears out of wood. Their combs become the 

paws. He takes them home Sts 5.39. The Thunderer orders his son-in-law to catch 

two wolves, saying that they are his playmates. His son-in-law obeys. They bite 

the old man, who says that they ha\e forgotten him and orders them to be taken back. 

The same happens in order with black bears, grizzly bears, and panthers Chin 33. 

The Thunderer sends the youth to get snow, mountain lions, and bears. The snow 

is inexhaustible, the animals scratch the old man, who orders snow and animals to 

be taken back Quin 113. Mink is ordered by an old relative of his brother's wife to 

bring first two wolves, then two bears, two raccoons, grizzly bears. The form of the 

story is practically identical with the Chinook story Kath 116. The people are 

ordered to bring a maiden's little dogs. They take five grizzly bears, make them 

small by their magic powers, and take them to the house. The grizzly bears fight 

among themselves, and the people who brought them are ordered to take them back 

Wish 87. 

(8) Berries in Winter 

(3 versions: K 11.12; Co 5.68; Squ Hill-Tout 3.528) 

Qa'mxulal asks his son-in-law Q la'neqe^lak" to pick salmonberries, although it is 
winter. Q la'neqe^lak" brings back a small basketful of berries, which always remain 
the same in quantity, so that the people are unable to eat them K 11.12. La'iq sends 
his son-in-law to pick cranberries. The young people go to their grandfather, a water 
spirit, and ask him to whistle. When he does so, bushes sprout, bloom, and bear 
fruit. They carry the berries home, and La'iq is unable to empty the dish Co 5.68. 
The youth chews alder-bark and blows the juice on cedar bark, which he transforms 
into salmonberries. Hummingbird, Bumblebee, and Wren fly about them and ripen 
them Squ Hill- Tout 3.528 (see also p. 696). 

(9) The Heat Test 

(24 versions: Ts 1.103; N 131; Tl 89; Tl 119; M 350; M 421; M 422; Sk 243; Sk 278; 
Tsts 267; BC 79; K 5.136; K 10.339; Ne 11.242; Nu 5.118; Chil 25; Lil 348; Ntl Teit 
2.39; U209; Quin 104; Chin 58; Wish 83; Till 30; Till 136) 

The jealous uncle takes the youth to bark which is burning. When the youth tries 
to get it, the uncle pushes him into it. The youth covers himself with mud and does 
not feel the heat. \\'hen the uncle leaves, the youth pushes the bark down, throws 
it about, and carries some home, where he throws it down in the house Sk 278. The 
same incident occurs in M 422. It is obviously a mixture of incident 4, of the falling 
tree, and of the fire test. 

In the northern stories the fire test has generally the following 
form. The youth is put into a kettle, in which he is boiled. When 
the kettle is uncovered, it is found that he is unharmed. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 807 

Raven At Head Of Xass Ri^er sends for Raven. \A'ater is heated in a large copper 
kettle, and he is told to go in. When the kettle is covered over, Raven changes him- 
self into a rock and comes out unharmed Tl 119. Hot stones are placed in a stone box 
lying near the door. The youth is told by his father-in-law to get in. He spits 
medicine upon himself, and the water gets cold. The box is covered, and after a 
while he taps upon the side. After a while he throws his hair out, kicks the box to 
pieces, and comes out unharmed Sk 243. Ts'ak''s father-in-law orders a box to be 
filled with water. Red-hot stones are thrown in, and Ts'ak' is ordered to jump in. 
He sits down in it, and the people see that his hair comes off. The water is poured 
out, and the youth arises unharmed X 131. In M 422 and in the doubtful story 
M 350 a boy is boiled. Asdi-wa'l's father-in-law has slaves make an oven, and orders 
his son-in-law to lie down on the red-hot stones. Agdi-wa'l receives from his father a 
piece of ice, which he is to put in his armpits. He is also given bones, which he is 
to stick out of the ashes. He lies down, is covered over, and fire is lighted over the 
oven. After some time the bones which he shoves out are seen. The slaves remove 
the ashes, and he arises. The stones are full of ice Ts 1.103. A similar test occurs 
as an incident of the Raven tale Tl 89. 

A youth who marries the daughter of the sky chief is put in an o\en by his father-in- 
law. When the fire has burnt out, he is still alive, but red-hot, so that he burns through 
a plank on which he is placed Tsts 267. 

In central British Columbia and farther to the south we find two 
types of heat tests. Either tlie man is seated close to the fire or he 
is sent into a sweat-house which is overheated. 

The Salmon boy who visits the Sun is placed near the fire. Tlien one of the deities 
wipes his face, and by this means produces from the floor of the house fire that scorches 
everything. The youth ties his blanket around his body and opens a bladder which 
contains cold wind, which cooks the house BC 79. Gi'i is placed by Dza'wadalalig 
close to the fire. He throws mussels into the fire, which almost extinguish it K 5.136. 
O'^meal marries the daugther of the Killer Whale. The Killer Whale calls him out 
of the room. His attendants drive stakes into the floor of the house, to which O'^meal 
is tied. A fire is made near by in order to burn him, but O'^meal enters the stake 
and comes out unharmed K 10.339. Q la'neqe^lak" is tied to a pole. A large fire is 
started near by. WTien it gets very hot, he hides in the poles. Then he puts on the 
ermine mask and runs back into the room of Dza'wadalalls's daughter Ne 11.242. 
Anthti'ne is placed next to a fire. He throws in mussels, which almost extinguish 
the fire. Four times the chief tries to burn him, but is unsuccessful \u 5.118. 

The incident of the sweat-house occurs among the Bellacoola, 
Chilcotin, and on the coast of Washington. 

The Salmon son is led by the Sun into a subterranean sweat-house made of stone. 
When it gets very hot, the youth opens the bladder containing cold wind. Snow 
begins to fall, which extinguishes the fire, and icicles form on the roof. The Sun's 
daughters are sent to clean the house, and find him unharmed BC 79. The Sun has 
an iron sweat-house. The Salmon boy who visits the Sun is put in. He lets out 
the cold, which he carries in a porcupine gut, and the house becomes cold. The Sun 
sends his daughter to clear out the bones, but the boy is aliv«. He says that he has 
been rolling skulls about in the sweat-house Chil 25. Four villagers go into one corner 
of the sweat-house, the four travelers into another, ^\'hen the heat becomes intolerable, 
Beaver and Land Otter dig a tunnel to the river, and they and their companion. Blue- 
jay, keep cool in the water. The villagers are almost overcome by the heat Quin 104. 
Bluejay and his friends, who visit the supernatural beings, are sent into a sweat-house 
which is a cave in a rock. The ch-ef of the birds takes ice along and it is cool. The 
supernatural beings who are sweating in another cave die of the heat Chin 58. Coyote 
and his son, by placing ice on their foreheads, survive the heat of a fire made in a 



808 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

house U 209. They are sent into a sweat-house made of stones. Beaver turns a 
somersault and produces a lake. They cool themselves in the water. When they 
throw stones into the water, people think their hearts are l^ursting. Tlie sweat-house 
is opened, and they come out unharmed Wish 83. The visitors of the people beyond 
the ocean are sent into a house heated by the breath of the people. The visitors call 
the Bear, Beaver, and Deer to help them, but they are unsuccessful. Raccoon sings, 
and a stream of water springs forth. The supernatural beings are drowned Till 30. 

East Wind, the father-in-law of Arrow Man, goes into his sweat-house. AMien he 
comes out, the stones are as cold as ice. ^Mien Arrow Man goes in, the sweat-house is 
overheated, so that he bursts Till 136. 

In a Lillooet tale that is more distantly related to this group, it is told that a youth 
who wishes to marry a woman is sent into an underground house, in which dripping 
fat bums through the visitors I.il 348. 

In M 421 a youth who went to marry a girl must pass, on his way to her, over 
burning ground. 

In a Thompson story a firo tost occurs, but I do not feel certain 
that it is related to the preceding ones. 

A youth is told that his father-in-law wants to kill him by means of fire, and the 
advice is given to him to step in the middle of a trail, where the fire can not hurt 
him Teit 2.39, U 209. 

This incident occurs in another connection in the traditions of the 
Kutenai.' It seems likely that in this casewehaveatraditionembody- 
ing the general Test theme of the coast tribes, in which, however, the 
incidents are filled in in accordance with analogous tales of the 
interior. In the same story four other tests — one of firo, one of 
water, one of wind, and one of cold — are briefly mentioned. A house 
killing by cold occurs Sh 671. 

One of the two contestants sings, and the other one overcomes him, until finally (he 
cold kills one of them Xtl Teit 2.40. 

In another heat test which is characteristic of a number of Thomp- 
son tales, the youth who is tested puts out the fire. 

The Lice build a fire over their visitors, who hide in a clamshell, and thus escape 
unharmed. This is repeated four times. The last time the boy makes a hole through 
the house by urinating. The urine stands like a rainbow, and he and his mother 
escape over it Ntl Teit 3.364. A cannibal tries to boil a boy in a kettle. He makes 
the kettle leak and puts out the fire Ntl Teit 3.317. The Frog, who, with his mother 
and aunt, is put into a kettle by a cannibal, makes a hole in it and puts out the fire 
by urinating U 253. 

(9 a) The Smoke Test 

(3 versions: Ntl Teit 3.364; Chin 56; Wish 79) 

A number of southern stories which describe a contest between 
people from this world who visit a foreign country and the super- 
natural beings who entertain them, contain a heat test of different 
character. 

Eagle and his younger brothers visit the land beyond the ocean. They are put 
into a house in which dead men's bones burn as fuel. The smoke is to kill them. 
The supernatural beings send the Smoke Swallower to swallow the smoke, but Eagle 
and his brothers are unharmed Wish 79. The house of the supernatural people is 

1 Boas, Kutenai Tales (^Bulletin 69, Bureau of American Ethnology, pp. 49, 69J. 



BOAS] COMPARATH-E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 809 

full of smoke, whirh clears away when the Smoke Eater swallows it Chin 56. In the 
Thompson tale of the cannibal Lice mentioned before, the visitors are subjected to a 
smoke test before being baked in ashes Ntl Teit 3.364. 

(9 6) BuR>*ixG-FooD Test 

(1 version: Sk 240; 

He Who Got Supernatural Power From His Little Finger is called out by his father- 
in-law. He is given berries and grea.se. Flames come out of them. He swallows 
medicine, and is able to swallow the burning food, which passes through him without 
harming him Sk 240. 

(9 c) Swallowing Red-Hot Stones 

(2 versions: Sk221; Co 5.66) 

Supernatural Being Who Went Xaked is given four hard white stones that have 
been made red-hot. He swallows medicine, and is able to swallow the stones, that 
pass through him and burn through the floor planks Sk 221. The son-in-law is given 
a red-hot stone to eat. He jumps up, and the stone falls right through him Co 5.66. 

Tliis incident occurs frequently in other connections, particularly 
as part of the story of Raven who kills Grizzly Bear (see p. 682). 

(10) Poisonous Food 

(2 versions: Sk221; K 5.136) 

The father-in-law gives to the young man food that looks like five black cods. His 
wife warns him, saying that it is poison, and he does not eat it. ."Vfter that he is given 
real cods Sk 221. Dza'wadalalis gives his son-in-law meat of the double-headed ser- 
pent. It looks like salmon. The youth hides it under his blanket. Next he gives 
him eggs of the double-headed serpent K 5.136. 

This incident occurs more frequently in connection with contests 
between a host and his visitor, or with visits to a country in which 
human eyes, snakes, or frogs are the regular food of the inhabitants. 

Visitors are offered human eyes H 5.239, 240; Hi 5.220. Tliese are the crabapples of 
the people Ri 5.218. Frogs and snakes are offered to visitors in Nu 5.120; fat of the 
double-headed serpent Co 5.88; dried meat of the double-headed serpent K 9.3. 

(11) The Murderous Woman (Vagina Dentata) 

(22 versions: BC 5.266; BC76;Chill3; K 9.171; K 9.4.59; K 10.96; Ne 11.238; Co5.G6; 
Sts5.24, 30; U221; XtlTeit3.339, 366; Shoshoni; Dakota; Arapaho; Pa^vnee; Maidu; 
Wichita; Jicarilla Apache; Chukchee; Korj-ak.' See al.so M 349; Co 5.69; Ainu, 
PilsudsH 85; 2 Ainu, Chamberlin.' See pp. 604, No. 63; 614, No. 12; 773) 

In connection with the tests, we find very often the idea that the 
girl whom the young man marries kiUs all her husbands. In the 
most characteristic vei-sions her vagma is set with teeth, wliich are 
then broken out by means of a wedge or stone; or, in place of the 
teeth, a rattlesnake head is found. This form is characteristic of 

' See references in T. T. Waterman's article (^Journal of A mcrican Fnlk-Lort, vol. xxvn [1914], p. 49). 
• =Bronislaw Pilsudslii, Materials lor the Study of the Ainu Language and Folklore, Cracow, Imp. .icad. 
Sc, 1912, p. 85. 

3 Basil Hall Chamberlm (Folk-Lore, 1888). 



810 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. .".1 

the Thompson versions, and recalls the East European stories where 
a pike's mouth is introduced in its place. The Ainu tale mentioned 
above is analogous to the first-mentioned form of the incident. 

(12) The Youth Is Set Adrift 

(9 versions: Kodiak 92; Tl 202; M .513; Sk 271; Sk 273; Sk 278; Ne 10.370; Se 54; 
J.il 320. See also Ri .5.228) 

This incident is confined to the stor}- of the man who married 
among the Eagles. 

The jealous uncle makes a box, puts his nephew into it, ties up the box, and throws 
it into the sea. The box lands, and is found by the Eagle girls, Kodiak 92; Sk 271. 
The jealous uncle ties the youth to a board, takes him out to sea, and sends him 
adrift. The board lands on a sandy beach, and the boy is found by a number of girls 
Tl 202; Sk 273. The boy, while asleep on a bear skin, is put into a box, which is 
tied up. He is taken far out to sea and thro\vn overboard. He lands on a .sandy 
beach, and is found by two Eagle women Sk 278. The story M 513 is almost the 
same. The jealous brother puts the youth into a box covered with abalone shells. 
The youth takes a mouse along, and some tallow, which he uses for calking the 
inside of the box. The jealous brother ties a stone to the box and throws it over- 
board. The mouse gnaws a hole, gnaws through the anchor-line, and the box floats. 
The daughters of Thunderbird find it adrift and take it ashore. The youngest one 
takes it Ne 10.371. The youth is trapped on the chief's bed, which is covered with 
pitch. He is set adrift and lands at the home of the Eagle woman Se 54. 

The youth has a board fastened to his back under his shirt. When he is found with 
a young woman, the slaves are ordered to take him far out to sea and to throw him 
overboard. He drifts ashore, lights a fire, and takes off the board. A Mouse calls 
him. He finds under a bunch of grass the entrance to a house, and enters the house 
of the Bald-Headed Eagle Lil 320. 

The analogous Rivers Inlet story opens somewhat differentlv. 

A chief maltreats his twelve slaves. Eventually the latter tie him and desert him 
on an island. A Mouse calls him, and invites him to enter the house of the Thunder- 
bird Ri 5.228. 

(13) The Flood 

(3 versions: Tl 120; Tl 4.257; Ntl Teit 2.40) 

After Raven has thrown the devilfish into the house, it swells up and fills the house. 
At the same time the waters rise and flood the whole country Tl 4.257. Raven At 
Head Of Nass River, when unable to overcome the youth Raven, causes rain to pour 
down, puts on his hat, from which waters pour out, and floods the world Tl 120 (see 
p. 629). 

Related to this may be the Thompson incident of a contest between 
Coyote and his father-in-law, who have a trial of fire, water, wind, 
and cold (Ntl Teit 2.40; see also U 210). 

(14) The Revenge of the A.vimals 

(7 versions: Tl 201; Tl 4.257; BC 82; K 11.13; Co 5.68; Co 5.70; Sts 5.39) 

After the boy has thrown the devilfish down in front of his uncle, it assumes enormous 
proportions. The uncle is afraid, and begs the boy to take it away Tl 201. After 
Raven has thrown the devilfish into the house, it swells up and produces a flood 
Tl 4.257. Sun sends his son-iu-law to catch a bird. He does so. The bird is taken 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLO.GY 811 

into the house and pecks out the Sun's eyes BC 82. Tlie woodpecker which the 
son-in-law has brought kills Qa'mxulal K 11.13. The woodpecker which the sons-in- 
law have brought pecks out La'iq's eye.s. Next he sends them to get the double- 
headed serpent, which kills him Co 5.68, Co 5.70. The Moon sends his son-in-law to 
catch a red bear. He goes to his grandmothers, who make two bears out of wood and 
combs. The combs are their paws. He takes them home, and they scratch the 
Moon Sts 5.39. (See also p. 806 under 7/.) 

(15) Fish Kill Him 
(8 versions: K 5.137; Ne 9.1!»7; K 9.461; K 10.99; Nu ap 910; Co 5.67; Co 5.70; 

Squ Hill-Tout 3.528) 

G"i'i throws into the water cedar leaves, which are transformed into herrings. A 
whirlpool originates, and Dza'wadalalis asks his son-in-law to stop. Next he puts 
rotten wood into the water, which is transformed into dolphins, which jump against 
Dza'wadalalis and kill him. AMien they land, G-i'i resuscitates his father-in-law 
K 5.137. Q la'neqe^lak" carves porpoises otit of rotten wood and throws them into 
the water. They jump against the canoe and frighten the father-in-law. A gale 
arises. Sea monsters appear, which frighten the old man so that his intestines fall 
out of his body. Q la'neqe^lak" heals his father-in-law K 9.461. Q la'neqe^lak" carves 
dolphins out of rotten wood . They jump on Dza'wadalalis and kill him K 10.99, Nu ap 
910. Qla'neqMak" carves dolphins out of rotten wood. They jump at the head 
of Ciwa'-nalalis, sothat his face is swollen Ne9.197. La'iq goes fishing. • His hook gets 
entangled at the bottom of the water. His sons-in-law throw into the water animal 
figures made of gum, which become alive and frighten La'iq, so that his intestines 
fall out of his body. When a boy shoots at the intestines, they go back Co 5.67. La'iq 
goes with his son-in-law to catch red cod. Tlie youth chews gum that has been given 
to him by the Devilfish, and throws it into the water. It is trarsformed into whales, 
that jump at his father-in-law Co 5.70. The youth is sent to kill a loon. He plucks 
it, and tells it to bark when his father-in-law eats it. When the loon barks, the old 
man is frightened and becomes ill Squ Hill-Tout 3. 528. 

(16) Berries Grow Out of the Father-ix-T-aw's Body 
(6 versions: Ne 5.198; Ne 11.205; Co 5.68; K 11.13; Sts 5..39; Squ Hill-Tout 3.529) 

The youth brings berries to his father-in-law. When the latter eats them, a tree grows 
out of his body Ne 5.198. Qla'neqc-'lak" picks salmonberrics, and instructs them to 
sprout as soon as Gwa'^nalalis shall eat them. As soon as the old man does so, bushes 
grow out of his body Ne 11.205. In another version the salmonberries are inexhaus- 
tible K 11.12. The sons-in-law give a dish filled \vith cranberries to La'iq. It is 
inexhaustible. He gets impatient and throws it away. -A.t once a bush grows out 
of his belly Co 5.68. 

The youth obtains berries by magic. He sprinkles hemlock needles o\er them, 
instructs them to stick in his father-in-law's throat and to grow until they come out 
of his head Squ 529. 

Here belongs also the incident Sts 5.39, in which it is told that the youth is sent 
to catch trout. His grandmothers give him a stick, which they fill with many small 
bones. When he gives it to the Moon, the bones stick in his throat. 

(17) The Youth Takes Away the Canoe 

(3 versions: Ne 5.199; K 11.10; Co 5.70) 

The youth is left in charge of his father-in-law's canoe. He has assumed the shape of 
an old man; and while the father-in-law is ashore, he changes himself; the canoe goes 
out to sea, and he appears in his true form. Every time the father-in-law calls, the 



812 . TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

youth shakes his body, and the canoe goes farther out to sea. This continues until 
the old man consents to his marriage with his youngest daughter K 11.10. The youth, 
who has assumed the form of a devilfish, is taken along as steersman. Wliile the 
people are ashore hunting, he assumes his natural form. He shakes himself, and the 
canoe moves away from shore. He returns when La'iq promises him his youngest 
daughter Co 5.70. 

A similar incident occurs in Ne 5.199. Q la'neqe^lak" assumes the form of an old 
man, who is taken along to look after the canoe. While the people are away, he 
pulls the canoe ashore and shows himself in his true form. 

(18) Firewood Threatens to Burn the House 
(L version: K 5.200) 

Q !a'neqe-lak" gets fuel and causes the wood to place itself in piles in the chief's 
house. He orders the wood to burn the house. When the chief promises to give 
his daughter to Qla'neqe^lak", the latter moves his hand downward, and the fire goes 
out K 5.200. 

(19) Diving-Match 

(4 versions: Quin 103; Chin 57; Co 5.79; Kutenai') 

Two contestants dive. One of them hides himself under a canoe or near a rock 
and waits until the other one comes up (all versions). 

(20) Climbino-Match 

(6 versions: Quin 103; Chin 57; Sha 645; Sh 5.2; Coos 91; Wish 87) 

Bluejay and Chipmunk climb a pole of ice. Bluejay clubs Chipmunk, who falls 
down Cliin 57. Bluejay and Squirrel climb a tall, smooth pole. Bluejay gets ahead 
and stabs Squirrel in the head Quin 103. Other forms of the pole-climbing contest 
have been discussed before (p. 611 ). In all these cases the Bears are matched against 
the Transformer Sha 645, ^ Sh6 5.2. Distantly related to this is the climbing-contest 
in Coos 91. In the Wishram version, Bluejay and Squirrel wrestle on a rope which 
is stretched across the water Wish 87.' 

(21) Shooting-Match 

(4 versions: Tl 5.319; Nu 5.107; Chin 58; Kath 67) 

Beaver and Loon have a shooting-rdatch, shooting at each other. Beaver covers 
himself with a stone, and Loon's arrows break. Loon is killed Chin 58. The other 
versions do not occur in connection with long contest stories. Raven has a knife- 
throwing contest with the one-eyed giant's wife, who carries a small stone shield. 
Raven flies up and avoids the knife, while he cuts off the woman's legs, and then her 
neck Tl 5.319. Raven has a spear-throwing contest with Skate. Raven first avoids 
the spear by flying up, while Skate turns his narrow side to Raven and is missed. 
Eventually Skate hits Raven Nu 5.107. The same is told by the Kathlamet of Blue- 
jay and Skate. Bluejay is told by Skate to protect himself with his foot. The Skate 
hits Bluejay 's foot Kath 67. 

(22) Gambling-Match 

Various kinds of gambling-matches occur as part of these contests — 
the bone game (Wish 81), an endurance test (Wish 85), hoop-rolling 

1 Franz Boas, Kutenai Tales, BuHetin 50, Bureau of American Ethnology, p. 75. 

2 The climbing-conte.st is liere only implied. 

3 Contest stories of this type occur in the mythologies ot the eastern tribes (see, for instance, Tonca 172, 
Uicpiac 323). 



BOAS] 



COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



813 



games (Till 31, Chin 34, Quia 113). The last one forms also part of 
the Thunderbird tales discussed on p. 712 (Xe 5.20G, K 10.295, 
Nu 5.103, Co 5.82). 

(23) Waking-Match 

(2 versions: Kath 115; Quin 104) 

Mink and an old man have a waking-contest. Mink puts rotten wood over his 
eyes, which therefore seem to be open while he is asleep Kath 115. Bluejay and hib 
companion have a waking-match with their hosts. Bluejay keeps mo\"ing all the 
time. Finally he and his companion escape through a tunnel dug by Beaver, and 
leave rotten wood in their places. The others believe they are alseep, spear them, 
and find rotten wood Quin 104. 

(24) Whaling 

(3 versions: Chin 33; Chin 58; Till 25) 

The visitors are challenged to a contest in whaling. The visitors are forliidden to 
say '■ Ehehi u, " Siud ordered to let four whales pass and to harjjoon the fifth one. The first 
four are not really whales, but various kinds of fishes and birds. The visitors kill 
the last whale and win Chin 58. In another Chinook story the Thunderer does not 
allow his son-in-law to look on while be goes whaling. AMien he disobeys, the whales 
jump out of the net. Here follows a contest in producing hailstorms, in which the 
son-in-law shows himself stronger than his father-in-law Cliin 33. Somewhat similar 
to tliis is the Tillamook incident, in which the Thunderer goes whaling. The son-in- 
law is forbidden to accompany him. \Mien he does so, the trees knock him down. 
Finally he proves to be as strong as his father-in-law Till 25. 

(25) Wrestling in the Air 

This story belongs to the Contest story only among the Wishram. 
It occurs, however, freciuently in the tale of the battle of the birds, 
wliich is found on the plateaus. 

Eagle wrestles witli Buzzard. They fly up and battle in the air until their bodies 
fall down Wish 89. See also Kath 138; U 244, 245; Ntl Teit 2.67; Ntl Teil 3.340; 
Lil 319. 

Tlie various tales are built up as follows. The numbers contained 
in the tables indicate the order in wliich the various incidents occur. 

A. The Jealous Uncle or Brother 



Kodiak 90 



1. The jealous uncle or brother . 
4a. The wedge test 

5. The precipice test 

7. Devilfish test 

(0. Clam test 

Se. Dog on root of house 

9. Heat test 

12. Set adrift 



T1199 



3 
2 



Sk277 



1 
2 
3' 



4S 
6 



Ne 10.366 



I He is sent to get ducks and eggs on a precipice. 

» He is ordered to climb a tree. 

3 He is ordered to climb a cormorant rock and caused to fall do\vn. 

* A cockle instead of a clam. 

« He is told to gather burning bark, and k pushed into it. 



814 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY • Ieth. an.\. 31 

B. The Raven Tale 

Two versions of this tale have been recorded. Both contain only 
one incident of the Test theme; namely, the death-bringing mat 
(No. 3 of hst, p. 795). 

C. Dz.VwADALALis; D. Gwana'^lalis 



Incident 



la. Test of expected husband . 

2. Snapping door 

3. Death-bringing mat 

4o. Wedge test 

9. Heat test 

10. Poisonous-food test 

1 1 . Murderous woman 

15. Fish kill him 

16. Bushes grow out of body.. 



K 
5.136 



Dzawada'lalis 



K 
9.459 



K 
10.96 



Ne 
11.238 



Nuap 



Gwana'^lalis 



Ne 
5.198 



(1) 
3 



Ne 

11.196 



(1) 



No 
9.195 



(1) 
3 



E. Qa'mxulal; F. The Visit in Heaven 



Incident 



Snapping door 

Death-bringing mat 

Falling tree 

Wedge test 

Whirlpool 

-Vnimals 

Berries 

Murderous woman 

Revenge of the animals 

Fish kill old man 

Bushes grow out of his body. . 

Canoe taken away 

House burned 



E. Qa'mxulal 



Ne 5.199 K 11.12 



F. The visit in heaven 



Co 5.65 Co 5.69 Squ 524 



2 


- 


6 


- 


3 


3 


4 


- 


S,9 


- 


7 


- 


1 


1 


10 


5 


5 


4 


_ 


2 



us] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY 815 

The remaining northern versions mav be summarized as foUox\'s: 



iQcidt'iit 



Tl 4.256 


T1119 


Sk240 


Sk 221 


Ts 1.89 1 


1 


1 


- 


_ 


- 


: 


- 


1 


1 


1 
3 
4 


2 
3 


2 


3 


- 


4 


3 


- 


- 


2 


1 " 


f - 


4 


- 




- 


- 


5-S 


- 


- 


■* 


4 


9 
2 


2 

3 


5 


7 


5 


- 


- 


6 


- 




- 





X 131 



1. 
lo. 

2. 
2a. 

3. 

4. 
4a. 

5. 

6. 

7. 
7a-d. 



The jealous uncle 

The expected husband 

Snapping door 

Closing cave 

Spine seat 

Falling tree 

Wedge test 

Precipice 

Whirlpool 

Devilfish 

Clam, etc 

Heat test 

Burning food 

Swallowing red-hot stones 

Poisonous food 

Flood 

Revenize of animals 



(1) 
2 

3 

S 



■ The version Ts 5.287 is incomplete, and contains only the precipice test. 

The remaining southern versions may be summarized as follows: 



Incident 



1. The jealous tmcle 

2. Snapping door 

3. Spine seat 

4. Falliag tree 

10. Wedge test 

5. Precipice 

6. Whirlpool 

7. Devilfish 

9. Heat test 

11. Murderous woman 

13. Flood 

14. Revenge of animals 

16. Bushes grow out of his body. 



BC 



BC75 



1(7) 



BC 79 



Nu Nu ap St5 -v., 
5.117 895 5.39 ^" 



12 
3 



4 
(3)< 



Lil 



4(?) 



1 This series of tests is evidently incomplete. Part of this story has been recorded independently in 5.266. 
In this version only the incident of ilie murderous woman (11) appears. 

2 In these two tales it is also stated that dangerous animals lie outside the door watching the entrance. 

3 The youth is .isked to go out on a snag. The father-in-law throws the hammer into the water; and 
when the youth jumps in to get it, he lets the water freeze over him. 

• This incident is evidently parallel to the Berry Bush story, but mentions only that fishbones stuck in 
the throat of the father-in-law. 

The most southern Test stories collected on tlie North Pacific coast 
contain the following mcidents: 

(1) WhaUng. 

(2) Capture of animals and theix revenge. 

(3) Wedge test. 

(4) Hoop games. 

(1) Inexhaustible snow. 

(2) Capture of animals and their revenge. 

(3) Wedge te^st. 

(4) Hoop games. 



Chin 33. 



Quin 113. 



816 



TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 



[BTH. ANN. 31 



(1) Falling tree. 

(2) Drowning. ^Kath 113. 

(3) Keeping awake. 

(4) Capture of animals and their revenge. 

The Contest stories which are found ui the region of Cohiinhiii 
River differ ux type from the precedmg groups. We have tlie fol- 
lowing records : 



Incident 



26. Animals watcliing 
10. Poisonous food . . . 
9c. Smoke 

19. Diving-match 

20. Climbing-match . . 
9. Heat contest 

23. Waking-match . . . 

21. Shooting-match . . 

24. Whaling-match.. 

22. Gambling-match . 
7. Catching animals 

25. Wrestling in air . . 



door . 



Quin 103 



Chin 56 



m 



Wish 77 



Till 30 



3' 



' Snapping door. 



' Occurs in another connection. 



' Hoop game. 



It appears from tliis general statement that the southern stories 
are particularly characterized by the incident of the revenge which 
is accompUshed either by the animals that the young man is required 
to bring, and which kill or mutilate the father-in-law; by the animals 
wliich he creates by magic; or by causing the food which the father- 
in-law eats to destroy him. The northern stories, except those 
belonging to the tale of the man who marries the Eagle, substitute 
the falling-tree test for the wedge test, although the latter reap- 
peai-s in some of the stories of the Comox and Kwakiutl. The 
task of getting the animals which are to destroy the hero is also 
quite differently developed in the northern area and in the south- 
ern area. The most characteristic feature of the northern area is 
the Devilfish and Clam tests; while in the south, particularly south 
of Vancouver Island, we find that the hero is instructed to bring dan- 
gerous animals, hke wolves and bears, which, however, on account 
of his great strength, he is able to overcome. In the whole central 
region, from the Tsimshian as far south as the Kwakiutl, this test 
does not seem to occur. The heat test in the particular form that 
the youth is required to sit down in a kettle, in which he is boiled, 
occurs only among the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian; while in other 
regions the overheated sweat-house is substituted for it. The inci- 
dent of the precipice is regularly present in the story of the man who 
marries the Eagle, while among the BeUacoola and Tsimshian it 
occurs also in the test of a mountain-goat hunter. 



BOiS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 817 

(ii c) The Mountain Goats 

Inserted into the Test theme is the visit of Asdi-wfi'l to the house of 
the Mountain Goats. Tliis story has been treated on p. 73S. 

(ii d) Asdi-wd'l's Return from Heaven 

Asdi-wa'l is homesick. The Chief In Ileaven asks his daughter why her husband 
is depressed, and he sends liim home. He tells him the names of the constellations. 
The young couple go to the edge of the prairie and slide down the rays of the sun. 
The woman takes along four small baskets — one filled with moimtain-.goat meat, 
another with fat, the third with .salmonberries, the fourth a water bucket. They go to 
Asdi-wa'l's mother. He gives a potlatch and takes the name Waxaya'^k Ts 1.100-111. 

Here follows the test of the husband's faithfulness by means of the plume. 
^^^^enever he brings water, the woman dips the plume into it. A\'hen her husband 
is true to her, the water is clear. Wien he is not true to her, it is slimy. She strikes 
her husband in the face, and returns, going up the rays of the sun. Her husband 
follows her; and when she looks back, he sinks. (This incident has been discussed 
fully on p. 780.) The yoimg woman enters her father's house crying. He opens the 
hole in the floor of his house, fishes up the bones of the young man in his bag net, 
swings the plume over them four times, and thus revives hira. After a while Asdi- 
wa'l becomes homesick again. He parts from his wife, goes down to Skeena Ri\er, 
which he follows towards the sea Ts 1.111-115. 

In Ts 5.288 the first return of Asi'wa is omitted. \Mien he is homesick, his wife 
tells her father, who sends him back. Asi'wa goes to sleep; and when he awakes, he 
finds himself at the foot of the cliff which he had climbed when pursuing the bear. 
His bow, arrows, and snowshoes lie next to him. He thinks he has been away only a 
few days, but in reality he has been absent a whole year. 

In N 228 the whole incident of the marriage to the daughter of the 8un is omitted. 

III. THE SEA-LION HUNTERS 

(hi a) Asdi-wd'V s Marriages 

He reaches Ginaxangi'^gEt. He falls in love with the chief's daughter, who has 
four brothers. After a while he invites his brothers-in-law to go moulitain-goat himting 
with him. The mountain goats are very numerous. He puts on his snowshoes and 
kills all the goats by means of his supernatural gifts. The people start for Metlakahtla. 
In the spring they go to Nass River, each in his own canoe. Asdi-wa'l is in the canoe 
of his eldest brother-in-law. At KsE-ma'ksEn they are detained by a head wind. 
Asdi-wa'l and his brothers-in-law quarrel about the question whether it is more 
difficult to hunt on the moimtains or at sea. The brothers go sea hunting. Asdi-wa'l 
goes lip the mountains. He kills many bears; but in the evening the brothers-in-law 
ha^'e deserted him because they ha-\e come home empty handed. They have taken 
along Asdi-wa'I's wife, who is with child Ts 1.11.5. 

• (ill h) He Marrien among the G-it-qxd'la 

(3 versions: Ts 1.121; Ts 5.288; N 228) 

Asdi-wa'l is met by four brothers and their sister, of the tribe of (iit-qxii'la, who are 
going to Nass River. He marries the girl. He is a successful hunter, and the starving 
Tsimshian buy meat of them. After the olachen-fishing season they return home. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 5:^ 



818 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

Asdi-wa'l becomes a great sea hunter Ts 1.121-125. Six brothers of the G'it-qxa'la lind 
Asi'wa and take him home. He marries their only sister Ts 5.288. He marries among 
the Tsimshian X 228. 

(ill c) The Sea-Lion Rock 

(9 versions: Ts 1.125; T85.288; N 228; Tl 147; Tl 203; Tl 230; Sk 282; M 385; Ri 5.229. 

See also Tl 50; Nu 5.121) 

Tlie four brothers are jealous of Asdi-wa'l. They start out in four canoes for the 
sea-Uon rock. Asdi-wa'l is in the canoe of the eldest brother. He puts on his hunting- 
clothes, anowshoes, and blanket, takes lance, bow, and two qui\ers, and jumps ashore. 
He kills the sea lions; and when he returns, he finds that the brothers have left him. 
The eldest has returned, but three are still floating near by. They ask him to come 
aboard, but he refuses. One after another leaves, the youngest one last. In the 
morning Asdi-wa'l pulls his arrows out of the sea lions. A gale arises, and the waves 
break over the rock. Asdi-wa'l puts up his lance, and fastens the bow and the arrows 
to the top. His father gives him a bird blanket, and he sits on top of the last arrow 
until the storm subsides Ts 1.125-129. Asi'wa accompanies the brothers to their sea- 
lion rock. He puts on his suowshoes, takes club, bow, and arrows, and jumps ashore. 
He kills all the sea lions. The brothers are jealous, and desert him. Only the young- 
est one has pity and stays near by. WTien the flood rises and almost covers the rock, 
he puts his bow in a fissure, assumes the form of a bird, and sits down on top. When 
the waters rise still higher, he fastens an arrow to the bow and sits on the arrow. Thus 
he continues until the water sinks. Then he lies down to sleep Ts 5.288. Asi-hwi'l 
accompanies the brothers to the sea-lion rock. He puts on his snowshoes, takes his 
staff, jumps ashore, and kills the sea lions. Then the brothers desert him. The tide 
rises and almost covers the rock. He puts his staff into a fissure and sits down on top. 
^^'hen the water rLses still liigher, he ties his bow to the end of the staff. He whistles 
and calls hLs father to help him. Finally the tide ceases to rise and he lies down to 
sleep N 228. 

This incident occurs in manj' other stories. 

HanL lekunas (The Man Wlio Recovered His Eyesight, see p. 825) leaves his country 
and meets a girl who has many brothers. He becomes the lover of the girl, and her 
brothers decide to kill him. They ask him to accompany them when they go sea-lion 
hunting. The rock is difficult of access because there is much kelp around it, and 
the brothers swim ashore. WTiile HanL lekunas is ashore, the brothers desert him. 
The youngest man has pity for him and throws a skin blanket ashore Ri 5.229. A wood- 
worker has two children. He makes spears for hunting sea lions and goes out with 
the people to a sea-lion rock. The people are jealous, and abandon him. Only his 
youngest brother-in-law stays near by. He tries to take away the paddles of the people 
who are abandoning him, but is ims^iccessful. Tlie deserted man cries for his children, 
and lies down to sleep near a pond into which they used to drive the sea lions Sk 282. 
In the Tlingit town Q!a'k!an a man named Xa'ntciix is a good sea-lion hunter. His 
sister is married to a nephew of Chief Kino'g'. Xa'ntciix and his brothers go sea- 
lion hunting in a canoe, jump ashore on the sea-lion rock, and club the sea lions. 
They cut up the sea lions, load the canoe, and go back. The following day the brothers 
invite Go'ttca, their brother-in-law, to accompany them. A gale arises, and they 
save themselves, leaving Go'ttca behind. He drinks rain water that gathers in holes 
on the rock. He passes nine days there M 385. A man named Black Skin has attained 
strength without the knowledge of the people. When they go sea-lion hunting, they 
will not allow him to come along, but he pulls the canoe back and jumps aboard. The 
people say jokingly, "Black Skin came along to tear the sea lions in two." WTien tliey 
reach the rock. Black Skin's uncle jumps ashore when the canoe is on the crest of a 



BOis] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 819 

wave, and begins to tear sea lions in two. When he attacks a large sea lion, the latter 
throws him into the air and kills him. Tlien Black Skin shows his strength, walks 
to the bow of the canoe, stepping on the seats, which break under his weight. He 
jumps ashore, and kills the sea lions by stepping on them and hitting them on the 
head. He takes hold of the large sea lion that has killed his uncle. He seizes it and 
tears it in two. Wiile he is carving it the people desert him TI 147. A man named 
NatsilAne' quarrels with his wife. His brothers-in-law take him to a rock out at sea 
and desert him there TI 230. A young Haida is married to a woman who is not true 
to him. He kills his wife's lover and escapes with a slave. They go out seaward and 
land on a large rock which is full of seals. The man clubs the seals. Meanwhile hie 
slave deserts him TI 203. 

The following tale differs somewhat from the preceding ones: 

Two men who are fond of hunting ])urify themselves. Thej' go to a sea-Lion rock. 
One of them spears a sea lion, but the point of his lance breaks off. The animal which 
he attacked was the son of the Sea Lion chief. This man is drowned, but his com- 
panion reaches the rock in safety. There he lies down TI 50. 

The next incident is Asdi-wa'l's visit to the house of the Sea Lions. 

^^'hile he is lying down sleeping, a person pokes him, and says, "My grandfather 
in\'ites you in." He makes a hole through his blanket and discovers a Mouse, which 
speaks to him. He pulls out the bunch of grass under which it disappears and sees a 
ladder stretching down, ^\■hen he goes down, the people say, "Now he has entered." 
He is made welcome, and the Jlouse tells him in the usual manner that he is in the 
house of the Sea Lions. He sees that arrows are in their sides, causing disease. These 
are invisible to the Sea Lions; buthepuUs them out, and thus cures them Ts 1.129-131. 
The version Ts 5.288 is identical with the preceding. It is merely added that while 
pulling oiit the arrows, he swings his rattle like a shaman. In the Nass version the 
Mouse says, "Grandmother invites you in." ^^'hen he pulls out the bunch of grass, 
he sees a house imderneath. Tlie Mouse has taken the form of a woman, and asks him 
to come in. She tells him that the shamans are unable to cure the chief of the Sea 
Lions. Asi-hwi'l sees a bone harpoon in his side, pushes it in slightly, and then pulls 
it out N 229. HanLlekunas covers himself with his blanket. He hears a voice sajdng, 
"My chief in\'ites you in." The fourth time he sees a small man, who leads him into 
a cave which is the house of Ama'g'iLasila, the chief of the Sea Lions, who promises 
to send him home Ei 5.230. The man goes to sleep, and hears a voice saying, "The 
chief asks you to come in." He looks through the eyeholes in his blanket and sees a 
grebe coming to the center of the pond. He takes a whetstone and jumps in. He 
finds himself in front of a large house, is asked to come in, and is questioned why he 
killed the chief's servants. He replies that he did so to feed his children. In a comer 
of the house is a pool of water in which two small killer whales, the chief's children. 
are swimming. They boil halilmt in the mouth of a sea lion and give it to their guest 
to eat. Tliey trj' to fit a killer-whale skin to the back of a man. He puts the whet- 
stone on his back, and they are unable to do so Sk 282. In M 385 this incident is 
omitted. Black Skin dries the sea-lion intestines, ^^'hile he is asleep, he hears 
beating of sticks and some one saying, "I have come after you." He sees a black 
duck, which tells him to close his eyes and get on its back. \\'hen he opens his eyes, 
he is in the house of the Sea Lions. A boy in the house is crj-ing with pain. Black 
Skin sees the barbed spear-point in his side and pulls it out TI 149. In TI 230 this 
incident is omitted. The story TI 203 proceeds in a different manner. Tlie youth 
who is deserted on the rock covers himself with the skin of one of the seals. He ties 
it up and drifts on the water. He drifts to a beach (and here follows the story of the 
Eagle wives, which has been referred to on p. 796). 



820 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

(ill d) TJ)e Invisible Arrov^ 

(24 versions: Ts 100; Ts 336; Ts 1,131; Ts 5.289; N 123; N 229; Tl 149; Tl 153 
Tl 5.324; Sk 64; Sk 176; M 419; Bd 5.254; H 5.237; Ne 5.190; K 5.149; K 5.161 
K 9.53; K 11.24; Nu 5.99; Nu ap 916; Co 5.94; Sts 360; Coos 127. See also M 466 
Co 5.78) 

The incident of the arrow of man, which is invisible to the animals 
or supernatural beings, which enters as a prominent part into this 
incident (Ts 1.131, Ts 5.289, N 229, Tl 149), is widely distributed on 
the Pacific coast. It occurs with particular frequency in a story tell- 
ing of the visits of a supernatural being to a village. During the 
night he tries to steal provisions, and is shot by the owner of the 
house, who follows him, and finds him in his own home, where shamans 
are in vain trying to cure him. The human visitor sees the arrows or 
whatever other weapon may have hurt him, extracts it, and thus cures 
the supernatural being, who in return gives him valuable presents. 

In our series this idea is contained in the story of Txa'msEm's further adventures 
(pp. 101-723), in which it is told that Txa'msEm visits a house, is shot by the owner, 
who later on finds him wounded in his own house. The element of the cure is here 
omitted. This is e\'idently a new story built up on the old idea. It is also found in 
the story of Great Shaman (p. 335), in which it is told that a shaman is taken to the 
supernatural being Bagus, whose son is sick. He sees an arrow in the chest of the 
patient, pulls it out, and cures him. The idea of the invisible arrow is implied also 
in N 123, where a boy shoots the daughter of the Wolves. Nobody can cure her 
except himself. The same story is told more fully in M 419. 

Corresponding to this tale is a Land Otter story of the Tlingit. A shaman is taken 
to the Land Otters, one of whom is sick. They are unable to discover the cause of 
the disease. In order to test him, they try to take him to the wrong house, but the 
shaman's rattle and belt run ahead and show him the right house. He sees a neck- 
ring (breastplate?) of can-ed bones, which he wishes to have in payment. The Land 
Otters understand his wish and give it to him. He pulls out an arrow that is in^-isible 
to the Land Otters Tl 1.53, Tl 5.324, Sk 64. 

A boy who is deserted catches many salmon for his younger brother. The\' all dis- 
appear. He discovers that the Ga'ogila, a supernatural being, takes away the salmon. 
He shoots the Ga'ogila and pursues him. The Ga'ogila lives in the village of Master 
Carpenter, whose daughter the boy marries. The Ga'ogila is sick, but the shamans 
can not see what is ailing him. The Land Otter sliaman tries to cure him, but does 
not see the arrows. The boy puts on cedar-bark rings, pulls out the arrows, and sticks 
them into the ring. He pushes them in and out until he is promised an adequate 
payment. In return he is given the daughter of the sick Ga'ogila Sk 176. 

A boy and his grandmother are abandoned, and are given food by a Skunk-Cabbage. 
A supernatural being steals the fi.sh that they have dried, and is shot by the boy. He 
arrives at the village of the carpenters, and learns that he has wounded the slave of 
the town chief, who, in the shape of a skunk-cabbage, had helped them. The char- 
acteristic restoration of the slave is here omitted M 466. 

Two brothers live alone. A supernatural woman steals their salmon. Tlie elder 
brother shoots her and pursues her. He passes the house of Masmasala'nix, and 
reaches the house of Alklunda'm, whose daughter he has wounded. Two daughters 
of the wounded woman come to draw water, and he is called in to cure her. In return 
he is promised one of the girls. Wiile he is singing, the scales of a cedar cone beat 
time on the drum, and he pulls out the arrow, and thus cures her BC 5.254. 

Masmasala'nix steals the salmon of two brothers and their sister. Tlie elder brother 
shoots him and pursues him. ANTien he reaches Masmasala'nix 's house, he finds that 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 821 

nobody can cure him. He is called in, pulls out the arrows, and receives Masmasala'- 
nix's daughter as a reward H 5.237. 

LEnia'e is deserted and begins to catch salmon. Tliese are stolen over night by a 
Dzo'noqiwa. He shoots her, pursues her, and is called in by the Dzo'noqiwa's 
daughter, who draws water for her sick mother. He sees the arrows, pulls them out, 
and receives as a reward the Dzo'noq !wa's daughter and other presents, ^^'llen pulling 
out the arrow, he shoves it to and fro to make her more ready to gi\-e him what he 
wants Xe 5.190, K 5.161, K 9.53. 

A woman is li\'ing with her only son. Their provisions are stolen by a Dzo'noq !wa, 
and the woman shoots her K 10.103. In this version the Dzo'noqiwa is fo\md dead, 
and the characteristic incident of the healing is omitted. 

Ya'xstal lives with his brother and dries salmon. A Dzo'noq !wa steals them. He' 
shoots her and pursues her. He reaches a lake, and the Dzo'noqiwa's daughter runs 
out. He is called in. The people can not see the arrow which he pulls out, and 
he receives the girl as a reward K 5.1-19. 

Kwo'tiath harpoons a shark. He follows it and reaches the Shark village, where- 
he is called in. The Sharks can not see the harpoon, and he is promised the daughters 
of the Shark if he should cure her. He pulls the harpoon out of the wound, and she 
recovers Nu 5.99, Nu ap 916. 

Qate'mot throws a piece of bark to the ground and hits a double-headed serpent. 
He descends to the bottom of the sea, to the house of the double-headed serpent, 
where he finds that nobody can cure the patient. He appears as a shaman, whom 
the people fear. He sees the bark, and when he is promised an appropriate reward, 
he pulls it out. ^^^len he returns, he has supernatural powers Co 5.94, K 11.24. 

A man throws away a torch. He travels in a canoe, reaches a house, and finds two 
women who are looking for medicine. They take him home. They order him to 
lie down with closed eyes in the canoe. He sees his torch in the side of a sick person. 
The shamans are imable to see it. He orders the people to cover him, pulls out the 
torch, and thus cures the sick person, whose daughter he marries, Coos 127. 

The following probably belongs here too: 

A thief steals provisions. Finally it is found out that during the night an arm is 
stretched out into the house and takes away the food. The thief is caught with a 
magic rope and killed \vith medicine Sts 300. 

This incident has a very wide distribution. It occurs not only in 
America, but also in other continents (see, for instance, 5.352). 

The following Comox story is evidently related to this group, but 
worked out in a different form : 

A boy whose father is absent boils fish. The Grizzly Bear steals them. ^Mien the 
father returns, he tries to shoot the Bear, who, however, tears out the man's arm and 
takes it away. The shamans try to cure the sick man. Finally the Raven learns 
what has happened, goes to the Bear's house, whom he feeds imfil he falls asleep. 
Then Raven steals the arm which is hanging over the fire, and, by his shamanistic 
song, restores the arm, which is fastened by the snail Co 5.78 (see also p. 719). 

(Ill c) The Sea-Lion EocTc — Continued 

Out of gratitude the Sea Lions send the visitor home. 

Asdi-wa'l is well treated by the Sea I^ions, but gets homesick. The chief orders 
his attendants to borrow the canoe of various Sea Lions; btit they excuse themselves, 
saying that their canoes are broken. Finally the chief takes his own canoe; that is, 
his stomach. It is ballasted with stones, tied up, and Asdi-wa'l drifts home. He is 



822 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

told to untie the stomach as soon as he lands, and to rail the east wind to drive it 
back Ts 1.133-135. The chief of the Sea Lions sends four <-anoes, but all are cracked. 
Finally a good one is found. It is the stomach of a Sea Lion. He is put in, to- 
gotber with provisions, and is told to summon a favorable wind. Tlien the same 
happens as before Ts 5.289. Asi-hwi'l demands a ranoe in payment for curing the 
Sea Lion. The canoe is made of intestines of sea lions. lie is put in, the intes- 
tines are tied tip, the west wind is called, and he drifts home N 229. Tlie chief asks 
for the canoe of the Gull. They say it is too slow. He asks for the canoe of another 
bird. They say it breaks too easily. The canoe of the Goose is too low. Finally he 
takes the canoe of the Sea J Aon. Hantlekunas is tied in, the west wind is called, 
he drifts ashore and hides the skin in the woods Ri 5.230. When the Sea Lions are 
unable to transform the man into a killer whale, he is put into a sea-lion stomach, 
and is told to get out as soon as he feels that the stomach has struck land four times. 
The stomach then drifts back again Sk 283. He cleans a sea lion's stomach, ties up the 
lower part with rope, blows it up, and ties up the other end. He opens it again, goes 
in, and is blown ashore. A sculpin disengages the drifting sea-lion stomach from 
kelp. He lands at night, takes the stomach of the sea lion inland, and hangs it up 
M 388. In payment for his 8er\'ices in curing the child, he asks for a box which brings 
any kind of wind wanted. Blaclc Skin gets into it, calls for west wind, and drifts 
ashore. He hangs the box on the limb of a tree Tl 150. The story Tl 230 omits this 
incident. 

Distantly related is the story of the seal hunter who is sent home by tho Seals and 
takes revenge on those who deserted him Nu 5.121. 

(ill e) Asdi-wd'l Makes Killer Whales of Wood 

(6 versions: Tsl.135; Ts5.289; N 229; Sk283; M 388; T1230. See also TslC-J; Ts 123; 
Ts 223 ; N 109 ; Tl 25 ; Tl 175 ; Sk 32 ; Ne 5. 191 ; Co 5.87 ; Nisqually ; ' Lku'ngEn Hill- 
Tout 7.34^1 ; Quin 102) 

This incident belongs to the Asdi-wa'l story as well as to other 
stories of deserted hunters. 

After landing he meets his vnie, who is wailing. He asks for his tool box. Wlien 
the woman goes to get it, she pretends that she is going to burn it. She tells her hus- 
band that only her youngest brother is kind to her. Asdi-wa'l carves a killer whale 
first of cedar wood, then of other kinds of wood, finally of yellow cedar. E\ery time 
he blackens their backs and puts lime on their bellies. Meanwhile his wife sacrifices 
food, fat, and tobacco, down of birds, and red ocher. He takes the killer whales to 
the water and tells them to swim, but all die, until finally those made of yellow cedar 
remain alive and swim like true killer whales Ts 1.135-139. He finds his wife and her 
child wailing. He asks for his wood-carving tools, and carves killer whales near a 
lake. He tries alder wood, rod cedar, yellow cedar. The first an<l the second are too 
heavy. The last swim well after he has anointed them with fat Ts 5.289. He carves 
killer whales first of red cedar, then of yellow cedar, finally of yew. The first two 
attempts are unsuccessful. After swimming a little they become logs again, turn 
over, and drift about. The last become real killer whales N 229. [In the version 
Ri 5.229 it Is merely stated that the young woman and her child are crying, that 
only her youngest brother pitied her, and that therefore HauLlekunas killed all the 
brothers.] He finds his wife and children mourning for him. He taps on the wall 
where his wife's room is and asks for his tools. He takes a child from his village along 
and goes to a lake. Here another incident is introduced. He cuts a large cedar and 
makes a trap for catching the lake monster ^Va'sgo. He ties the child to a rope of 
cedar limbs and lets it down through the crack of the split cedar. The lake begins to 
boil, the sea monster takes hold of the child, and is caught between the two halves 

' Paul Kane, Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians of North America (London, 1859), pp. 250 
et seq. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 82'6 

of the cedar tree. He skins it, and hides the skin in a forked tree. Then he makes 
killer whales out of cedar at the end of the town. He puts fins on them, kicks them 
into the water, and they become porpoises. Then he makes ten killer whales out of 
hemlock wood. They are unsatisfactory, and become another kind of porpoise. He 
makes ten killer whales of yew wood and paints them with white stripes and white 
bellies. They catch red cod, spring salmon, and halibut. With these he is satisfied 
Sk 283. He hides in a cave. At night he goes into his house and gets his tools. He 
carves a raven-fin, a noisy fin, and a killer whale of spruce wood, throws them 
into the water, and tells them to blow. He tries the same with hemlock wood. Next 
he tries yellow cedar, and finally yew. The killer whale made of it comes up far 
away, and he is satisfied M 388. The version Tl 150 ends with the return of the man. 
He does not take revenge. In a Tlingit version it is told that NatsitAne' begins to 
carve killer whales out of Cottonwood bark while he is on the rock on which he was 
deserted. He shouts, but they are not transformed. He tries alder wood, hemlock, 
red cedar, and finally, yellow cedar. They swim out for a long distance, but are finally 
transformed into wood. He makes holes in the dorsal fins, and they become alive 
again Tl 230. 

On the following day the brothers-in-law go hunting. Asdi-wa'l sends the killer 
whales to upset their canoes. They split the canoe of the oldest brother and kill him. 
They break the canoes of the others nearer to the shore, and they escape with some 
difficulty Ts 1.141. He tells the killer whales to upset the canoes of his brothers-in- 
law, but to save the youngest one. They do so, but two of the killer whales accom- 
pany the canoe of the youngest brother and take it home safely Ts 5.289. The killer 
whales break the canoes of the brothers-in-law N 229. He orders the killer whales 
to kill all the people when they are out fishing. He instructs his youngest brother-in- 
law to wear a feather in his hair, and he tells the killer whales to save him. After 
this he gives names to the killer whales, and tells them to settle in various places 
Sk 284, Go'ttca tells the killer whales to leave the lower jaw of a whale in front of 
the town every morning. After having done so, they return to Go'ttca. He telle them 
to take a whole whale, then ten whales, to the town. The killer whales take him 
back to the Sea Lion chief. The revenge is here omitted M 390. Tlie man sends the 
killer whales to upset the canoes of his brothers-in-law. After this he tells them not 
to injure human beings any more Tl 231. 

The idea that animals or canoes are carved of different kinds of 
wood, until finally the appropriate kind of wood is found, occurs in 
a considerable number of stories that are not related to the group 
here discussed. Tiie other idea — namely, that an animal is made of 
wood in order to take revenge on an enemy — occurs also in other 
combmations. 

A story whk'h is identical with Tl 230 is as follows: NatsAlAne'of the T.sague'di 
(Seal People) makes killer whales of red cedar, hemlock, and other kinds of wood. 
They do not swim. He is successful when he uses yellow cedar. He marks them 
with different designs. Some he paints with wliite lines from the comers of the 
mouth to the back of the head. He tells them to hunt seal at the heads of bays, and 
not to hurt human beings. The people ask them for food. The name of this man is 
the same as that of the hero of the story quoted before Tl 25. 

The nialdng of animals or canoes of various kinds of wood occurs 
in the following tales : 

After the Snails have abducted a girl (see p. 749), her brothers follow her. They find 
her at the bottom of a deep valley. In order to go down, they carve an eagle, first of 
red cedar, then of spruce, and then of yellow cedar, and finally of different kinds of 



824 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

^ood— the body of red cedar, head and tail of white pine, legs and beak of yellow 
cedar, and claws of mountain-goat horn. This bird carries them down, and later on 
up again Ts 164. The same story occurs among the Tlingit; but in the version 
recorded it is merely stated that they try various kinds of wood and also bone for 
wings. They finally succeed when they use yellow cedar. By this means they fly 
up to the place where their sister is Tl 175. 

The young men who try to attack a sea monster try to make a canoe that is to with- 
stand the waves. The first one they try breaks when they launch it. Then they try 
in succession spruce, yellow cedar, and other kinds of wood, finally yew wood. This 
canoe is A-ery fast and is not destroyed by the breakers Ts 223 . Master Carpenter intends 
to make war on Southeast Wind. He builds a canoe on a steep place and throws it 
down into the water. He tries several times. Finally he leaves the limbs on one, and 
when he throws it down it does not break Sk 32. 

A boy is carried away by the stars and placed over a fire. The boy's father carves 
a figure first of spruce, then of hemlock, balsam fir, red cedar, yellow cedar. The 
last one cries like the boy, and is substituted for him N 88. A girl is carried away 
by a star. Her brothers, after several attempts, succeed in making a figure that cries 
like their sister M 450. 

The unsuccessful attempts are omitted in the story of the daughter 
of the South Wind who married the North Wind (see p. 732), who 
makes a duck of yellow cedar, which she sends to her father (Ts 123). 

In a number of other stories the animals made of wood, instead of 
kiUing the enemies, are sent out to tow them out to sea. 

A Nass story which is closely related to the part of the Asdi-wa'l tale here discussed 
opens with the statement that four men of different clans own each a sea-lion rock. 
The GispawadwE'da steals sea lions from the rock of the man of the Wolf Clan, 
who, in order to take revenge, carves sea lions of various kinds of wood . Finally he 
uses red wood, which becomes a good sea lion. It is placed on the rock, ^^'hen the 
GispawadwE'da harpoons it, the sea lion tows the canoe out to sea until the land 
disappears from view N 109. A man who is making a canoe is nM;lected by his 
brothers. In order to take revenge he can-es a seal of cedar wood, which he blackens 
over a fire. He places it on a rock, and the brothers harpoon it. The seal tows the 
canoe acrosa the ocean, and finally is retransformed into wood Co 5.87, Nisqually. 

These two stories are evidently identical, since the adventures of 
the men who have been taken across the sea are in part the same (see 
Dwarfs, p. 867). Evidently a Newettee story belongs to the same 
group, which differs only in so far as it is not stated that the seal 
which takes the people across the ocean is made of wood (Ne 5.191). 

Ten strong boys are successful sea-hon hunters. An old man who is envious carves 
a sea lion of cedar, and tells it to kill the brothers. They harpoon the sea Hon, which 
tows them out to sea. They are taken to a cave, where they find the Sea Lion families. 
The chief of the Sea Lions sends them home; Lku'iigEn Hill-Tout 7.344. 

Bluejay and his companions starve Grouse, who, in order to revenge himself, makes 
a wooden seal, which he chars over the fire. The other men harpoon the seal, which 
drags them across the sea Quin 102. 

There are numerous other stories telling how people were towed 
by animals across the ocean; but I do not enter them here, because 
they probably do not belong to our group of tales (see, for instance, 
Wish 75). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY . 825 

Cin/) Asdi-wd'l Goes Bad: to STceena River 

Asdi-wa'l goes back to Skeena River and finds his first, son sro-nn up. He gives 
him his bow and arrows. Asdi-wa'l goes to the lake of Ginada'°xs. He finds many 
mountain goats. One day he forgets his snowshoes, and, after climbing the mountain, 
is unable to move. Both he and his dog are transformed into stone. Hi.s soul goes 
away with his father, the bird of good luck Ts 1.143. 

A fuller version of the end of Asdi-wa'l is contained in the storv of 
Waux (Ts 243). 

The son is a ^•ery good himter, and his father gives him all his hunting-utensils, 
while he himself uses only his bow, arrows, and snowshoes. ^^^len Asdi-wa'l is 
deserted at KsE-ma'ksEn, his uncles take the boy along. After a while the boy and 
his mother search for Asdi-wa'l, but can not find him. He marries one of his mother's 
cousins. His wife gives birth to twins. One day when he is hunting mountain goats, 
the twins, who accompany him, fall down the precipice and die. At one time he 
forgets his spear, and he reaches a place on a precipice where he can not move. He 
shouts down to his wife, asking her to sacrifice. She understands that she is to eat 
fat. After shouting to and fro several times, Waux gets impatient, and tells her to 
eat melted fat and to drink cold water, and then to lie do^vn across an old log. She 
does so, breaks apart, and i.s transformed into fiint, while Waux himself is transformed 
into stone. The misunderstanding of an order followed by a transformation occurs 
also in Sk 362 I (see also K 9.447, p. 826). 

37. The Blind Git-qIa'^da (p. 246) 

(18 versions: Ts 246; Tl 104; M 3o3; Kai 263; Ri 5.228; K 9.447; Chil 30; Car' 171; 
Loucheux Petitot 7.84; Hare Indians Petitot 7.226; Central Esk Boas = 625; Cen- 
tral Esk Boas' 168; Esk* 99; Esk East Greenland ;= Smith Sound Esk« 169; 
A.ssiniboin" 204; Arapaho^28G; Osage ^ 32) 

The essential part of this story, which is common to all the versions 
here quoted, tells of a man who lost his eyesight and who was mal- 
treated by his wife. Later on he recovers his eyesight by magical 
means and takes revenge. This theme is worked out into a number 
of different- tales. Following is the Tsimshian version: 

A blind man, his wife, and his little son, who loves his father, live on a salmon 
stream. A grizzly bear appears on the opposite side of the brook. The boy holds 
the bow for his father, aims the arrow, and the father shoots the grizzly bear. He 
hears the grizzly bear groan, and knows that he has hit it. The woman tells him that 
he missed it. She makes the boy pick up the arrow, washes it, and tells the man that 
he had hit a log. • Tlie man smells the fat. Every day mother and son ^at meat, 
while the man is starving. The boy gives his father a little meat and tells him what 
is .going on. The father asks the boy to take him to a lake where a loon is crying, 
who takesriibbishoutof his eye.?.'" By repeating this four times he restores the eye- 

' Morice, Transactions of the Canadian Institute, iv. 

2 Boas, Central Eskimo (6th Aim. Rep. Bureau o( Ethnol.). 

^ Boas {Bulktin American Museum of Natural History, XV). 

* Rink. Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo. 

s Holm {Meddelelvr om Greenland, x, p. 31); Thalbitzer .\nimassalik Eskimo (ib-id, xx.xix, 2,50). 

^Kroc'ber {Journal of American Folk-Lore, xii, 1S9*.)). 

^ Robert H. Lewie, The -Vssiniboine {Anthropological Papers of .'he American Museum of Natural His- 
tory, vol. rv). 

' Dorsey and Kroeber, Traditions o( the -\rapaho ( Field Columbian Museum Anthropological Series, 
vol. V). 

^ G. A. Dorsey, Traditions of the Osage (ibid., vol. ATI). 

i» In another connection the Sea .\nemone (M 4S8, M 649) and Sea Gull (M 679) gi\'e to a person keen 
eyesight by removing blood from his eyes. See also Sk 115. 



826 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

sight of the blind man. This matter had gotten into his eye because he had been care- 
less in hunting. The woman finds the blood that had been removed from her hus- 
band's eye, and thinks that he is dead. The man goes home, tells his son what has 
happened, and does not allow the woman to enter. She freezes to death, and is 
transformed into a hooting owl. One day when the owl flies o^'er his head, he falls 
down dead Ts 246. The transformation into a night owl of a woman who is left out- 
side in the cold is repeated in Kai 238. 

The Rivers Inlet version is similar to the Tsimshian tale. 

A successful himtcr cuts his game with shell knives, and blood squirts into his eye. 
This makes h im blind . A bear appears on the other side of a river. The woman aims 
the arrow, and the man shoots the bear. She tells him that he has missed it, but 
against her orders one of her sons gives his father a piece of the meat and tells him 
what has happened. The father asks the boy to take him up to the upper mountain, 
where his eyesight is restored. Then he sends him home. He swims and prajs to 
the Loon,' who dives with him. After diving four times for a very long time, he has 
recovered his eyesight. He kills his wife and his sons, except the youngest one 
Ri 5.228. 

After this the travels of the man are described. He maiTies among 
the BeUabcUa; and here follows the story of the deserted sea-lion 
hunter (see p. 818), which Ln our series forms part of the Asdi-wa'l 
story. 

FoUowhag is a Kwakiutl version: 

The children of a blind man find a salmon in the river. The father tells them to put 
up a salmon trap. Mother and children eat, while the blind father is starving. The 
children see a black bear on the other side of the river, point their father's arrow at it, 
and he shoots the bear. He thinks he hears that his arrow strikes the bear, but the wom- 
an says he missed it. In the same way he kills a deer and mountain goats. He tells his 
wife to eat as much tallow as she pleases and to lie down. She does so, drinks water, 
and is transformed into a white stone. (See also the end of the Waux story, p. 825.) 
The man goes up the river alone. He reaches a lake. The water shakes, and a loon 
appears, which dives with him. ^^^len he gets out of breath, he pokes the loon. 
This is repeated several times, and the loon takes him to the house of a supernatural 
being, where his eyesight is restored. He returns, finds his children dead, and 
restores them by sprinkling them with the water of life. He restores his wife by 
sprinkling the stone with the water of life. Then he transforms her into a deer. By 
sprinkling her he retransforms her, and finally makes her a "woman of the woods." 
This is followed by a meeting between the blind man and his brother, the Thunder- 
bird, which does not belong to our storj' K 9.447. 

Accordmg to Swan ton, the Kaigani story (Kai 263) and the Masset 
story (M 353) are identical. In the Masset version it is stated that 
the story orgmated among the Tlhigit. 

At Qaik!, a Tlingit town on Kupreanof Island, lived a man who had been a good 
giizzly hunter, but who in his old age had become unsuccessful. He lives alone with 
his wife, who digs clams, on which they subsist. One day he tells his wife to look at 
a certain place. She sees a grizzly bear there, tells her husband, who asks for his 
^- belt, bow, and arrows. She leads him out, puts up a support for the aiTow, and aims 

for him. Then the man shoots the bear. She claims that he missed it. She abandons 
her husband and lives on the meat of the bear. The husband creeps to a trail, and 
reaches a pond. A loon cries and asks him to get on its back. The loon looks like a 

1 Erroneously translated in the original as "goose." 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 827 

canoe and dives with the man. After swimming around the lake several times and 
divins with the man, the latter has recovered his eyesight and is able to see all the 
animals on the mountains. Then the Loon tells him to go home, and, when his wife 
should cook the head of the grizzly bear, to wish that the head should bite her. He 
looks into the house from outside, sees his wife cooking a grizzly-bear head, wishes 
that it should bite her. She then runs out with the grizzly-bear head biting her, and 
dies. He takes his bow and arrows and goes back to the town, where he gives a feast 
of grizzly-bear meat. Then he recounts his adventures M 353. 

In the Kaigani story the hunter is called Dji'naqode. He belonged 
to the Tongass Haida (Tiint Xada'-i). 

The Masset story takes up an entirely new adventure. 

A cormorant appears in front of the town, and the grizzly-bear hunter and the other 
people throw stones at it. Nevertheless it comes ashore, gives olachen to the people, 
which they distribute. Next Raven appears from the east, and asks for some olachen. 
Upon being refused by the chief and by the cormorant, he transforms the people and 
the cormorant into stone. Against his wish the olachen also turns into stone M 361. 

The Chilcotin and Carrier versions do not enter into the events that 
happen after the killing of the woman. 

A blind man and his wife go hunting. AMienever a caribou comes in sight, the 
woman directs the arrow, and the man shoots. One day when he hits a caribou, she 
tells him that he missed , and runs away. The man follows the call of the Loon, marking 
his trail by means of fur torn off from his mountain-goat blanket. He reaches the lake, 
and promises the Loon his necklace for the restoration of his eyesight. The Loon tells 
him to dive; and after he has dived several times, his eyesight has been restored. 
He gives the Loon his necklace, which becomes the white mark on the necTc of the bird. 
He goes home, kills his wife, and Ijunis her body, together with the cariljou meat. 

The Carrier version is practically identical with the Chilcotin tale, except tl^t it is 
stated that the blind man was in the habit of moistening the arrow points with his 
saliva, which gave them magical power. After his wife has abandoned him, he 
wanders about aimlessly until he reaches the shore of a lake, where a Loon asks him 
what ails him. The Loon dives with him, instructing him to hide his eyes in the down 
on the back of its neck. The Loon dives, and emergeson the opposite shore of the lake. 
They dive again, emerging at the place where they had first dived, and the man has 
then regained his eyesight. He gives the Loon his dentalium necllace as a reivard Car 
171. 

From the Tlingit we have only a brief note relating how the blind 
hunter is met by another person (Tl 104). 

The Loucheux and Hare versions (84, 226) are similar to those of 
the Carrier and Chilcotin. 

An old man and his wife have a son. The old man is blind, but shoots caribou, the 
wife directing the arrow. One day he kills a fat caribou. His wife says that he has 
missed it, but he hears the groans of the dying animal. Later on he smells the meat 
that his wife is roasting. He goes to a lake where a Loon (white diver) dives with him. 
After diving three times, the blind man has recovered his eyesight and is well. He 
goes back to his wife, pretending still to be blind, and sees the caribou meat outside. 
Wten he asks for food, his wife says there is nothing in the house; and when he asks 
her for water, she gives him bad water, intending to poison him. He kills her. 

There are also several versions from the Plains on record. 

A good hunter who lives with his wife and child becomes blind . He teaches his wife 
to shoot. One day she shoots a buffalo, but pretends to have missed it, and leaves 



828 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY. [bth. ann. 31 

her husband. The man, gropmg about, finds a hike. A bird (Mno'z) tells him that 
his wife has plenty of meat. The bird tells him to dive three times in the lake- 
Thus he recovers his eyesight. He kills his wife, and feeds the body to the bird. 
P>om here the story goes on differently. He returns with his child to his peojile, 
marries again, and livesalonewithhis new wife. He is killed in a fight against another 
tribe, and his wife and child are captured. She is recovered by a party of Assiniboin, 
Assiniboin 204. 

The version recorded from the Osage has no reference to the blindness. A boy lives 
with his grandmother. When hunting, they find a deer. The boy shoots it, but his 
grandmother says that the deer has run off. Another day when the boy is out hunting, 
the woman takes some of the deer meat and cooks it with beans. In the evening, 
when the boy eats of it, he says the beans smell like meat. Thus the boy discovers 
that his grandmother had hidden the deer, Osage 32. 

On the northernmost of three streams running east lives a couple with their son 
and daughter. The man loses his eyesight. The woman sees a buffalo passing. He 
asks his wife to direct the arrow, and he kills the buffalo. His wife says that he has 
missed it. She pretends to go with the children to pick berries. The woman and her 
children live on the meat. The same is repeated. WTien the blind man cries, an 
owl alights near him and tells him what has happened. The owl gives him its eyes. 
He drags his wife and children home, pretends to be glad that they have meat, while 
his wife pretends to be glad that he has recovered his eyesight, and says that she was 
about to give him meat. He kills her. Here the story takes up the fate of the 
children, who are deserted, and are helped in a magical way by the Wolves. 
Eventually the tribe comes on a visit, and the animals who protected them kill the 
father of the children, Arapaho 286. 

Quite a number of Eskimo versions are ou record. These are very 
much alike. Rink records the Greenland version (Rink 99). 

A boy catches a ground-seal, and wants its skin for his own use, while his mother 
wanfe it too. When he refuses, his mother bewitches him; and when he cuts a line, it 
snaps, hits his eyes, and makes him blind. Then follows the incident of the shooting 
of a ]>olar bear which appears at the window of the house, told in the same manner as 
in our story. Wiiile the mother and the boy's sister eat of the bear meat, he is given 
shellfish. One day the sister leads him out inland, and he lies down by a lake while 
she is gathering fuel. Then wild Geese appear, which brush his face with their wings 
and drop excrement on his eyes. Tliey tell him not to open his eyes until they dis- 
appear. He obeys and regains his eyesight. Going back, he sees the bear skin out- 
eide, a pile of bones and the bear's paws in the house. He says to his mother that he 
dreams of a bear sMn, the bones, and the paws, and finally she discovers that he has 
regained his eyesight, and she tries to regain his good will. The boy goes catching 
white whales. His sister holds the line. They agree to kill their mother. One day 
he induces his mother to help him. He ties a harpoon line to her body, harpoons a 
large white whale, which pulls her into the water. She cries, "My ulo (woman's 
knife), I cleaned away thy urine! " She wanted to cut the line with her knife. The 
mother is transformed into a narwhal. Then they repent, go inland, he kills a swan 
for his sister, and later on reappears once to tell the people of their fate. 

The East Greenland version recorded by Holm (169) differs, in that a grandmother , 
her grandson, and her granddaughter live together. The Geese strike his face with 
their wings and tell him not to open his eyes until he gets home. The tradition con- 
tinues, telling how the brother and the sister fall in with people that have no anus. 
The sister marries among them. This ending is the same as that found in Cumberland 
Sound. 

In the Smith Sound version recorded by Rroeber, a mother, her son, and her daugh- 
ter live together. After he has killed the bear, he smells it. A Loon asks him to ^t 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 829 

on its head, and carries him to its nest on a rliff. From there the Loon takes the boy 
to a pond and dives with him. After they have killed the mother in the same -way 
as recorded in the Greenland tale, the brother and sister leave the village. They 
come to a house. The boy wants water, sends his sister into the house, where she is 
killed and eaten. In revenge the boy kills the inhabitants of this place. He carries 
his sister's bones along, and she revives. Later on they ■visit other people, among 
whom she marries, Kroeber, Smith Sound 169. 

Except for the incident of the loon taking the boy to its nest, 
this story agrees with the versions recorded from Baffin liand and 
Labrador. We have two versions from Cumberland Somid. 

A boy loses his eyesight, and his mother starves him. When the bear appears in 
the window of the house, the sister directs the arrow, and the boy shoots it. The 
mother tells her that he missed, but the sister gives him to eat. One da_v a loon calls. 
He follows it to a lake and is taken down three times. Thus he recovers his eyesight. 
Wben he comes back, he sees the skin and cuts it up. He questions his mother, who 
tells him that a passing boat left the skin. He goes white-whale hunting, and one day 
asks his mother to hold the line. He harpoons a large white whale, which pulls her 
into the water. She cries, "Loukl" (e\"idently corresponding to the cry "iilo" in 
Greenland). The brother and his sister repent and travel inland. They come to a 
house. The boy is thirsty and sends his sister for water. AMien she bends down to 
dip up water, the inhabitants of the house scratch her back with their long nails. The 
boy comes in and kills the people. He takes his sister along, and they reach another 
v-illage where people live who have no anus, and she marries among them, Central 
Esk Boas 625. 

A second version from Cumberland Sound adds a few details. When the loon takes 
the boy down into the water, he first believes that he is sitting in a kayak; and when- 
ever the loon comes up with him, he finds himself in a kayak. Later on, when the 
mother is pulled into the water, she cries, "I cleaned you, hilc!" Afterthe sister has 
been scratched by the people whom they -s-isit, he wraps her in rabbit skins and I'arriea 
her along. Tlie people among whom the sister marries are in the habit of cutting open 
the women when they are about to give birth to children (see No. 70, p. 609). He 
tells them that this is not necessary. He causes them to sit down on pegs, by which 
means they attain the normal human" form, while a few die. Boas, Bulletin Ameri- 
can Musetim of Natural History, vol. xv, p. 168. 

In the Labrador version (Rink 99) the loon dives with the boy, and the mother 
shouts, "I nursed thee!" 

It is remarkable that in all these versions, except in the stories 
recorded from west Greenland, the later incidents agree so closely. 
Obviously the story of the origin of the narwhal and that of the visit 
to the fabulous people inland have been associated for a long time. 

Distantly related to this group is the Masset story of the blind 
inan who became a chief (M 677). The people maltreat him, and the 
Gulls restore his eyesight by removing blood from his eyes. 

38. Local Winter in Git-q!.v'°da (p. 246) 

(S versions: Ts l!50; Tl 43; M 630; Sk 331; Chil 19; Sh 744; Kath 216; Wasco 244) 

In spring a man catches a spring salmon imder the ice. On his way home a snow- 
storm comes up. He lifts the salmon and scolds the sky for letting snow come late 
in winter. In consequence of this, snow continues to fall and the people die. One 



830 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. anx. "1 

day a bluejay is seen holding a cluster of ripe elderberries. A woman and her hus- 
band, the sole survivors, put on their snowshoes and travel down river, and find that 
at some distance from the village it is summer, while black clouds continue to hang 
over their own village Ts 250. 

A number of stories telling of a protracted local winter occur among 
the neighboring tribes. 

Some boys pull drifting seaweed out of the water on one side of the canoe and put it 
in on the other. On account of this a heavy snowfall seta in, although it is summer. 
A bluejay holding an elderberry in its mouth appears, and cries, "KilnA'xe!" the 
name of a neighboring town. The people move, and find that it is summer there Tl 43. 

Among the Skidegate the tale is inserted in the story of the feather that pulled up 
the people, the story being placed on Nass Kiver (see p. 738). The people who have 
obtained the heavenly feather go around with it. It begins to snow. Wlien they 
rub the feather on the fronts of the houses, the snow disappears. It continues to 
snow, and the village is almost covered. After some time a bluejay drops a ripe 
elderberry through the smoke hole. They go out, and see Bill Of Heaven Sk 331. 

At Yagun Inlet two women make improper remarks about food, which results in a 
heavy snowfall, although it is summer. The people die of cold and starvation. One 
man hears a voice saying, "I am warm." He discovers that an old mat is speaking. 
He goes under the snow to a salmon stream, puts an indicator into a salmon hole, and 
when a salmon appears he spears it. He hears a thrush, uncovers his face, and sees a 
bird through the smoke hole holding a salmonberry. He goes down inlet and finds 
that it is summer there M 630. 

After Raven has lost the salmon (see p. 671), a snowstorm sets in, which covers the 
whole village. One day a bird appears holding berries in its moutlj. Raven digs 
his way out, and finds the country all around green Chil 19. 

After Coyote has finished catching salmon , a snowfall sets in and covers the whole 
countrj'. When the supplies are nearly exhausted, he goes out of his house and sees 
a snowbird carrying a ripe berry. After four birds have appeared, he puts on his 
snowshoes, goes out, and finds that the farther he gets away the warmer it is Sh "■14. 

A boy makes fun of excrements, and in consequence a heavy snowfall sets in. The 
people are star\ing. The chief sees a bird carrying a strawberry, and the people 
discover that all around it is summer. The boy is bought from his parents and put 
on a piece of drifting i( e. When the boy is killed, rain sets in and the snow meits 
Kath 216. 

A girl strikes a bird, and in consequence of this it snows for seven months. 
A bird appears carrying a strawbeiTy, and the people learn that it is summer at 
other places. The girl is bought and set adrift on a piece of ice. The snow melts. 
After five years the girl drifts back, but is first unable to endure the smell of people. 
Gradually she becomes human again; but she continues to feel cold in summer, warm 
in winter. Wish 244. 

The Tsimshian story continues, telling the fates of the couple, who 
made their escape. 

The husband is almost starving. The woman catches trout, and gradually he 
recovers. They go to Ksdal, where the man goes hunting. They find a lake at 
the head of the river, and in the winter a man goes there on his snowshoes. He dis- 
covers smoke. In summer they go to visit these people. They are taken across the 
water in a small canoe, and are met by four young men, who were the offspring of the 
wooden duck sent by the daughter of South Wind to advise her father of her troubles 
(see p. 732). The daughter of the travelers marries the eldest man, and she gives birth 
to four children every spnng, as ducks lay four eggs. They become a powerful tribe. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 831 

39. The Drifting Log (p. 253) 

(2 versions: Ts 253; N 102) 

The Eagles and GispawadwE'da of GitslEmga'lon are at war. The Eagles are 
defeated, and their cliief escapes with his niece, going to Nas,s River. In spring they 
go fishing olachen. The children are left to play; and the girls, who are in charge 
of the princess who had come from G'itslEmsa'lon, play in a hollow log on the beach. 
One night the tide rises very high, and the log floats away. The princess owns a tame 
eagle that flies along. She tries to comfort the children. The parents are searching 
for the girls, but are unable to find them. The eagle flies back to the village, and 
the parents conclude that it has come from the drifting log. The log lands on Queen 
Charlotte Islands, in front of a Haida camp. The princess sends the girls to hide behind 
the \dllage, while she steps out on the beach. She is taken into the chief's house, 
and the chief's son marries her. The girls are called out, and some of them marry. 
The e£^le would fly to and fro between the Haida country and Nass River. The 
princess has a number of children. One day these happen to quarrel with other chil- 
dren, and they are told that their mother was found on the beach. \Mien this happens 
a second time, the princess becomes sad, and decides to send her children home. Only 
one daughter remains behind. The eagle guides them to Nass River. Theii- A-arious 
camps are described. Tlie canoe arrives at the grandparents' village, and they tell 
them what has happened to the princess and to the girls. Tlie old chief tells the 
eldest boy to take his place and to go back to G'itslEmga'lon and to take revenge. 
The yoimg people visit the Haida country, and the Haida and Nass people become 
friendly. Later on they cro.ss the mountains to G'itslEmga'lon, attack their enemies, 
and kill them. Among them they find the youngest sister of their mother, who had 
been made captive. They rescue her Ts 253. 

Children are ])laying in a hollow log of driftwood on a beach. They are carried out 
to sea by the tide. They strike their noses imtil they bleed, and smear the outside 
of the log -with the blood. Gulls that lie on the log are glued to it by the blood . The 
boys kill them and subsist on them N 102. 

From here on the story does not continue as a quasi-historical clan 
legend, hut it takes up a number of marvelous adventures of the 
children who drifted across the ocean. 

The log drifts into a large whirlpool, and is pulled out by a one-legged person who 
lives near by, and who is hunting seals in the whirlpool. He takes care of the boys. 
His neighbor. Hard Instep, envies him. The bo\-s are homesick, and are sent to look 
for One Leg's canoe, which they can not find because it looks Like a rotten log. 
Finally he uncovers it, and it proves to be a self-moving canoe with a monster head at 
each end. These heads eat whatever crosses the bow or the stern of the canoe. The 
boys feed each end with five seals, and the canoe takes them home N 104. 

Persons who consist of one side of a body only, occur in quit(> a 
number of tales. 

In the Tlingit story of the foiu- brothers it is said that the brothers reach the end 
of the world, where they meet a large man with but one leg, who is spearing salmon. 
^\^len he is through, he puts the salmon on two strings, which he carries in hismouth. 
Then follows the story of the theft of the salmon-harpoon (see p. 606) TI 22, TI 101. 

According to the Haida, Master Hopper, or He Who Jumps About On One Leg, 
has only one side to his body, Sk Swanton 2.30, Sk 267. 

The Bellacoola tell of a man called Qasa'ua, who consists of only one side of the body, 
and who marries a wife carved of wood (see p. 745) BC 5.256. The Chijjpewayau also 
tell of a monster of similar kind 7.3(j3. 

The whirlpool at the edge of the world occurs also in Tlingit 

mythology. 



832 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY ' [eth. asx. 31 

It ia said that the earth is square, the corners pointing to the four points of the 
compass. At the north end is a hole through which the sea rushes down durbig ebb 
tide, while it returns during flood tide Tl 5.320. The TslEtsla'ut describe a rock 
in the middle of the sea, which is covered by a lid which is opened twice a day. ^^'hen 
it is opened, the waters rush down, and there is a wliii'lpool. A chief who drifts out 
to this rock saves himself by tying his canoe to an overhanging tree Tsts 259. 

The Comox tell of the navel of the ocean, an enormous whirlpool in which the fire- 
drill used to be at the beginning of the world Co 5.80. 

The incident of the feeding of the self-moving canoe occurs in 
many other connections. Among the Tsimshian it is almost always 
a canoe with the head of the monster Wiis (see p. 465), while among 
other northern tribes it is often a grizzly-bear canoe (Tl 255) or a 
canoe propelled by its decoration. 

One of six brothers is helped by a mountain lieing to become a great hunter. He 
is sent home in a grizzly-bear canoe, the load of which is to be used for feeding the 
canoe. AVhen the canoe is hungry, it looks back. When it is taken ashore, it is 
transformed into stone. AVherever the canoe turns to be fed, the river has a turn 
Tl 3.59. 

The Lillooet tell of a self-moving canoe with an eagle's head at the stem, another 
at the stern. These had to be fed Lil 321. 

A canoe that appears first like a log, paddles by means of its 
carved bow, and is fed, is mentioned in Sk 244. The Jellyfish's 
canoe is described as being pulled along with great swiftness by its 
tentacles (Sk 256) . 

The canoe that bites and kills grizzly bears occurs in the story of 
GunaxnesEmg'ad Ts 1.159. Among the southern tribes the place of 
the eating canoe is taken by the self-moving canoe (Ne 9.279), which 
sometimes has theform of a double-headed serpent (H 5.238, Ne 5. 184, 
Ne 5.175, K 5.167; K 5.135). It is also called "Haven's Folding 
Canoe" (K 5.167). 

40. The Story of Asdi'ld.\ .v.nd Omen (p. 260) 

(4 versions: Ts 2G0; Kai 5.310; Sk 3Ui;' Sk Swanton 2.92) 

This story is the tradition of the Haida Eagle family, one branch 
of which settled among the Tsimshian. For this reason I begin the 
summary with the Haida versions. 

Ten youths go fishing salmon. One of them is left to watch the canoe. AVhen look- 
ing down, his cormorant hat drops into the water. He strikes the water and scolds it. 
The men make a fire. A large frog approaches. They throw it away. WTien it 
comes back, they throw it into the fire. It becomes red-hot, and finally bursts and 
scatters the fire. Tlie same happens four times. When going back, they see a red 
person — the frog which they had thrown into the fire — who predicts that they will all 
die, and that the last one will tell their story. They die when passing various points 
of land. On the following day the reflection of a fire is seen on the mountaint. The 
people scold the frog. On the sixth day fire is seen over the water, and the town is 
burned. A gill is hidden in a cellar, and remains unharmed. The frog appears 
in the shape of an old woman wearing an enormous hat painted with frogs, and sings 
a mourning-song. She moves her finger around and takes the scent of the girl whom 
she calls forth. This version is a fragment. It is merely told that the girl meets two 
men swimming in a pond. One of these is the White Goose, who takes the gill up 
into the sky Kai 5.310. 

1 A Masset version. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAISr MYTHOLOGY 833 

The sons of the chief of Dji'gua fish charr mth nooses. Their fishing-ground is 
near New Kloo. The cormorant hat of one of them falls into the water. He is 
angry, strikes the water, and scolds it. They make a lire on shore to roast the fish. 
A frog appears, whoso skin looks like copper. Tliey put it into the fire, where it 
bursts and scatters the wood. This is repeated several times. AMien going down 
the river, a person appears on shore and tells them they will die as they pass certain 
points, and that the last one will tell their story and then die. When the children ia 
Dji'gua are playing, a woman with a large belly appears. They strike her. It 
sounds like a drum. Next a woman appears carrying a child, who predicts the end 
of the town. The people go halibut fishing, and only a part are successful. The 
water begins to bum, cinders fall down. There are other jjortents of evil. The sky 
becomes red, and Djila'qons causes the town to be burned. A woman who is hidden 
in a cellar is saved. Djila'qons appears carrying a cane decorated with frog and 
cormorant and wearing a frog hat, and sings a mourning-song. The young woman 
comes out of her cellar, takes up some coppers, and starts traveling. A man from the 
Tsimshian country meets her and takes her along Sk 316. 

Another version which is added at this place continues that when she is married in 
the Tsimshian country, her high rank is discovered when a dogfish tattooing is seen 
on her back. Some of her children later on go back because they are taunted with 
being Haida slaves, Sk Swanton 2.94. 

The Tsimshian tale is also located in the town of Dzi'gwa, the 
Tsimshian pronunciation of DjI'gwa. 

A prince and his three friends go out fishing. His cormorant hat falls into the 
■water, so that he can not spear the fish. He tears up his hat and throws it away. 
The steersman fishes it out of the water again. They start a fire. The frog leaps on 
their cooked fish, and they throw it into the fire. It jumps out again, but they 
put it back, and it is killed. One of the young men throws it into the bushes. 
When they go home, a young woman with blackened face appears on the beach 
and asks to be taken along. One of the young men jumps ashore, tries to 
embrace her, but only a frog leaps away. This happens four times. The last time 
they refuse to go ashore. Ttien she tells them that they will die as they jiass various 
points of land ; that the last one will tell the story and then die. The people move 
away. An old woman of the tribe dreams that the village is destroyed by fire. She 
tells the chief to hide his daughter in a cellar which is lined with coppers and valuable 
skins. Fire falls from the sky and bums the village. After everything has been 
burned, an old woman appears, singing a mourning-song. Another woman appears, 
carrying a cane on which is carved a frog and an eagle, and wearing a hat painted 
green. She is the mother of the frog that had been burned. The girl leams the songs 
and begins to travel. On her way she sees a glittering garment and a supernatural 
halibut, which therefore are mentioned in her mourning-song. She finds a fire 
burning at the foot of a cedar tree, and sits down. The daughter of a chief had been 
biu-ned here; and when the parents come to wail, they adopt her as their daughter 
come back. The ne.xt summer the young people go in their canoes to pick straw- 
berries. The young woman is left alone in the canoe, which drifts away and lands 
at Metlakahtla. There she marries the prince of the G'id-wul-gadz. She has five 
children. One day she is taunted with being a Haida slave. The children take the 
names and emblems of their maternal imcle. Tlie children are sent back to Queen 
Charlotte Islands. Two sons and one daughter remain with their mother Ts 2C0. 

The incident of the prediction of death, telling that the members 
of a crew shall fall dead one after another and that the last one shall 
tell the news and shall then die, occurs also in other comiections. In 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 53 



834 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [dth. ann. 31 

a short Skidegate tale a girl tells of her imprisonment in a cave and 
of the method of her escape. Then she dies Sk 327. A naked man 
painted red all over announces this fate to some fishermen in Tl 144. 
The same story is told, with slight variation, in Kai 253. 

41. Explanation of the Beaver Hat (p. 270) 

Tliis is the clan story of a group of Tsimshian Eagles who escaped 
from Alaska after a war with the Ravens. It tells briefly of their 
advcntui'es and of the origin of then* crests 

The cause of the war is the jealousy of a young man who kills his wife. Her brother 
disguises himself, pretends to be the wife who has returned, and during the night 
cuts off the head of his brother-in-law. A battle ensues, and the relatives of the 
young man have to flee. On their trip they lose their coppers and an Eagle canning, 
which they used as anchors. They destroy a monster halibut which had killed some 
of them. They meet a beaver with copper eyes, copper ears, copper teeth, and copper 
claws, which they kill Ts 270. 

42. The Watek-Being who Married the Princess (p. 272) 

A number of girls go out in a canoe. Wlien they cross a sandbar, a mass of foam 
strikes the canoe, and the princess disappears from among the girls. A shaman dis- 
covers that she had been married by a supernatural being, and her uncle sacrifices to 
him. The Mouse Woman tells her in the usual way where she is. She has a son, 
whom the father of the supernatural being pulls in order to make him grow quickly. 
The princess also gives birth to a daughter, and the supernatural being invites in all 
the supernatural beings of the rocks, and asks them to spare the people. Finally the 
princess and her children are sent back. The son of the princess invites all the super- 
natural beings. In order to prepare for the feast, all the Tsimshian tribes have to 
give him presents. He builds houses for his feast, and sends out his final invitations. 
The supernatural beings do not come because one of them had been forgotten. A\'hen 
he is called, they all appear. 

The rest of the story has been discussed in connection witli Rav(>n's 
feast (see pp. 718,847). 

43. The Story of Part-Summer (p. 278) 

Tlie beginning of tliis story will be found discussed on p. 835. It 
is identical with the introduction to the story of GunaxnesEmg-a'd. 
The s<>cond part of the story deals with the rescue of the woman and 
the fate of the Bears. It is related to BC 111. 

The male Bears go fishing. WTien one of them does not come back, the others say 
that his fishing-line broke because he used common bushes in place of cranberry 
bushes. This means that the Bear has been killed. The female Bears go out; and 
when one of them does not return, they say that her tump-line tore, which means that 
she has been killed. In the fall the chief invites the whole tribe in, and asks them in 
what dens they intend to sleep in winter. Each mentions the name of a place. The 
j'Oung woman objects to all the dens mentioned by her husband, because they are 
too easily foimd by her younger brother's dogs, Red and Spots. The chief then 
inqiures how many mats her four brothers have. She says sixty for the eldest, forty 
for the second, twenty for the third, five for the youngest. '^Tienever she mentions 
these numbers, the same number of Bears hang their heads, meaning that they will 



BOAS] COMPARATR-E STUDY OP TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 835 

be killed. The mats mean the period of purification for each brother. Among the 
Bears to be killed by the youngest brother is also the young woman's husband. The 
chief instructs the Bears to gather food, and to go into their dens when they hear the 
thunder rolling. The brothers go hunting, and the dogs of the youngest one find 
the den of the Bear who married the young woman. The man can not go up. His sister 
sees him and throws down a snowball. The youth finally succeeds in climbing the 
mountain, and recognizes his sister. The woman gives birth to two children, which 
she gives to her brother and comes out. She asks him to kill the Bear by means of a 
smudge. She sings a song and teaches her brother the Bear taboos. She is taken 
home with her cubs. A\'hen these grow up, they go hunting. They call clouds 
the smoke of their Bear grandfather. One day while they are romping in the house, 
they fall against the back of their grandmother, who scolds them. They run back 
to the Bears, but give food from time to time to their uncle Ts 279. 

44. ExPLANATiox OF THE Abaloxe Bow (p. 284) 

This is the story of a chief who finds a hve abalone bow, which 
becomes his crest Ts 284. 

45. Stort of Gunaxnesemq-a'd (p. 285) 

This story consists of fotu" parts: 
I. The girl who is taken away by the Bear whom she scolded. 
II. The marriage of the girl with the lake-bemg. 

III. The woman carried away by the Killer Whales. 

IV. The origin of the crests of the Raven Clan. 

We have two full versions from the Tsimshian, and one from Skide- 
gate. Only one of the Tsimshian tales contains the fourth element, 
which I recorded in 1888, however, as a separate story (Ts 5.294). In 
Masset and among the Tlingit, parts I and III have been recorded 
separately. The first part appears as the begiimmg of tales based on 
the marriage of a girl to a Bear — either Black Bear or Grizzly Bear. 
We have this form in the Tsimshian story of Part Summer, the Tlingit 
tale of the origin of copper {Tld), a Bellacoola story, and in a Shu- 
swap version. The analogy with the Snail story (p. 749) and others 
of a similar type shows that the return of the young woman to her 
parents, with or without her children, would be a complete story. 

The connection between the first and the second parts of the story 
is made by means of the incident telling how the young woman came 
to marry the lake-being. In the Tlingit, Skidegate, and Masset ver- 
sions, the Obstacle myth is furthermore introduced as a connecting 
Unk. The second part of the story would be complete in itself if the 
lake-being had abducted the girl. 

In aU the versions there is a distinct break between the return of 
the woman and the incidents relating to the story of the young 
woman carried away by the KiUer Whales and rescued by her hus- 
band. This lack of connection is also brought out clearh^ by the fact 
that among the Thngit and Masset the two stories are told sepa- 
rately. The distribution of the story of the woman carried away by 



836 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

the Killer Whales is peculiar. Among the tribe of Rivers Inlet it 
appears appended to the Wa'wahs story, the beginning of which is 
related to the opening passage of the Gau'6 tale (see p. 848). It has 
not been collected among the Bcllacoola and the Kwakiutl, but it 
has been found among the Seshelt and Xanaimo. The agreement in 
form of these two versions with the Tsimshian version is so great, 
that I suspect here a recent introduction. Certain elements of the 
tale occur in the interveiung territory, but in entirely new combina- 
tions. We find them in the Transformer cycle and in the stories 
relating to the origin of salmon. It is interesting to note that in the 
Masset version the Obstacle mj'th is introduced here a second time. 
The Tlmgit tale Tld is highly modified. 

(a) The Girl who is Taken hy the Bear 

(10 versions: Ta 278; Ts 1.147; Ts 5.294; Tl 4.271; T16 12(5, Tlrf 252; lib 500; Sk6 

336; BC 111; Ri 5.226') [cited respectively Ts, Ts 1, Ts 5, Tl 4, T16, Tlrf, Mb, Skfc, 

BC, Ri 5]) 

According to Ts 1, the story belongs to the GidzExla'"!, and occurred at KsdAl. 
Ts 4 places the occurrence at Metlakahtla, and calls the hero Yehuxlane. T16 intro- 
duces the story in the Raven legend, and tells it as happening in the village of Gau'6, 
which is called Gttli'kc. Tic calls the heroGAnma'tckli. M 495 places the second 
part of the story at Sins, and calls the hero Nanasimgit. The first part is placed at 
Sq!elu' Mb. Ri 5 places the story in Tsakwa'lo, and calls the girl La'lxemil. The 
related story Ts 278 is placed at GitslEmga'lon. 

A chief has four sons and one daughter' Ts. The parents and uncle will not allow 
the princess to marry Mb. The people are drying salmon and berries; one day ten 
girls go berrj'-picking Ts 1 [a princess goes berry-picking with companions Ts 5, Tld, 
Tl 4; goes digging clover roots BC]. The jirincess steps on bear dung Ts, Ts 1, Ts 5, 
Tl 4, M6, BC, Ri 5 [grizzly-bear dung Tift, Tlrf, Sk6]. She scolds the Bear Ts, Ts 1, TW, 
BC, Ri 5 [scolds.the bear dung Ts 5, Tl 4; scolds the bear dung twice Mb]. After ber- 
rying, the boxes are tied, up, and they go home Ts 1. The carrying-strap breaks, and 
the berries are scattered Ts, Ts 1, Ts 5, TW, Sk6, Mb [she drops her basket Tl 4 ; upsets 
basket four times Sk6]. Her companions leave her Ts, TW [onebyoneMJ; the finst time 
three, then two, then two more, then one ; the last one she sends home Ts 1 ; the fourth 
time she sends the girls home Ts 5; is deserted by her companions Tl 4; her father's 
slave remains longest, but finally goes home Mb]. [When alone, she loses the trail 
and goes to sleep Tl 4; the Bears cause the carrying-straps to break Ts 5, M6,] Two 
young men appear Ts, Ts 1, Ts 5, Sk6, M6. They offer to carry her basket Ts [box 
Ts 1; promise to take her home Ts 5; take her to Bear town Mb; invite her to go 
along, saying, "Inland are berries" Sk6]. 

The Tlingit, Bellacoola, and Rivers Inlet tales introduce one man only. One 
man [who Is whirling a stick TW] takes her off T16; offers to show her the way 
Tl 4; good-looking youth approaches her BC; man named G-a'l^Em, wearing Bear 
blanket, approaches her and takes her home Ri 5. [They pass under two logs which 
are really mountains TW.] Her brothers look for her in vain, observe taboos for two 
months, and stay in solitude; if they had returned too soon, they would have lost their 
senses Ts 5 [people think she has been killed by bears T16]. She is taken to a town Ts 1 
[house Ts 5, a house with painting in middle of town Sk6, a bear's den Tl 4]. She sees 
that it is not her father's town Ts 1 . She is left outside. The father of the young Bears 
asks them whether they have brought her Ts, Ts 1. Two young women lead her into 
the house Ts 1. [She sees two old Bears, who then appear as husband and wife; they 

' This story is also briefly referred to in Albert P. Niblack, The Coast Indians of Southern Alaska and 
Northern British Columbia (.Report of the U. S. National Museum for 1888, Washington, 1890, explanation 
of Plate XLIX). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY ' 837 

say that she has been taken away because she made fun of them. The story continues 
here, telling of the killing of the Bears. For this reason ivomcn speak kindly of the 
bear, and ask it not to take them Tl 4.] The Mouse Woman asks the girl to throw her 
oar-omam'ents into the fire Ts, Ts 1 [in the winter the Mouse Woman asks her to sacri- 
fice her ear-ornaments, and tells her that Bear is very jealous Ts 5; a woman half rock 
sits in the comer of the house Ski; woman has pitch running all over her arms, and 
is stuck to the ground by the pitch Mb]. Shj advises her not to eat of the first salmon 
and first berries. The former is the stomach of dead men; the latter, decomposed 
flesh and eyes Ts. [Rock Woman ad\dses her to eat only the shadow of food, not to 
eat the black round things that would make her half rock, to eat only cranberries 
and drink only water Ski.] 

The girl wears bracelets, pretends they are human excrements Ts 1. [Rock Woman 
advises her to cover her excrement deep in ground. She puts copper bracelets and 
copper wire down on surface Sk6. Pitch Woman advises her to hide excrement and 
put bracelets on top Mb. When asked by Bear to defecate, she puts down copper pins 
from her hair and deceives the Bear four times Ri 5. She tears off small coppers from 
her neck-ornament and drops these unobserved; then Bear strikes the small of her 
back, compelling her to defecate BC] The Bear shouts when he sees the copper Sk6 
[surjmsed at copper M6; the Bear people watch her cover up her tracks; she wears 
dentalium shells around her neck, which she drops on her tracks T16]. The eldest 
Grizzly Bear marries her Ts 1. The male Bears get salmon Ts, Ts 1, Ts 5, T16, Sk5, 
Ri 5 [at midnight M6]; females pick berries Ts [women gather firewood Ts 1, T16, 
Sk6, Ri 5]. 

Here follows the incident of the dry wood that does not burn well ' 
(9 versions: Ts 1.153; Ts 5.295; T1& 127; Ty253; M&501; Sk6 336; 
Ri 5.226; — Kai 255; Lil 310). 

Woman is sent to gather firewood and takes dry wood Ts 1, Ts .5, Ri 5 [can not start 
fire with dry wood T16]. The Bears, on returning, shake their fur over the fire and 
extinguish it Ts 1, Ts .5, M6, Sk6, Ri .5. She is ashamed because her fire goes out Ts 1. 
^^^len the husband scolds her Ts 5, Ri 5, the Mouse Woman advises her to take drift- 
wood Ts 1, Ts 5 [old woman tells her that she has come into her present state because 
she used dry wood, that driftwood will burn T16, Mb; woman half rock ad\'ises her to 
take knots Ski; Pitch Woman tells her to get driftwood and light it -with dry wood 
M6; Bear gets wet wood and strikes fire, which is not extinguished Ri 5]. J^'or this 
reason it is known that driftwood burns Ts 1. She gets driftwood; and when the Bears 
shake their blankets over the fire, it does not go out M6, Sk6, Ri 5. [The Grizzly Bear 
people go after salmon. Her husband gets wet wood. She gathers dry wood, which 
goes out when the coats are shaken over it Tk/.] [The Bears roast the salmon and 
eat them when only the skin is cooked ; she eats only berries, no half-raw s;ilmon 
Mi.] [^\%eu the Bear takes her home, he asks her to gather brushwood for their bed; 
she brings hemlock branches, which he throws away and asks her to gather devil's- 
club BC] 

A woman who is taken by Land Otters builds a fire of dry wood. It goes out when 
the people shake the water off their skins, and they scratch her. A woman rooted to 
the floor tells her to use wet wood Kai 255. Glacier, who has married the daughter of 
Chinook Wind, sends his sen-ant Water Ousel to get wet firewood, because the fire of 
dry wood is too hot Lil 310. 

The stories Ts (see p. 834), BC, Ri 5, continue differently, and tell of 
the events that happen to the woman, who continues to live among 
the Bears. Remotely connected with tliis are the Chilcotin, Shuswap, 
and Thompson stories (Chil 19, Sh 715, Ntl Teit 2.72). In the pre- 
ceding parts of the tale, BC and Ri occupj^ evidently an exceptional 



838 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

position. The incident of the wet wood is replaced in BC by selec- 
tion of pecuhar material for a Ix'd. For the copper bracelets other 
copper ornaments are substituted. 

The woman who was taken in summer becomes homesick in the fall Ts 1. The 
Mouse Woman tells her that her home is near by, and points out the trail Ts 1, Ts 5 
[the helpful woman tells her how to escape Mi, Sk6; after her dentalia are nearly pone, 
the old woman advises her how to escape T16]. [The Mouse Woman (see p. 752) 
tells her that she is among the Grizzly Bears, and shows her the way to her father's 
home Tld.] She tells her about Dzaga-di-la'" Ts 1, Ts 5. She is always watched by 
two Bear girls Ts 1 [her sister-in-law Ts 5, one man Mb]. \Mien gathering wood, she 
pretends to tie a biuidle on the back of her companion, and ties each to a stump Ts 1, 
Ts 5 [she ties big bundle on the back of the watchman M6]. They call the men Ts 5, 
and the Bears pursue her [T16, Tlrf, lib, Sk6, introduce here the Obstacle myth ; in Mb 
Snowbirds help the Bears and pursue her; in Sk6 the Wolves join the Grizzly Bears 
in their pursuit.] 

(b) Marriage of the Girl with the Lake-Being 

(6 versions: Ts 1.157; Ts 5.295; T16 127; Tld 254; Mb 505; Sk6 337) 

She reaches a lake, on which Dzaga-di-la'" stays in his canoe Ts 1, Ts 5 [called Sa^ 
diIa"o Sk6, man fishing halibut T16; a canoe wearing a dance hat Tlrf]. He is look- 
ing down into the water Ts 5. She asks him to save her, and offers fii'st her father's 
property, then herself Ts 1, Ts 5, M6 [ten coppers Sk6; he asks her to become his 
wife T16]. 

The woman who offers to marry the man who rescues her occurs also in other com- 
binations. A girl who goes to marry Hawk has to pass over a fish dam. Bald- 
Headed Eagle will not let her pass. She addresses him as "man," "friend." When 
she calls him "husband," he gives way and takes her home Lil 318. The same 
story, with the substitution of Golden Eagle for Hawk, and terms of relatlonsliip 
for "man " and "friend, " is found U 243. In Ntl Teit 3.345 it is the hawk Ra'tarat, 
the same as in Lillooet, who is referred to. She addresses the Bald-Headed Eagle as 
"uncle," "brother," etc. 

The same incident occurs in Sli 685. A Seal woman who has taken Eagle's claws 
and Raven's teeth offers to return them if the messenger will address her as wife 
Wish 77. A boy engages himself to marry a helper's daughter Chin 32. 

The story continues with the woman's rescue from the Bears: 

Then he hits the canoe with his club. It moves by itself, and he takes her aboard 
Ts 1, Sk6 [he puts the club into water and the canoe moves Ts 5; he goes ashore, takes 
her aboard T16, Mb]; [he goes back and continues to fish with a float at the end of his 
line T16]. Immediately the Bears appear and demand their wife Ts 1, Ts 5, Tib. 
Tlie man looks into the water Ts 1. He is sealing Ts 1, Mb. The Bears jump into 
the water to attack him. He strikes the edge of the canoe, which bites off the heads 
of the pursuers Ts 1, Sk6 [he throws the club into the water, which kills the Bears Ts 5, 
Tib, Mb, saying that his father belongs to the GinAxcAmge'tk, and that therefore he 
does not fear the Bears T16]; [the woman is asked to hold her head down while the 
club is killing the Bears Mb]. He asks the woman to louse him; she sees that his lice 
are frogs, and, being afraid to bite them, she bites her nails Ts 1, Sk6 [he asks heragain 
to hold down her head, and first a snake, then a frog, passes around her waist; the 
man proves to be XA'fiildafi, a being similar to a sea anemone; when she is afraid, 
he reminds her that she had promised to marry him M6]. Dzaga-di-la'"'s house is at 
the bottom of the lake Ts 1 [she was underground, but she thought that she was in a 
house because she was out of her head T16]. When he goes fishing, his canoe goes 
down into the lake and reappears in the sea Ts 5. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 839 

The man says he has another wife on the other side of the house T16. pe gives all 
the seals to his first wife, the Wolverene Woman Ts 1, Ts 5 [La'gal-djat Sk6, Finger- 
Nail Woman Mb]. Wolverene Woman says the new wife shall be her sister Ts 5 [she 
is pleased with the new wife M6]. The woman is warned not to look when the first 
wife eats Ts 1, Ts 5, T16, M6, Sk6 [when he goes home fi-om fishing, he sits down on 
top of the house with his new wife, who asks him to tell her all he knows; he says his 
first wife is the Clam, and whoever looks at her while she is eating falls into the water 
in which she sits and drifts away T16]. The woman looks secretly at the other wife, 
and sees her bolting whole seals Ts 1 , Ts 5 [sucking the seals out and spitting out the 
bones M6, Ski]. As soon as looked at, she chokes Ts 1, Sk6 [she feels when she is 
being looked at Ts 5]. Then the old wife bites through her neck Ts 1, Ts 5 [kills her 
SkJ; scratches her to pieces Mb; when she looks at the Clam through a hole in her 
blanket, the Clam shoots out water, which drowns her T16]. The man feels that his 
wife is dead Ts 1. When he asks her, she says that the other wife is asleep; sparks fly 
out of Wolverene's mouth and eyes when she is asleep Ts 5. He cuts off Wolverene's 
head Ts i [sends his club to bite through her neck Ts 5; kills her Ski; he enters a 
red-cod skin, clubs his wife, and cuts her in two Mb; kills the Clam by breaking its 
shell Tib]. The parts of the body come together until he puts poison on Ts 1, Ts 5 
[until he puts a grindstone in, on which the parts of the body grind themselves to 
pieces Mb, Ski]. He takes out the heart of Wolverene and swings it [four times 
Ts5] over his second wife and re\'ives herTsl, Ts5. [She is restored to life by putting 
eagle feathers on the body, therefore eagle feathers are used in dances T16. He wakes her 
Ski, spits medicine on her to re\'ive her Mi.] They bury the body of Wolverene. 
Her nine brothers come to visit him, bringing meat Ts 1 [her children come to visit 
their mother Ts 5]. They find the body Ts 1, Ts 5, and take it back Ts 5. The man 
and his young wife escape in their canoe Ts 1 , Ts 5. 

The Tlingit T.'ersion Tlrf distorts this incident. The canoe belongs to the Sun's 
sons, whose wife is a cannibal. Tliey destroy her and marry this woman. They chop 
up the cannibal woman and throw her body down. It falls on a Tsimshiivu town. 
Thcrifore there are many cannibals among the Tsimshia7i. This version bears clear 
evidence of the effect of disintegration. The remark of the narrator that "she was 
out of her head " illustrates this. 

A boy is born Ts 1, Ts 5, Ski, who receives the name Gunaxne'sEmg'a'd Ts 5. 
His father washes him and pulls him, so that he grows quickly Ts 5, Ski. The woman 
longs for her parents Ts 1 [the youth longs to see his grandfather Ts 6]. The man gives 
her his copper cano^ and otter club, instructs her to give the boy devil's-club and to 
name him GunaxnesEmg'a'd Ts 1 [the father gives him his copper canoe, club, bows 
and arrows, a harpoon, skins, and sling-stones Ts 5; he makes a small canoe and club 
for Ixim; the club, when thrown into the water, picks up small fish with its teeth for 
its master Ski]. He tells her that her parents live near by Tli. The canoe is loaded, 
and the load pressed down to a small compass Ts 5. He sends her home Ts I. — She 
returns to Qlado' Ski; he takes her on a visit to her father Mi; after the canoe is 
loaded, she goes home with her husband; the canoe is a Brown Bear that must be 
fed Tli. — They have a child. They load the father's grizzly-bear canoe, which can 
hear and is fed as they go along Tic?. 

The version Ts 5 introduces here the story of Tsauda and Ha'liis 
(}). 855), which, according to Mr. Tate, is a Wolf Clan story. Ha'lus 
is said to accompany GunaxnesEmg'a'd, who takes Tsauda's jilace. 

The Masset story ends here with their return, and the statement 
that the new vdfe does not eat so much as the old one Mb. 

The woman hides the canoe behind the town Ts 1 [puts it on a dry place under a 
tree Tli 129]. She finds her father and mother dead Ts 1 [the parents think she has 
died Tli]. Her uncles refuse to admit her, except the youngest one. Her son is 
made fun of because he eats de\'irs-club all the time and soils the house Ts 1 [when 



840 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

she returns, she looks filthy, her clotliing ragged, although she herself thought that 
she was beautifiil; she smells of the beach; her husband does not enter with her; a 
boy is born in her parents' house; he is a good shot Tib]. 

Her brother meets her, reports her arrival, but is not believed. When the people 
go out, the husbands of the young woman are invisible to them. They appear like 
moonlight or like sunbeams. AVhen they enter, they seem to step out of a fog. Here 
follows the story of the faithlessness of the wife (husband) of the supernatural beings 
(see p. 780) and their departure. In punishment the Sun's sons send poverty to 
theii' wife and her children. One of the children eventually finds the canoe of liis 
father, which is copper, and by means of which he becomes rich Tlrf. 

The version T1& tells of the boy's visit to his father, who gives him 
his gifts. This becomes necessary, because the boy was not born 
when his mother returned to her father's house. The form recalls 
the tale of visits across the sea and the invitations tendered by 
supernatural beings to people in distress. 

The boy goes out with his friends, shoots a cormorant, which indiiccs them to follow 
it out to sea. It becomes foggy; they fasten the canoe to a snag, and some one calls 
the boy to his father's house. He loses consciousness, and finds himself in a beautiful 
house on the mainland. His father names him CAmgige'tk. The boy is surprised 
that the father never inquires for his mother. He gives him abalone shells, sharks' 
teeth, and a club, which, when put downi, will fight for him and kill animals. The 
door of the house opens, and he is back in Ms canoe. He tells his friends who inquire 
that he has been on top of the snag. He reaches home. Only his mother knows what 
has happened T16. The boy has four friends Ts 1. 

The other versions continue as follows: The people are starving, and he goes hunt- 
ing with them; his mother gives him the otter club, bow and arrows; he kills seals and 
fills a canoe ; when he comes back, the people make fun of his mother because they do 
not believe that her son has been successful; he returns, reheves the people ; his mother 
gives a potlatch and names her son Ts 1. He elopes with his uncle's daughter 
Ts 1 [marries his uncle's daughter Ski]. He makes copper plate out of his canoe, 
which he uses as marriage gifts Ts 1 [in T16 he obtains much food during a famine; 
then follows a story of the Giant Crab]. 

(c) The Woman Carried Away hy the Killer Whales 

(13 versions: Ts 1.171; Ts 4.275; Ts 5.299; Tin 26; Tie 215; Ma 495; Ska 245; Sk6 
338; Hai6.71; BC 5.259; Ri MS; Na5.55; Se 52) 

A white sea otter appears in front of the village Ts 1, Ski [Metlakahtla Ts 4, Ts 5; 
at Masset Ska; between two towns Ma; ' a sea otter appears near Metlakahtla Hai 6]. 
The youth's mother-in-law asks him to shoot it Ts 1 [wife Hai 6] in tip of tail Ma, 
Sk6, Hai 0. He hits the sea otter in the tip of the tail Ska,^ Se [he goes with four 
friends and kills it Ts 1]; [Wa' walls spears a sea otter Ri MS]. There is some blood 
at the tip of the tail Ts 4 [a drop of blood on the skin Ts 1; husband tolls his 
wife not to let blood soil it when skinning it Sk6; he sMiis it Ska; he skins it, there 
is blood on the fur Ri MS; the mother-in-law skins it Ma]. [A harpooneer invites 
fiiends to a seal feast Na 5.] The woman washes the skin, which drifts seaward; 
she follows it into deep water Ts 1, Ts 4, Ts 5, Ma, Sko, Sk6, Hai 6 [he gives her 
several skins to wash, because they are bloody; she carries the skins on a rope Ri MS; 
GAmna'tckli gives his wife skin and meat of seal to wash, the meat drifts out to sea 

1 The introduction to the story teUs of a boy banished with his grandmother, who becomes successful 
and marries liis uncle's daugliter. 

2 This is part of the story He Who Gets Supernatural Power From His Little Finger. The beginning is . 
not related to the tale here discussed. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 841 

Tic; Wa' walls asks Ms wife to wash seal intestines BC 5; the woman washes dishes 
and a seal skin Na 5; the hunter's wife washes the sea-otter skin Se; she urinates on the 
beach and the skins drift away Ri MS]. Two Killer A\'hales take her out to sea, she 
sits at the base of the dorsal lin Ts 1 [G 'ileksets'a'ntk carries her away, she holds on 
to his dorsal fin Ts 5; Killer AMiale carries her away on his back Ts 4, Ri MS, Na 5; for 
Scannah-<ah-wink-a-dass, Hai 6; between his fins Ska; between two dorsal fins of 
Killer V^Tiale Sk6; one Killer ^^^lale on each side Mo; Killer Wliale takes white skin 
along Ma; skin transformed into Killer AMiale Se; Killer Wliales take her into canoe 
Tie; many other whales appear Sku, Se]. She shouts whenever the Killer \\Tiale rises 
Ts 1 [the husband piu-sues the Killer Whales in vain; they dive and he returns Mo, 
Ska, Sk6; Wa'walis is told that his wife is being taken away Ri MS]. 

Quite unrelated is the introduction to a parallel Tlingit tale. 

A man and his wife go to the head of a bay where Killer 'Whales always go ; they see 
a camp-fii-e on shore; when near by, the man jumjjs into the water and urinates; the 
Killer Whales are encamped there; their chief feels the people looking at them, and 
they swim away; the man and his wife go ashore, find pro\'isions in the camp, and 
begin to cook; then the woman sees a black canoe coming, and wants to invite the 
travelers; when the canoe approaches, it seems to her too black; it is a Killer Whale 
carried by other Killer Whales; they seize the woman, who is hiding behind her 
husband, and carry her away because the man had taken their proWsions; when they 
rise, there are many Killer WTiales; the man pursues them, paddling alongshore Tla. 

From here on this story continues like the others. 

The young man pursues the Killer 'WTiales with four friends Ts 1 [with friends Xa 5]. 
He takes poison along Ts 1 [he prepares his canoe and pursues the Whale with many 
slaves Ts 5; he prepares slowly, washes with devil's-club, puts eagle down on his 
head, paints his face, takes along tobacco and poison Ts 4; returned to Metlakahtla, 
he puts various kinds of poison into his box; he takes along cedar-twig rope, drill, 
and whetstone Sk5; collects various kinds of poison, hair-combings, whetstone Ma; 
paints his face black, white, and red, puts eagle down on his head Se; takes red and 
black paint Tie]. [He goes to see a shaman, who tells him that Killer ^^'haleB have 
taken her Hai 6; old man says Supernatural Being Always In The Cradle took the 
woman; the shaman gives Mm canoe, cedar-Mmb rope, tobacco, and tallow Ska; he 
goes with ilarten and Swallow — Marten to scent the trail. Swallow to watch from 
above; shaman instructs them to look for a canoe Hai 6; they bum canoe bottom 
before starting; shaman tells them that when the sun sMnes the day is unfavorable, 
while on a cloudy day he says the sun will sMne later, and they start Ska; the husband 
pursues them alongshore Tla.] The Killer Whales dive at the foot of Kwe''xt Ts 1 
[in Nass River Ts 4, Ts 5; suddenly under a high cliff Tla; in front of pursuer Ska; 
in Nass River, in fi-ont of Killer Whale Always Blowing Ski; at Qaya'nan Mo; dive 
Se]. At this place he throws out the anchor and climbs down the anchor-line Ts 1, 
Ts 5 [slave lets Mm down by means of a rope Ts 4; takes eagle down off Ms head and 
dives Se; ties deer-skin rope around Ms waist, and is let down Na 5; lets down rope 
of mountain-goat hair Ma; fastens bough to top of cliff, fills sMrt with rocks, and 
jumps into sea Tla; he takes the cedar-twig rop" in his teeth and goes down BC 5]. 

In the Haida versions he climbs down a two-headed kelp, the usual 
means of access to the bottom of the sea. 

They make fast the canoe at a kelp with two heads, which is the trail leading down ■ 
Ska, Sk5. He steps into the water and goes down Ma. 

In two versions the bottom of the ocean is reached from the coast. 
This idea is also fomid on the west coast of Vancouver Island. 



842 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

He lifts the edge of the water like a blanket and walks underneath Tic, Hi MS. 

He says that he will swing the rope when he reaches the bottom, and also as a signal 
when he is ready to return Ts 1. He tells his friends to wait Ts 1, Ma [the shaman 
promises to remain at the end of the trail, and tells him what he will find below Ska: 
Marten waits for him in the canoe Sk6, Hai 6; the Swallow returns to report Hai 6.] 

WTien he goes down, he reaches LA'mas (a passage leading into Nass River) Skft 
[he falls on a smooth mossy place Tlo, goes to a cave in which there is no water Ts 4]. 
[He meets many people, who inform him where his wife is Ts 5.] 

The following difficulties which he has to overcome on his way to 
the house of the Killer Whales are related to the incidents of the 
travels of the Transformer among the Kwakiutl tribes. In these also 
the encomiter with the Blind Geese occurs. Among the Kwakiutl 
tribes the long incident relating how the wedges of the wood-splitting 
slave are mended belongs to the storj' of the origin of salmon. In 
this group of stories the visit to the house of the KOler Whales 
occurs in exactly the same setting as in the story that we are 
discussing here. These incidents wiU be given in the following 
description in their proper places. 

(1) He meets Blind Geese ' (Ts 1, Ts 4, Mo, Hai 6) who are digging roots, which he 
takes away. Then they quarrel, thinking that the others had taken them Ts 4, Hai 6. 
[They are eating roots of a Seaweed, and smell him Ts 4; they are singing Ts 1 ; they 
were women Hai 6; he meets women digging clover roots, who say they smell him Sk6; 
he meets old women, one of whom distributes food bciled in kettle; he takes away 
dishes, and they smell the stranger Na 5.] [In Ma he meets Heron first, who warns 
him against the Blind Geese; he is to give them tc.'al; he approaches from behind; 
they smell him.] They call him by name, and this is the first time his name is known 
Ma, Sk5, Hai 6. He opens their eyes, and in return they promise their help Ts 1, 
Sk6, Na 5 [he rubs their eyes with a root; they are able to see, and cry, "Our eyes are 
open!" therefore they cry that way up to this day; he gives them tobacco, therefore 
geese are brown under the bill Ts 4]. [In Ma the Geese appear as watchmen of the 
Killer Whales, and promise not to shout. The same idea occurs in Se, where 
the Geese grandmothers shout when he comes. In all the other cases the Geese 
warn him, telling him about later dangers. The Geese warn him against the Clam, 
Codfish, and Halibut, and promise to help him Ts 4. In Sk6 they tell him that 
GitgidA'mtclex, the son of Isne'gal, married the woman. In Na 5 they tell him 
about the Crane.] 

(2) Next he meets the Beaver, whom he helps in cutting down trees, and who 
promises his assistance Ts 1 . 

(3) He meets the Clam, which threatens to swallow him. He gives it tobacco. 
The shells close, and he can step over it. On account of this the clam tastes like 
tobacco Ts 4. 

(4) He meets the Codfish [who can not give information Ri MS], and gives it 
tobacco. He steps on its head, uhichfor this reason is flat Ts 4. 

(5) He meets the Halibut, which lies there with its slippery side upward; when he 
gives it tobacco, it turns the rough side up, so that he can step over it Ts 4. 

(6) He meets the Mouse, to whom he gives deer tallow, and who warns against the 
Heron, who is the watchman of the Killer Whale Ma. 

(7) He meets pale people, whom he paints red — men, women, and children. They 
are red cods, and therefore these are red Tic. 

(8) He meets Halibut people, and is given food Tic [these are the first to be met by 
him in Ri MS]. 

' 23 versions (see p. 593). 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 843 

(9) He sees smoke in the center of a fine valley Se. At the end of the Killer Whale 
town he meets the old Crane Woman, who sits -n-ith her back to the fire Ts 1 [Crane is 
the watchman of the Killer Whales Hai 0; Crane jxrandmother Se; Heron Ma; Crane 
in a hut of branches warming his back Ts 4], As soon as he is seen, the Crane shouts 
Ts 1, Hai 6, Se [he approaches from behind Mo, and Heron shouts Mo, Sko]. He blows 
into the ashes, which fly over Crane; therefore its belly u gray. The Crane cousihs on 
account of the smoke Ts4. Then he gives him tobacco Ts 4. He gives Crane ^^'oman 
a harpoon-point to form her beak Ts 1 [a bOne Ts 4; he makes a .sign before Heron's 
eyes and gives him a whetstone to sharpen his beak Ma; the man kicks Crane into the 
fire, and then cures him and gives him a fish-spear Na 5; in return Crane \\'oman 
hides him in her feathers Ts 1 [takes 1dm in the form of a louse under the wing Ts 4], 
The Killer Whales have heard the shout and come to inquire Ts 1, Ts 4, Ska. She 
says that she cried because she fell into the fire Ts 1. The Killer Whales scent the 
man, but they can not find him Ts 4. 

In nnother group of tales the Crane or Heron is standing at the 
end of the ^^llage, working on a canoe. 

The old man tells that the Henm stands at the end of the town repairing a canoe, 
and instructs him to put tobacco into his mouth and to give him cedar-twig rope when 
he shouts Ska. The Crane uses a feather for drilling holes; when he has mended one 
part of the canoe, he breaks another Hai 6. He istcdd about Heron watching at the 
end of the town, repairing a <-anoe, and is instructed to gi\e him cedar-twig drill 
and whetstone when he shouts Ski. When the man approaches, he hears hammering 
Ska. He finds the Crane, who is mending a canoe Hai C. He gives him a drill Hai G, 
and the other objects that he had been told to give him. Heron shouts; Heron hides 
him in his mouth Ska [in the armpit Sk6], and the Killer Whales come to inquire 
Ska, Sk6. The Heron says that he has been mistaken Sk6 [Crane says that he has 
been frightened by four men, but that they are friends Hai (i; Heron says his awl had 
slipped Ska; the Killer ^\'hales say that Crane smells of a human being, but they 
can not find the man Ska]. 

The Crane, propitiated, then promises his or her help. The Crane advises him 
that when he comes back he is expected to eat him, but that he will not do so Ts 4 
[Heron ad^'ises him that the house post of the Killer Whales has three watchmen on 
top Ska, and that the man who has married the woman hves in the middle house of 
the town Ski], 

The TUngit versions treat the approach to the Iviller Whale house 
in a quite different manner. 

He comes to a fort; the people inside do not want to see strangers; they look pale, 
and he paints them black; they are Sharks Tie [he sees a long tovni; the last house 
is that of the Shark people Tla]. He inquires what clan has taken his wife; and the 
Sharks point out the town, saying that the woman has been taken by the Killer 'Whales 
who live acrcLss the way, and that they beat the Killer Whales in all their fights; 
while he is talking, a bony-looking person jumps up behind the boxes and says he is 
the man's lost halibut hook named Lgudji', which is the name of an island Tic [a 
man with crooked mouth peeps from behind a post and tells him that he is one of his 
halibut hooks which was taken away by Sharks and enslaved Tla]. The Sharks 
instruct him what to do Tin, Tic. 

At this point the incident of the wood-splittuig slave is introduced. 
I have found 20 versions of this incident: Ts 1.177; Ts 4.277 ; Ts 5.300; 
Tk 26; Tic 215; M 421; Ma 49S; Ska 245; Ski 339; Hai 6.73; Ri 
MS; BC 5.259; Na 5.56; Se 53. Also N SS; Sk 267; Ne 5.175; Ne 
9.219; K 9.169; K 10.332. 



844 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

The Geese [Crane Na 5] tell him about the Whale's slave who is splitting wood 
Ma. He meets the Killer ^Mlale's slave who is splitting wood Ts 5. The slave has 
three dorsal fins Ts 4 [he is chopping wood with a stone ax Tla ; two slaves named 
Raven and Crow are to cut a dead hemlock tree Sk6 ; he meets a man witli a thick belly, 
called Ix'e'iqt, who is splitting wood with a wedge BC 5.259; a slave chopping wood 
Na 5; Killer Whale's slave Big Belly, the red cod, who is splitting wood with the 
wedge Ri MS; while he is standing by the Geese, three men come and say they are 
slaves of the Killer ^\^lale Hai 6 ; ' by his magic he compels the slave of the Killer \\'hale 
to come and gather firewood Se]. The man crawls into the log that the slaves are going 
to split Ts 1, Ri MS. When the slave begins to work on the wood, the man bites off the 
points of the copper wedges Ts 1 [stone wedges Sk6; wedge breaks Ts 5; bites off the 
points of the wedges Ts 4, RiMS; bites off point of chisel Se; breaks off point of wedge 
BC 5, Na 5 ; wishes ax to break Tla ; looks stealthily at the slave, thus causing the wedges 
to break; two persons covered with sores appear. When he looks at them, they say, 
"Don't tickle us by looking at us! " he heals them by rubbing them with tallow Ska]. 
Then he comes out, mends the wedges, and gives toba'cco to G'ilks-ats!a'ntk Ts 1. 
He mends the wedges and gives tobacco to the slave Ts 4. [He mends the wedges 
Ts 5, Sk5, Hai 6, BC 5, Ri MS. He spits medicine received from Heron on the wedges 
Ma; repairs the ax, the only one in town Tla; he mends chisel by magic Se.] The 
wood is to be used for making the fin for the woman Ts 1, Ts 4, Ska, Sk6. The man 
then chops up the wood for the slave Skb. The slave tells him the whereabouts of 
his wife BC 5. 

In M 421 this incident is only briefly mentioned. 

Now the slaves' wives — Otter Woman and Mink Woman — appear Ts 1 [Otter, Mink, 
Marten, and Weasel Ts 4]. They come to carry wood, but are driven away by their 
husband ; they scent the man, but he does not allow them to find him Ts 1 [they scent 
the man and run to tell about it; but when they reach a sand-bank, they clean their 
mouths with s;ind and forget about it Ts 4]. 

The Heron shoAvs the house in which the woman is; the man looks in, sees that it 
has several platforms, and returns to the Heron Sk6. Supernatural Being Always In 
The Cradle is hanging up as in a cradle Ska. The Crane takes him to the house where the 
woman is warming herself Hai 6. The slave tells him that the Killer Whales enslave 
all men, but that the chief has married her; he takes liira to the door and shows him 
where his wife sits; he looks through a crack and sees that she appears cast down Tic 
[he looks through the doorway and sees his vnle weeping Ska]. The Crane says that 
they are going to cook and eat the woman Na 5. In the e\-ening the slave lets him in; 
a stone box stands near the door, in which the fin for the woman is to be steamed Sk5. 

The slave hides the man in a bundle of rotten wood Ts 1 [he carries him among 
pitch wood into the house Ts 4; puts him into a bundle of wood Ma; he hides in a 
bundle of wood and instructs the slave to carry him in Se]. The slave puts the wood 
containing the man next to the door Se. In the analogous stories M 422, Ne 5.175, 
K 10.332, the man hides in a fagot and is carried in by the girl. He sees the 
woman in the house with bent back, on which the wooden fin is to be placed Ts 4 
[they say fins are to be put on the woman Ska; the woman is warming herself by 
the fire Hai 6]. The slave makes a big fire, so that the man can see everything in 
the house Se. In the evening the slave (or slaves) is sent for water; he gets back 
with it and throws it from the top of the ladder into the fire Ts 1 [extinguishes fire 
Ts 4, Ts 5, Tla, Tic, Ma, Sk6, Hai 6, Ri MS, Se, Na 5; he breaks the strings of 
the box and extinguishes the fire Ska, BC 5; he upsets a kettle over the fire 
Hai 6]. As soon as the house is full of steam, the man carries his wife away Ts 
1, Ts 5, Tic, Ska, Ski, Hai 6, BC 5, Ri MS, Se. As soon as the man escapes, 

1 According to Hai 6, one of the slaves hides in a hollow tree, the others go to town, and the sleeper then 
awakes. In cutting up the wood, one breaks his ax, which the man breaks. This version is evidently due 
to a misunderstanding. 



BOAS] ■ COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 845 

the slave who has helped him swells up in the doorway Ts 1, Ma [the slave swells 
up, and they can not pass over his spines Ri MS; the slave shouts after a while, 
saj-ing that the woman has been taken away Tic; the three-headed house pole gives 
the alarm Ska, Sk6]. The Killer UTiales pursue him [Fast Rainbow Trout pursues 
him above, Marten below Sk6]. 

When the man escapes, he is protected by the slave. WTien the slave swells up in 
the doorway, his wives peck open his belly, and he collapses Ts 1. They run in 
pursuit, the slave ahead, who falls down, swells up again; his wives peck open his 
belly and he collapses again Ts 1 [the man thi-ows tobacco to the slave, who "swells 
up Ts 4; one of the slaves lets himself fall and lets his belly swell up; the Mouse 
Lgi'yutsin gnaws it through ; the other slave falls down, and the Weas?l gnaws through 
his swelling belly Sk&. The slave falls down and forms a mountain Se. 

Tliis incident of the wood-splitting slave occurs also in similar form in the Nass story 
of the Stars N 90; in a Skidegate story of a man who married a bird Sk 267; in the 
Bellacoola version of Wa'walis BO 5.259; and in the Kwakiutl stories of the origin 
of the salmon and of the visit to the chief of the Killer Whales Ne 5.175, Ne 9.219, 
K 10.332, K 9.169. 

In the Tlingit versions referred to, the man goes back to the Sharks. 

The man carrying away his wife is called by his haUbuthook to come into the 
Sharks' house Tla. The man reaches the fort of the Sharks, who put on their 
armor; the halibut hook encourages him, and the fort kills the Killer Wiales by 
moviug up and down and cutting off their heads; another assault of the Killer 
WTiales is beaten off in the same way Tic [the man is protected by the Sharks, who 
fight with the Killer Whales; they sharpen their teeth on rocks and rip open the 
stomachs of the Whales Tla]. The Sharks keep the man for some time and then send 
him home Tic. 

In other versions practicaUv the same obstacles are overcome 
wliich he encounters on Ms way to the Killer Whale house. 

The Crane pretends to strike Mm; the Beaver helps him obstruct the trail by 
means of dams; the Geese scatter down, which blinds the pursuers Ts 1. The Crane 
pretends to strike him Ts 1, Ts 4. They are given again tobacco Ts 4. The Heron 
hides him in his mouth; the Killer Whales smell him, but can not find him Ska. 
The pursuing slave is gi\'en tobacco Ts 1 , Ts 4. 

The version Ma introduces here the Obstacle myth. 

The man is pulled up into the canoe Ts 1, Ts 4, Ts 5, Na 5 [he gets back to the canoe 
Sko, Ski, Se; there he finds that his companion has become an old man Sk5; he finds 
the Marten dead and only the skeleton left Hai 6]. He sprinkles medicine over the 
dead and revives them; the canoe is renewed in the same way Hai 6. On their way 
home the slave of the Killer ^\'hales pushes the canoe ahead Ma [is first in pursuit Ts 1]. 
The man throws poison into the water and kills his pursuers Ts 1 , Sk6 [they sink Skb]. 
One of them becomes a rock near Port Simpson Ts 4. The kindly Killer Whale has three 
fins; he is given tobacco and fat and returns Ts 1, The man becomes a rich chief 
Ts 1 . The woman retained her paint-bag, which is inherited by her descendants Ts 4. 
The man then keeps his wife in the bottom of the innermost box in a set of five; she 
disappears through a hole in the bottom of the box Sk6. He returns home Ska. 

The following talc is attached to only one Tsimshian version: 

The people go to Nass River, and the man puts up a stone totem-pole at Little Crab- 
apple Tree. At his feast he di\'ides animals and supernatural beings of the woods 
and the sea. The monsters come in, bringing a wave of foam. WTien it disappears, 
they are seen wearing their crests. The man takes the name Y!aga-k!une'°sk. It is 
daylight before the stone totem-pole has been erected. The guests disappear, and 
therefore a stone remains leaning against the cUff Ts 1. 

Other versions of this tale have been discussed on p. 718. 



846 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

46. Story of the Ganha'da (p. 285) 

This is the story of a man who goes hunting and sees a sea raven 

Ts 285. 

47. Gtt-na-gun-a'ks (p. 285) 

(6 versions: Ts 285; Ts 5.291; Hai 6.66; ' Tl 51; M 644; H 5.238) 

Dzagam-sa'gisk goes fishing with his three brothers-in-law. At night they anchor at the 
foot of a steep mountain. At midnight a blue cod swims around the canoe and strikes 
it. Therefore the chief catches the fish, breaks its fins, and throws it away. The fish i.i 
a female slave of Na-gun-a'ks. The anchor-stone had fallen on Na-gun-a'ks's house, and 
the slave had been sent out to investigate. She returns, and Na-gun-a'ks takes the 
canoe down into his house. A drop falls into the eye of one of the men. He wakes, 
and the men find themselves on the platform of a house. They are called down to 
the fire, and a Mouse tells them in the usual way what to do. Na-gun-a'ks gives a whole 
seal to each man. They swallow them, except the steersman, who belongs to an Eagle 
family. Na-gun-a'ks gives a feast in honor of his guests. After they have given him 
presents of copper, mountain goat, tobacco, berries, ocher, and eagle down, they are 
told to go into their canoe. The waters rush into the house as the guests come in. 
He shows them the gifts, and in return he gi\'e8 to his guests crests. As usxial, the men 
sleep in their canoe, and on the following morning find themselves at the foot of the 
mountain where they had anchored before. Their canoe is covered with seaweed, and 
has been transformed into copper. They go home, and after a while are recognized. 
There they show the gifts that they have received. WTiile below, they were forbidden 
to kill fish. One day one of the companions of the chief disobeys, chibs a bullhead, 
and makes fun of it. In consequence the chief perishes in a whirlpool Ts 285. 

In the version Ts 5.291 the same names are given. The slave of Na-gun-a'ks is the 
Shark. The men are ordered to remove the anchor. 'WTien the shark knocks at the 
canoe, they first catch it and throw it away; then they kill it and tear off its fins. 
The men are taken down, and one of them wakes because water drips into his eye. 
The men give presents to Na-gim-a'ks, who, in turn, gives them crests. Na-gun-a'ks 
invites the sea monsters, who come into the house in a flood of water. X^lien the 
water runs out, they are seen wearing their dancing-ornaments. They are gi\-en part 
of the presents that Na-gun-a'ks has received from the men. The men go to sleep in 
their canoe, find themselves at the place where they had anchored, and go home. 

The Masset story M 644 resembles tlio Tsimshian story in all its essential features. 
It does not contain any reference to crests or clans. 

Some hunters believe they see a sea), harpoon it, but find that it is an old log. They 
anchor at the foot of a cliff, and hear a skate flopping on the water. They harpoon it, 
and the skate swims away. It is the slave of GonaqAde't. The slave returns, and 
Gonaq.-vde't sends his people to take the canoe down. The men find themselves in 
the house. They are asked to what family they belong, and he tells them that he 
belongs to the same family. They are told to build a house like the one that they see 
down below. The fishes and sea mammals, who are nephews and friends of the 
GonaqAde't, are massed near the door. The men return home Tl 51. 

In a Bellabella version the name of the sea-spirit is Q lo'mogwa. The introduction 
is the same. The slave of the sea-spirit is the Shark. After the slave has been muti- 
lated, the men are taken down. Whenoneof them wakes up, he thinks he is dreaming, 
and bites his hand. He calls the others, and they are asked to sit near the fire. The 
Mouse Woman warns them not to eat of the food that they are offered. They rub 
their canoe with medicine in order to prevent its being swallowed by the canoe- 
swallowing sea monster. They give a little mountain-goat tallow to the sea-spirit, 
who tlirow? it into the four corners of his house, where it increases in bulk. The sea 
mon.ster in\'ites hi.s friends, who rush into the house with floods of water. Tlie door 

' A Tsimshian story. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 847 

is the canoe-swallowing sea monster. After the feast the men fall asleep again in 
their canoe, and find themsehes on the surface. They have been taken home liy 
three Killer Whales. Their canoe is filled with seals. They believe they have been 
down below for four days, but in reality they have been absent four years. Their 
anchor line and stone are covered with sea grass. They throw it ashore. This is 
the origin of sea grass H 5.238. There is little doubt that Deans's story of a vL<iit of 
four men to the house of Keel-coonuc belongs here Hai 6.66. 

48. The Four Chiefs and Chief Grizzly Bear (p. 292) 

(2 versions: Ts 292: Ts 295'i 

There are four brothers in one village. A famished man comes down the river in 
winter, and the chiefs make fun of him. Instead of feeding him, they gi\e him snow 
to eat. The youngest one takes pity on him, and in return is promised crests. (!)n 
the following morning, men are seen on the other side of the river wearing grizzly- 
bear and mountain-gnat crests and singing a song. Crests and song are given to the 
young chief. The elder brothers do not receive anything. The young chief is a 
successful hunter and gives great feasts. 'When he is old, he goes hunting, and is met 
by a man who gives him a mountain-pole with a car^-ing at one end Ts 292. 

Another version is given in Ts 295, in which it is stated that after the chief had 
fed the stranger, the prince of the Black Bears comes down from the hills singing and 
carrying the crests. 

49. Gau'o (p. 297) 

(i) The Faithless Woman 

(5 versions: Ts 1.193; Ts 5.281; N 221; Ska 166; Skb 341 [citea respectively as Tsl, 
Ts5, N, Ska, Sk6]. See also H 5.2.34; EC 5.2-57; Ri MS; K 5.130, 162; K 9.487; 
Chil 44; Cliippewayan 7.407.— Sk 201; BC 5.247; Lil 335; Ts 317.— K 5.129; Xu 
5.123; Pentlatch 5.96; Co 5.89; Sts 5.22; Lil 339; U 285; Ntl Teit 3.384; Quin 
121.— Ts'270.— U 240; Till 138; Coos 155) 

There were two \-illages on Nass River Ts 1, Ts 5, N, Sk6 — one east and one west 
Ts 1. In one lived the GispawadwE'da; in the other one, the G'it-g'inio'x N. 
M 728 gives G'it!e'ks as the place where these events happened. The people were 
wealthy, numerous, and brave warriors Ts 1. In the \-illage of the GispawadwE'da 
lived the chieftainess Gau'o, who had four sons and one daughter Ts 1, Ts 5 [Sqa'gal's 
children settled at Q!ad6', and she had sevensonsand one daughter Ska 166; thesons 
are rich in provisions and marmot skirts Ts 5]. The inhabitants of the two ^-illagcs 
are in the habit of visiting and gambling together Sk6. Tlie brothers go into their 
valleys to hunt deer and beaver, and after one month their tents are full of skins; 
they give a feast to the people of the two villages and return to hunt; before going out, 
they fast, and the wife of the eldest fasts with him ; three of the brothers are succe.ssful 
in trapping, but the eldest does not catch anything; they go to another valley where 
there are beaver-dams Ts 5. [The boys hunt marmots for two months, and three are 
successful: the eldest one has bad luck Tsl; the four brothers observe taboos Sk6.] 
They go beaver hunting [they do not kill anything Skb]. When breaking down the 
beaver-dams, the eldest one is buried under the dam Ts 1, Ts 5, N. A log pierces his 
heart Ts 5, N [his shoulder Ska; the dam floats down and the brothers barely save 
themselves Sk6]. They take out the body of the eldest Ts 1, N. They take it back 
to the valley where they had been hunting before Ts 5. Then they think that the 
eldest brother's wife must have been faithless Ts 5, N, Sk6 [they know that regulations 
have been broken Skfi]; the youngest one is sent home to see what the wife of the 
eldest brother is doing Ts 1, Ts 5 [the eldest one goes home Ski]. He waits behind 
the houses until it is dark Ts 1, Ts 5 [three brothers hide behind the house N ; at mid- 
night all are behind the hou.se Ska]. They make a torch of pitch wood N. At mid- 
night he [they] listen, and hear talking in the room of the woman Ts 1 , Ts 5, N. At 



848 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

midnight the man enters, goes to his mother's bed, and asks her if any one comes to 
\-isit the young woman Ts 1, Ts 5 [he lights a torch before going to his mother N ; the 
brothers send the youngest one to speak to their mother Ska]. The mother does not 
know Ts 1 [she says the prince from the other village comes to the house Ts 5, N]. 
He tells his mother about the death of the eldest one, and asks her not to cry Ts 1, 
Ts 5, N [when the mother cries, he tells her t« stop Ts 5, Ska]. Her daughter-in-law 
[people Ts 5, Ska] asks her why she cries; she replies that she dreamed that her son 
had been killed Ts 1. The young man then lights a torch, goes to the bed of his sister- 
in-law Ts 1, N; knife in the right, torch in the left Ts 1. He sees her with her arms 
stretched out and under the neck of the youth Ts 1, N. He puts down the torch Ts 1, 
N. The youth had large abalone ear-ornaments N [abalone ear-ornaments and orna- 
ments of killer-whale teeth Ts 1]. [The young man lies down flat near his mother; 
at midnight he hears a man talking with the young woman ; when they are asleep, he 
goes to their bed Ska. After speaking to the mother, the youth goes back to report. 
He disguises like the eldest one, ties dried leaves around his legs so that they look 
swollen, supports himself with a cane, the mother recognizes his voice. He does not 
go to the fire, but to the mother. He does not allow the young woman who believes 
him to be her husband to touch him. He stays near his mother's fire, a board in front 
of him. Through a knot-hole he sees a stranger come in at night and go to his sister- 
in-law. When all are asleep, he takes off the leaves, lights a torch, and goes to her 
bed ; he recognizes the chief's son from the other village Ts 5. He finds some one with 
the woman Ski.] He takes the youth by the forehead and cuts off his neck Ts 1 [he 
cuts off the nead Ts 5, N, Ska, Ski; he goes out home, takes the head along Ts 5, N]. 
When the blood runs over the bed, the woman's child begins to cry Ts 5, Ski [when 
the people ask why the child cries, she says that it soiled the bed Ski; blood streams 
over the bed N]. When cuttingoff the head, the arm of the woman is wounded Tsl. 
The woman buries the body Ts 1, N [digs a hole for the body Ski] and lies down again 
N. The youth goes back. He does not say anything, but hangs the head up over 
the body of his brother. One of the other brothers sends his boy, who sees the head 
Ts 5 [after kflling the youth, the man awakens his wife Ski]. The brothers return 
and tell of the death of the oldest one Ts i, N, Ski [they bring the body home N; 
they act as if nothing had happened Ski]. They hang up the head over the doorway 
(all versions) [on the beam over the doorway Ts 1 ; the youngest one hangs it up, and 
blood is oozing out of the head Ska]. 

Closely related viiih the part of the Gau'o story here discussed is 
the introduction to the Wa'walis leo^end, which is kno^\^l particu- 
larl}' in the region between Bellabella and tlie central parts of ciistcrn 
Vancouver Island. (Versions: H 5.234, BC 5.257, Ri MS, K 5.162, 
K 9.487, Chil 44, Chippewayan 7.407. See also Ts p. 756.) 

Wa'walis's slave disobeyed him, and for this reason he beS't him. The slave cries, 
"Don't beat me! Rather beat your wife's lover." Thereupon Wa'walis pretends 
to go out hunting or getting firewood , and gets seals. In the evening he returns home . 
By means of his magical staff he makes the whole \illage sleep, and goes to the outside 
of his house, to the place where his bed stands. He scratches the wall, and hears his 
wife say to her lover, "I wish that mouse would eat Wa'waUs's face or stomach." 
Then he moves his staff toward the house, and all the people are asleep. He goes in 
and cuts off the head of his wife's lover. He takes the head away. A child which 
is sleeping in her mother's bed begins to cry, and the woman's mother calls her. 
\Mien she finds her bed full of blood, she wraps up the body in a bear skin and deposits 
it in front of the house of her lover's parents BC 5.257. 

In the Rivers Inlet version Wa'walis lives in one ^dllage; Maqwa'ns, the father of 
his wife's lover, in another village. The story then continues, telUng of the pursuit 



BOAS] COMPAEATH-E STUDY OP TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 849 

of Wa' walls and his later adventures. In some of the versions it is told how he mariies 
again, and the story of the woman carried awaj- by the Killer ^^'hale is then introduced 
BC 5, Ri MS. The version Chil 44 is probably derived from Bellacoola sources. 
Here belongs also the Chippewayan tale 7.407. Less closely related are the stories 
of Si'xa Sk 201; of the Moon as a lover BC 5.247; the Lillooet story Lil 335; and 
the Wolf tale Ts 317. 

The plot is reversed, tolling of the revenge of brothers upon a man 
who had killed their sister, his wife, in the story of the Le'gwilda^x" 
(K 5.129, K 9.401, Nil 5.123, Pentlatch 5.96, Co 5.89, from Lower 
Fraser River 5.22, Lil 339, U 285, Ntl Teit 3.384, Quin 121). 

All of these are versions of the same story. A man finds that his wife is faithless. 
He takes her to get cedar bark. When she has climbed a tree, he impales her on top; 
and while he descends he strips off the bark. The woman's brothers hear her wailing 
and eventually find her. They take her down. The youngest brother puts on her 
dress and goes to the house of his brother-in-law, pretending to be the woman who 
has succeeded in making her escape. During the night he cuts off the man's head 
and makes his escape. 

A similar incident occurs in a story of the Eagle clan. A man kills his ^vife. Her 
brother disguises himself, pretends to be the wife who has returned, and during the 
night cuts off the head of his brother-in-law Ts 270. (See also Nu ap 919.) 

Another story which contains the incident of the man who cuts 
off the head of his wife's lover is connected with the tale of the skin- 
shifter (see No. 66 [p. 606], p. 870). 

The Gau'5 story continues as follows : 

The chief of the other \'illage misses his son (all versions), and thinks he may have 
fallen through the ice Ts 5. The people inquire, and learn that he had crossed the 
river N. They search for the prince everywhere Sk6. A frost comes, and the river 
is frozen over Ska. Since the slaves can not find the body, the chief suspects foul 
play Ts 5. He orders all the people in the two towns to put out their fires and to wail. 
All obey except the brothers Ts 1 [when the brothers return from hunting, he orders 
all fires to be extinguished because he wants to have a pretext for investigating in 
the houses Ts 5; he suspects the brothers N]. The chief sends a slave to ask for fire 
(all versions) [a slave woman Ts 5, N, Ska, Sk6]. The slave is invited to sit down by 
the fire. A man throws him with a salmon-board, and says in fun, "Your master 
probably does not rise very early. He sends rather late to get fire " Ts 5. She lights 
a torch Ts 1, N . She takes some live coals Ska, Sk5. She goes home over the ice and 
comes every morning for fire N [she is sent to the middle house for fire Ska]; meanwhile 
the slave looks about secretly Sk6. WTien goingoutand passing through the doorway, 
blood drips on her instep Ts 1, N, Ska, Sk6 [she sees a black spot on the threshold and 
sees it is blood Ts 5; she takes coal from the front of the fire, looks up over the door, 
and sees the head Sk6]. When she gets outside, she pretends to fall, and extinguishes 
her torch in the snow (all versions). She goes back to relight her torch, and recog- 
nizes the dried head over the door Ts 5 [she recognizes the ear-ornaments N, Ska; she 
is not sure whether she has recognized her master's head, and goes back to get new 
coals; she comes back a second time, and recognizes the eyes Ska]. She goes home, 
and when halfway across. the river she throws the torch [coals Ska, Sk6] away, runs 
home, and tells her master Ts 1, Ts 5, N, Ska. The people arm, come across the river, 
and fight on the ice and kill the brothers and their people. Their town is burned 
(all versions). 

Gau'6 and her granddaughter Ts 5 [and herdaughter Ts 1] hide Ts 1 in a pit Ts 5, N, M 
728 [Wa'g'ixs, the wife of the eldest brother, makes a hole under her bed for herself, 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 54 



850 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ans. :;i 

and hides iu it with her daughter Sqawo' N], After the viUage is burned, the women 
come out of hiding Ts 1, Ts 5. [When the ashes are cool, they come out and sit down 
near the water; therefore the place is called Hwil-uks-g'i-d'a' Sqawo' (that is, where 
Sqawo' sat down near the water) N.] [One woman who is behind the screens escapes 
wdth her mother M, Sk6. The mother and daughter go inland Ts 1, M 728, Sk6 [live 
in a branch house in front of tlie liill behind the town ; the mother cries and stays in 
her bed Sk(j; they go to the hunting-valley of the Ijrothers Ts 5]. She wails for 
her sons Ts 1 . 

(ii) The. Revenge of the Heavenly Children 

(8 versions: Ts 1.209: Ts 5.283; N 222; Tla 125; T16 296;' M 728; Ska 1G7; Sk6 342 
■ [cited respectively as Ts 1, Ts 5, N, Tk, T16, M, Ska, Sk6]. 

The Masset and Tlingit stories begin here. The Tlingit story is 
joined to the story of the magical arrow of the Wolf Clan (see p. 857). 
There the woman escapes with her daughter after having lost the 
magical arrow. Then she calls, ' ' Who will marry my daughter ?" 

According to Ts 1, the following animals come and answer her question as to what 
they are able to do. The Wren flies around the hunter. The Hummingbird picks 
hair off heads. The Sparrow sings and wakens sleepers at dawn. The Robin says 
when he sings, it is summer; the Mockingbird, when he sings, it is bad weather. The 
Bluejay foretells good luck when people pick berries. The Eagle pecks out the eyes 
of enemies. After all the birds have come, the quadrupeds come. The Squirrel 
scatters pine nuts. The Rabbit frightens people by ojiening his eyes. The Porcui)ine 
strikes with his tail, so that the body of the enemy is full of quills. The Marmot looks 
at the sun, and knows what weather it is to be in winter. The Land Otter di\es 
with the enemy and drowns him. The Beaver cuts trees, and throws them so that 
they fall on the enemy. The Wolf kills with his teeth. The Grizzly Boar tears heads 
and bodies with his claws. He makes the chieftainess afraid. 

Ts5hasa little bird who says he can do nothing. If an arrow passes liim, he is dead. 
The Deer excites the whole village. The people take arrows to hit him, and then the 
people quarrel over him and kill one another. Gau'6 shouts again, looking up to the 
sky, and the Grizzly Bear says that he tears off heads and eats people alive. 

In N the following animals appear. The Grouse raises his feathers and frightens 
man. The Squirrel frightens him by throwing down acorns; the Rabbit, by opening 
his eyes and moving his ears; the Owl, by talking. The Bear throws trees down and 
tears the ground. The Grizzly Bear tears out roots that look like human heads, and 
chews alder bark. When he spits it on the roots, they look like bloody heads. 

In Ska the woman uses distorted Tsimshian words in calling. The Grizzly Bear 
says he appears at the end of the town and devours all the inhabitants. The Beaver 
tips over the town by digging with his teeth. The Deer, when taken into a canoe, 
causes people to quarrel and kill one another. 

In Ski the Grouse drums in the summer on top of trees, and his voice is heard. 
The Sparrow makes summer and winter alternate by his song, and people hear his 
voice. The bird Klu'djixu says that people listen to his song in summer. The Deer 
scatters soil with his antlers. The Bear knows how to catch fish. When he gets 
angry, he strikes the enemy with his paws. The Grizzly Bear is powerful, and, when 
angry, tears his enemy to pieces. The Beaver fells trees and makes houses in lakes. 
All the animals of the woods appear. 

In M the daughter is called Lia, and the following animals appear. They always 
say specifically what they will do against the enemies of the village that have destroyed 
the relatives of the women. The Deer says he will jiull out skunk-cabbage on the 
other side of Gi'algudaii. The Mink says he will blow out wind against the enemies 
on the other side. The Grizzly Bear will chew up the roots belonging to the enemies. 
The Wolf will growl at them. Marten shows his teeth. Eagle claws them out. The 

1 A very brief abstract of the tale. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 851 

bird Djidja't calls out at the enemies. A small bird linally says he can nut du any- 
thing. 

In the version Tla the woman asks, "What will you do for a living?" Mink says 
his smell kills; Marten is a fast runner; Mountain Goat kills with his horns and lives 
on bluffs far away from harm; Wolf is a fast runner, and has plenty to eat. He is not 
satisfied when the woman declines him, and comes back, carrying a mountain goat 
in his mouth. She goes to a lake; and a frog, a handsome youth, appears, and says 
although he is small, all large ammals are afraid of him. The Grizzly Bear shows his 
strength and his teeth. The bird S!as! is a good singer; the bu-d Tslinige'ni is hand- 
some and liked by women; the Fox has beautiful clothing, runs, and gets what he 
wants; the Lynx is a traveler and eats birds; the Wolverene is a good hunter.' 

Last of all, when the woman calls, a stroke of lightning ajjpears Ts 1, Ts o, N [a 
shining man appears on top of the mountain Tla; a handsome man Sk6; a man 
who held a bow and arrows in his hands, carried a quiver on his back, dancuig- 
leggings, and a gable-crowned hat Sko]. She weeps because the animals that appear 
are weaker and weaker. Finally, when she wipes away her tears, she goes up the hill 
to call, and a voice is heard from above M. There are five strokes of lightning, and 
a man appeiirs with garments like tongues of fire Ts 1 [she is blinded by the lightning, 
but continues to call, and there are four strokes; there is a clap of thunder, and she 
faints N]. Then a supernatural being with wings stands in front of her Ts 5. She 
asks him what he can do, and he says when he turns over liis hand in battle, the earth 
turns and trees are thrown over Ts 1 . [He takes a club from under his blanket, turns it 
over; the ground turns and trees grow up; the woman and her dau.ghter are buried in 
this show of his power; when he turns the club back, they reap])ear; he steps with his 
right toot and the ground cracks. Here follows a description of how he built his house 
by means of his magical powers Sk«. He says he moves about as quick as thought. 
His father is the Sun; he speaks to the Sim, and it gets hot Tin. He asks, "Can I not 
look down upon the enemies on the o])posite side? " M.] This supernatural being prom- 
ises his help, and is accepted (all versions) [his father sent him to help the women Ts 5; 
he came to help them N, Sk6]. He takes the mother under one arm, the daughter 
under the other, and fUes up to the sky [a mountain Ts 5]. Before starting he tells 
the women not to open their eyes until they reach the sky. Gau'6 disobeys four times; 
then he pidls out a branch near the top of a tree and puts her in Ts 1 [he puts her 
into a cave after tearing out a rock, which he then puts back; upon his question, she 
says she is uncomfortable; then he teijrs out a branch of a little cedar, puts her in, 
and puts the branch back Ts 5]. [He tells the W(jmen not to open their eyes, although 
they hear a noise. While passing through the clouds, they hear noises, and the old 
woman opens her eyes. Then she is put into a tree, as before N. He takes the 
women up, one on each side of his body, tells them not to look, and climbs a lofty- 
mountain. When the mother looks, he slides back. Then he pulls a limb out of a 
tree and puts her in Sk6. A spherical cloud rolls up with them; he tells his wife not 
to look Tla. When he goes up, the mother wants to go along, but a voice tells her 
that she will stay in a tree; there she li-ves M. Before this a basket comes do\v^^ from 
heaven. She puts her dau.ghter into it, and the basket goes up. When her daughter 
disappears, the old woman makes a house. At daybreak she finds a half-salmon in 
front of the house, and some more food every day M.] He says to the old woman, 
"Travelers shall listen to you." For this reason trees creak in the wind Ts 1, N. [Cedars 
creah in the wind Ts 5 ; people will hear your voice, therefore trees creak in the wind Skfc. 
He puts the mother into a tree, tearing out a branch, and names her Woman Of The 
Forest. She is to mock people, and becomes the echo Tin.] 

[The one who appeared to her is the Moon, called One Who Goes Along Above. He 
puts on his quiver and hat, and takes his bow and goes up with his wdfe Sko.] The 

' Enumerations of the powers ot animals occur also in Tl 9, where Raven searches for an animal 
that he wants to kill; and in M 316. where Raven wants to give his sister in marriage. 



852 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

youth fcikes the girl to his father Ts 5, Sk6, the supernatural being of the shining 
heavens .Sk6 [when they reach the sky, lie tells her to (jpen her eyes; they are in an 
open country, mth grass, flowers, and fruits Tla; the youth in heaven has the name 
Hts-legi-y6'6ntk; he takes her to his father's house; the rays of the sun fall through 
a chink upon her N]. She has four sons and two daughters; their names are 
Gumxma'lad, A'aiya'wuxk, Gumdasu'mada, Ligi-yu'^n, KsEm-hamha'm, KsBm-g'i- 
lax-mlo'gou, the last two girls Ts 1 [she has four sons and two daughters, whose names 
are in order LExye'wun, KsEm-hamha'm, SisgEg6'°sk, KsEm-gudz'Ex-t'a'la, Qam- 
t'asa'n and (?) The second and fourth of these are girls Ts 5]. After they are born, the 
grandfather bathes them in a small well in front of a seat. Then he pulls them, stepping 
on their feet and holding the heads. [She has three sons and two daughters named, 
the sons, His-legi-yo'ontk, Ax-t'Em-hwilhwi'lg'it (Headless), Le-g'a'amsxsk (Lying 
On); the girls, KsEm-hamlia'm (Pigeon) and KsEm-gwadzlq-t'e'lix (Excrement Grease) 
N. She has five sons and one daughter Sk6; eight sons and two daughters; the eldest 
son is called Puncher (Xatagi'a) ; the elder girl. One Who Heals The Place Where The 
Arrowsstrike; the other one, One Who Sucks Arrow Poison From Wounds Ska; seven 
boys and one girl; the girl is afraid of everything; therefore women are afraid Tiowa- 
days Tin.] The body of the youngest one is all stone Ts 5 [the grantlfather puts stone 
in the body of the eldest one in place of bones Sko]. [A voice is heard from above, 
and a basket comes doivn with Lia's nine sons and one daughter, who visit their 
grandmother JL] They are taught to gamble by their grandfather Ts 5, Sk6. They 
are also taught to fight Ts 5, N, Ska, Sk6. The grandfather gives a small club to the 
eldest one. He gives them bows and arrows ; and the sisters suck out the arrows, saying 
that they are only thorns Ts 5 [the grandfather makes bows and arrows for the boys, 
lets them shoot at one another's eyes; the girls suck the wounds, which close at once 
N ; the grandfather sits in front of the town, and lets the children fight; their weapons 
rebound from their blankets; the elder sister sucks out the arrows; the younger 
one spits on her palms and rubs on the wounds, which heal up at once Ska; when the 
brothers fight, the sister puts on her belt and tries to stop them by seizing their weapons 
Sk6; the grandfather says they will be quarrelsome; he tells them to examine 
their bracelets when quarreling, and gives them armor and weapons Tl]. The youngest 
one, who is stone, fights mth his fists Ts 5. The grandfather gives them a box which 
is to save them when hard pressed by their enemies. He tells them to open it when 
hard pressed and to turn the opening toward the enemies Ts 1, Ts 5. [The boys carry 
a club which overturns houses N; the grandfather pulls out the innermost box from 
a set of five; he tells them when in danger to cover their faces and take off the cover, 
and not to look until all noises cease Sk6 ; the youngest one is t(]ld to put a wooden wedge 
with drawing into a fire, saying to it, "Speak to my grandfather!" Skn; the grand- 
father gives them a small wedge and a knife; the sisters are gi\'en medicine, which 
they are told to spit on their brothers when they ai-e wounded Sk6; they are given a 
painted wooden wedge; when in danger, they are to put it into the fire and say, 
"Grandfather, enemies are beating us!" Tla; the youngest one has bow and two 
arrows like weasels M.] 

The grandfather makes houses for them with painted fronts. The eldest one has 
the moon; the second, stars; the third, a rainbow; the fourth, lax-6'm Ts 1 [eldest, 
rainbow; second, moon; third, stars; fourth, lEx'6'm]. The houses stand in pairs, 
opposite each other Ts 5. [The house of the eldest has three doors ornamented ■n-ith 
skulls; it is called lax-6'm. The doors are called Qalx'si-sqa'ek ("dark passage"). 
Painted planks are in front of the houses. The oldest has a head-ornament 
decorated with abalone; the second, one decorated with skins; the third, bows inlaid 
with abalone. All wear ermine blankets N. They are given each ten slaves and 
a row of houses set with cedar limbs. The crests are, for the first, thunderbird; sec- 
ond, sculpin; third, rainbow; fourth, killer whale; fifth, Jiuman being; sixth, stars; 
seventh , cormorant; eighth, sea gulls. The sisters are given two impenetrable marten- 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 853 

skin blankets; the boys, a spear box and an arrow box Ska. The grandfather builds 
small houses with painted fronts for the children. He puts up forty small boxes of 
provisions in the houses. The boys have bracelets; the girl, marten robes Tin. The 
upper part of the faces of the boys is painted red with a design like a net M 732.] 

The grandfather sends the houses and his grandchildren down to their old village 
Ts 5, N, Tla, Skb [every night one house comes down Ts 5]. The mother remains in 
heaven Ts 5, N, Sk6. [When the houses are put down, they become large Tla. The 
grandfather pulls the floor planks apai't, and below they see Q!ado'. At midnight the 
eldest one is let down, and the doors of the house rattle Ska. While the grandmother 
is li\-ing in her small house, a basket comes down from heaven with Lia's boys in it. 
They tell their grandmother about theii- mother. Years after this Lia comes down 
with her children in the basket. It is a cold, dry day. The wind is blowing, and the 
trees creak as if calling. She says, "This is my mother talking." They go to their 
old village. She tells her children that there their uncles have been destroyed. The 
basket goes back to heaven M. They hear a noise "Be be bsV N. When the brothers 
come down, they open their box, and suddenly six houses stand there. They start 
fires and live there Ski. They go to the burnt tciwn, collect sticks, and build a house. 
They bathe in the sea for strength. Ice-floes drift down against their bodies and 
break. Then they shout for joy M.] 

The tribe of the enemies is bad. They jilay at night in the moonlight Ts 1, Ts 5. 
The noise is heard for four nights Ts 5. In the morning it is foggy Ts 1, Ts 5, N. The 
girl gathers in the fog in her basket. The roofs apjiear first Ts 5. When the enemies 
hear the village coming down, they say, "Ghosts are settling" Ska [they hear a noise 
like birds, and say, "These are the ghosts of our enemies " Ts 5; they say the bones of 
the Gitli'kc make a noise Tla; they say, "Hurrah! there is noise in the town of our 
enemies;" the old people forbid them to say so Ts 1; the enemy say they are the 
ghosts of the slain who are singing, "Just out from Todu't is the town of the fearless 
ones" N; they say when they hear the voices of the boys, "The bones of the ]ieople 
shout for joy" M]. When the fog disappears, the enemy see the carved houses Ts 1, N 
[smoke rises from the houses in the daylight Skn]. The enemies walk on the street of 
their village, feathers in their hair, and send a slave in a canoe to the middle house 
with the thunderbird design to get live coals Ska. He recognizes Ga'oax, who ie 
cooking, and the brothers are gambling. She gives the slave a ])iece of meat, saying, 
"Here is ghosts' food." The slave throws away the live coals and paddles back. 
He asks the people, "Did you kill Ga'oax? " They are not sure whether she has been 
killed. One man tastes the food brought by the slave, and says, "It is not ghost food, 
it is human food " Ska. One man goes across to the middle house, that of the eldest 
boy. He sees that the houses are connected inside by doors. He is given to eat, and 
takes the food back to show that the people are not ghosts Ts 5. They go across 
over the ice to see who is shouting, see the boys, and report that nine men are there M. 
The enemy then come across to gamble (all versions) [they cross in canoes Ska]; [they 
send then- two best gamblers; the brothers lose Ts 5]. One man comes across to gam- 
ble Skfc. Then their enemies come over Ts 5. [When the enemies arrive, they stop 
gambling among themselves. Ga'oax spreads grizzly-bear skins, on which the visitors 
sit down. She gives them food, and they begin to gamble Ska.] The brothers lose 
everything. At last the eldest one stakes his last property, the magical club. The 
people laugh, and say it will not kill a fly. He says to then- opponent that it wiU cut 
off a foot. When asked to do so, he strikes, and cuts it off Ts 5. [Ligi-yii'°n stakes 
against the chief of the enemies, who says the club can not kill even a little bird. 
Being asked to try it, the youth strikes the chief and kills him Ts 1. The eldest 
one is left-handed . He has his gambling-sticks and his club in his left.. He teUs the 
chief with whom he is gambling that he is cheating. The chief then throws the 
shredded cedar l:.ark in his face. Then he is killed with the club. The youngest 
brother is left-handed; he is whittling by the fire. The people ask him to gamble, 



854 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

and he says that he has no stake. They ask him to stake his stone wedge, and laugh 
at him. When they begin to gamble, the .sister puts on her belt, because she knows 
that the youngest one always begins to fight when he gambles. He stakes his stone 
wedge, and kills his opponent Sk.] Then they begin to fight (all versions'). The eldest 
one kills them in the house with his club ; the youngest one stands in the doorway and 
strikes them with his stone fist [the eldest one is naked and fights with his fists Ska]. 
^\Tien the |)rothers are wounded, the sisters suck out the arrows and heal them Ts 5 
[when the ey6 of one of the l)rothors is hit, the sister sucks out the arrow N; the sisters 
are in\iilnerable; when one of the brothers is wounded, the sister sucks out the arrow, 
the other one rubs over the wounds Ska; the sister revives the brothers when they are 
killed; she is always holding medicine in her mouth Sk6]. [The enemy start in canoes 
to attack them Tla. The chief sends over two heralds to ask when they are to fight; 
a day is agreed upon for the battle; it is cold; it is seen that the boys wear armor and 
weapons that are not human; they see their paintings representing nets; the boys 
put their war-spears into the ground, as is done before fighting M. The youngest 
shoots his weasel an'ows, which bite through the throats of the enemy and then come 
back; they fight against four towns M.] The brothers are tired out, and they use 
the weapon given them by their grandfather (all versions) [when they are tired out, 
they open the box which kills the enemy Ts 1]. [The brothers offer to make peace; 
when all are assembled, they open the box; they see that it is black inside; when 
they move it around in the direction of their enemy, all die, their houses collapse Ts 5. 
When they jmll off the cover, the town of the enemy is burned, the people destroyed 
Skfc. The eldest brother threatens to turn his club; when the enemy do not withdraw, 
he does so, and the ground turns over; he turns it back; the houses reappear, and tho 
enemies continue to fight; then he turns his club again and burns them N. The 
youngest one runs to the house, makes a drawing on a wedge, and throws it into the fire, 
telling it to inform their grandfather; the wedge goes to the front of the Sun's house and 
says that the boys are hard pressed ; then the Sun looks down between the jj tanks of his 
house, takes out of the innermost of five boxes something like a skein of yarn covered 
with the sky and tied with a rope; he throws it down, and the legs of the enemy only 
are visible; it is called Clouds Of The One Who Kills Ska. The wedge is put into the 
fire; at once the sun shines fiercely; the enemy jump into the sea, but the ocean is hot 
and they die there; those who remain on the land are blinded by the heat and killed 
Tl. When the sun is low, the brothers are tired; their mother instructs them what 
to do; four towns come against them, and they do not dare to flee; their father lets the 
8im fall at night on the place where the enemy are, the ice splits, and they go down; 
the rest are enslaved, and when they weep they are freed (!) M. After this they travel 
north and south and make war. WTiere people agree to establish the clans, they do 
not fight Ts 1 [the brothers travel and make war Ts 5, N; they start down Nass Ri\-er, 
come to a town at the mouth of the nxer, make war on the Tlingit, and continue to 
make vrar on other tribes Sk6; they fight other families M]. When they return from 
a Wiir, they make a potlateh Ts 1. They paint their relatives with the net design, 
which remains among them M. The head-ornament of abalone remains among the 
relatives N. This is the beginning of the G'ispawadwE'da Ts 1. Whenever they 
are pursued, they open the box, a strong wind arises, and the water bums and destroys 
their enemies Sk6. The chief gets uneasy because they wage war too much, therefore 
he takes them up Ts 1 . Therefore he makes them ferget the box, and they are killed ; 
their heads are cut off and put on a pole; when a raven comes to peck out the eyes, 
the head of the eldest one says, "A raven wants to peck out our eyes," and scares it 
away Ts 5. On Stikine River they are pursued by many canoes; they open their 
box, but nothing happens, because they had taken the wrong one by mistake; they 
are all killed; the youngest one is put up at the end of a town on a pole; although he 
is dead, his voice is heard; the sister sees that they have forgotten the box; she goes 
with the wives of the men to search for them; they find cedar bark and forget their 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 855 

purpose; therefore women talk until they forget; they remember, get the box, open it, 
and destroy the enemies ; the youngest is taken from the pole; they spit medicine on 
him, and he re\dves; the others are lost; he goes inland; here fiiUo-vrs the stor\- how he 
learns to dive and a story belonging to the Tsauda cycle Sk6 346 (see p. 85()); the chief 
in heaven is angry because they abuse the gift, and makes them forget it when they 
attack the town Gulg'e'u; there the place is called Hwil-d'ak's-ts'ax ("where the club 
is forgotten "); they go ti> Prairie Town, settle there, and become the ancestors of the 
G'is^'aha'st N; in M there follows a tale telling that not long after Lia's children died 
they made a well-behind the town, into which no girl was allowed to look; at that 
time they estabUahed taboos; the well fills with water, which becomes a large river, 
which sweeps away the middle of the town; they build a trap on the other side, and 
the river becomes a lake; there the people are called Salmon-Trap People. 

In the discussion of this story I have omitted the Le'gwilda^x" storj- K 5.130. This 
tells of three brothers and one sister, and the husband of the sister, Nantsu^vigame. The 
four men go hunting together, but the husband is unsuccessful. He suspects his wife, 
finds her with her lover, whose head he cuts off. The woman flees to her brothers. 
The husband stays singing in his house. Then the brothers go to the house and find 
the head, and the husband flees. The storj' then continues in the form of Burning 
Leggings (p. 781). It seems fairly clear that this is a distorted version of these stories. 
As stated in 5.130,1 suspect verj- strongly that it is a recent importation from Skeena 
River. 

50. Story' of the Gtspawadwe'da (p. 297) 

A man is carried to a bear's den and taught how to catch saknon and how to build 
canoes. ^Vhen he returns, he looks like a bear, but by means of medicine he is finally 
restored. He becomes a successful hunter and assumes the bear crest Ts 297. 

51. Tsauda and Halus (p. 297) 
(2 versions: Ts 297; Ta 5.298. See also Sk 346) 

A shining youth from heaven named Tsauda appears to a girl who is carefully 
guarded. She marries him. The next night Tsauda sends his slave Halus, and she 
mistakes him for Tsauda. Suddenly Tsauda himself appears and curses his slave. 
He himself marries the girl's lame sister. He takes her up to the sky, washes her in 
his father's washtub, and she becomes beautiful and sound of body.' Tsauda receives 
from his father a magic sling and sling-stones.- The father-in-law sends Halus to get 
firewood. Tsauda blows water from his mouth, and wills that the firewood shall pro- 
duce smoke. It so happens, and Halus is scolded. Next Tsauda gets wood, which 
burns well. In spring the people move to Xass River. They can not round a point 
on account of head winds, and Halus is induced to throw a stone from his sling against 
the point of land. Tsauda wills that it shall fly back and pass through the old chief- 
tainess's Up-hole. When Tsauda throws, he makes a hole through the rock, through 
which the canoes pass. Next they throw at a copper hanging on a high moimtain. 
Tsauda wills that Halus's sling-stone shall pass through his father-in-law's canoe, while 
Tsauda hits the copper. It slides down, and one part flies to Copper River, another 
part northwestward. A\'hen they go fishing, Halus fills his bag net with leaves, while 
Tsauda fills his canoe with fish. Halus is ashamed, jumps into the water, and becomes 
a snag. His wife also jumps into the water, and becomes a codfish. Tsauda's bag 
net catches in the snag, and Tsauda curses him and transforms him into a red cod. 
When Tsauda catches the woman who had been transformed into a codfish, he 
throws her back into the water. Tsauda's wife gives birth to a daughter, who is 
born with four holes in each ear and a hole in lip and septum. He says the girl is his 
sister-in-law come back. He annoimces that he will take his wife up to the sky, and 

' See also p. 870. - These appear also in N 139. 



856 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann.31 

that he will return with his daughter, who is to be called Moon. Later on he does so; 
and when he arrives at his father-in-law's house, tlie new-born child is a grown-up 
woman, who is called Moon Ts 297. 

While Ml-. Tate gives this story as belonging to one of the Wolf 
famihes, I collected it in 1888 as part of the GunaxnesEtng'a'd tale, 
which belongs to the Gauha'da. 

'When the woman who had been taken by the Bears leaves her husband, Dzaga-di-la'", 
he gives her a slave whose name is Ilalus. They return to Metlakahtla, and Halus 
tells the people that their princess has returned. In winter there is a famine, and 
GunaxnesEmga'd tells Halus that they will go to get meat and fuel. Gunaxne- 
sEmga'd throws his club into the water, which kills seals. Against the orders of the 
young chief, a slave-woman hides some of the seal meat and takes it home. WTien 
they come to a tree, GunaxnesEmg'a'd orders the men to close their eyes. He throws 
one of his sling-stones against the tree, which falls down and breaks to pieces. The 
slaves load the canoe, and he presses the load down so that it takes up only a small 
space. The slave-woman feeds her child, which chokes, and in this way it is dis- 
covered that GunaxnesEmg'a'd has killed seals and thrown down a tree. Gunaxne- 
BEmga'd's uncle has two daiightcrs. The younger one is lame. GunaxnesEmga'd 
wishes to marry the older one, but Halus gets ahead of him. He takes the younger 
one, washes her in a pond, and she becomes beautiful. GunaxnesEmga'd wishes that 
Halus shall go out to get fuel, and wills that the smoke shall blind the chief's wife. 
It so happens, and the chief is angry. The following day GunaxnesEmg'a'd himself 
goes and gets a great deal of good fuel. The people go to Nass River to catch olachen, 
and GunaxnesEmg'a'd challenges Halus to try to hit a stone and to break it. Halus's 
stone jumps back and hits his mother-in-law's mouth. Next GunaxnesEmga'd 
throws, and makes a hole through the stone. Next they throw at a copper on top of 
a mountain. Halus is unsuccessful, but GunaxnesEmg'a'd hits it and wills that part 
of it shall go to Skeena River, part to Cassiar. On Nass River, Halus catches only 
leaves, while GunaxnesEmga'd catches fish. Halus and his wife are ashamed and 
jump into the water and are drowned Ts 5.298. 

The incident of the copper occurs also in a peculiar ending of the 
Gau'o story as told by the Skidegate (see p. 854). 

One of the heavenly children who is left-handed captures a loon. Then he marries, 
and the people go to Nass River. He puts on the loon skin and catches a hair-seal, 
gets firewood and a halibut. There is copper on a cliff on Mount QatcliigA'n on Nass 
River. The people try to shoot it down with arrows, but are imable to do so. A slave 
of the youth's father-in-law tries to bring it down with a sling, but hits his master's 
wife. The youth hits it. AMien it falls, hia mother-in-law is frightened and wishes it 
to go north. Therefore there is much copper in the north. 

The rest of this story deals with the rivalry between the youth and the slave and 
the faithlessness of the wife of the former. It seems like a much distorted version of 
our tale. 

The slave steals the youth's clothes, sits down bj- the side of his wife. Eventually 
his wife and the loon skin disappear. She has tried to imitate him and is drowned in 
the attempt Sk 346. 

The story proper of Tsauda and Halus ends here. The following 
part deals with the adventures of the famihes of his daughters: 

The elder girl marries, and her husband goes to get the copper which has been thrown 
up the river. He starts with three companions, and reaches the tree of sweet odors, 
which embraces and threatens to kill him. Tlie tree is killed by digging it out, and 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 857 

the prince escapes. They sell the wood of the tree at a high price. He goes on to 
find the copper. Near the head of the river he sees a salmon in the water, spears it, 
and clubs it. When he throws the salmon backward over his shoulder, he finds that 
it is copper. In the night the chief dies, because the live copper kills him. His 
companions throw the copper into the fire and melt it. They carry the copper and 
the body of the prince home in their canoe. The prince's wife mourns for him. Her 
father appears to her in a shining light, and revives her husband l)y s])rinkling him 
with the water of life and slapping him on his cheeks. Then he is taught the taboos 
of copper, which become the property of his family Ts 303. The capture of the cop- 
per salmon and instruction regarding copper taboos occur also in M 692, M 701. 

52. Story' of the Wolf Clan (p. 306) 
(2 versions: Ts 306; Tl 122) 

At Metlakahtla there is one Eagle village opposite the Wolf village. The two 
tribes build a weir between the two islands and quarrel about the game. A battle 
ensues, in which the Eagles are victorious. The Eagle chief's wife gives birth to a 
number of children. Their father allows the girls to grow up, but kills his sons. 
Finally she gives birth to a boy. She tells her husband that it is a girl, and the child 
is allowed to grow up. The woman and her son flee. When the boy is grown up, he 
takes revenge and kills his father. (See also K 5.138, LkuiigEn 5.61, Kath 158, for 
the disguising of male children.) 

The mother tells him about the live arrow which is owned by Chief Gutginsa', who 
lives on the northwestern confines of the world. The son sets out with his friends, 
taking along much food . When they camp, he bathes. A youth appears to him, who 
gives him instructions how to reach the country of Gutginsa'. They pass a number 
of villages. Every time the young man puts on his sparrow blanket and sings. Then 
the people tell him how far it is to the village of Gutginsa'. They continue to sacrifice, 
and finally reach a large village, where they are told there are three more villages to 
pass, and that it is one month's travel between the villages. In the last \'illage he 
puts on his sparrow garment, is called in by the chief, and is told that he has reached 
the corner of the world, that beyond there is only aii-. The chief offers to accompany 
him, and both fly away in the form of birds — the youth as a sparrow, the chief as a hum- 
mingbird. They reach the air island, and the hummingbird asks for the loan of the 
live arrow. Hummingbird instructs the youth to keep the arrow in hiding to protect 
it against noxious influences. He also tells him to call in the old men and to ask them 
for instructions. When they return, the youth is told to wear his sparrow blanket, to 
fly ahead of the canoe, and to sit down on the bow when tired. He is told that in this 
way he will reach home in four days. The prince owns many grizzly-bear skins. 
He invites the old men of his father's tribe, and asks them what they did when 
young. One said that he was in love with women; another, that he succeeded 
in getting a good-looking wife; a third, that he mairied many beautiful women. All 
these he sends away, each with a present of a grizzly-bear skin. Finally an old man 
tells him that he has been a warrior. He shows him how he shoots through a knot- 
hole, and how he can jump forward and Ijackward over two boxes placed one on top 
of the other. When shooting, he shouts, "I shoot right through the eye!" The young 
man takes his uncle's name, and his father tries to kill him. One night the young 
man sends the live aiTow through the smoke hole into his father's house. It goes 
through the heart of the chief. On the following morning the chief is found dead. 
The arrow is taken out, and the people see that the eyes in its head are twinkling and 
that it has teeth. AMiile the people are examining it, it flies away. Tlie people 
mourn and try to find the owner of the aiTow. During the festival given by the dead 
chief's nephew, all the chiefs of other \dllages are given large presents, but the chief's 
own son is insulted by receiving a small jiresent. A quarrel ensues, and the people 
learn that the young man has killed his own father. Tliey attack him. A rock lies 



858 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

on the beach in front of the village. When the attacking party land, singing is heard 
in the young chief's house. Eagle down flies upward through the smoke hole. The 
young man comes out wearing hLs dancing-ornaments, holding his bow in one hand, 
a rattle in the other. He leaps down to the beach, jumps over the rock, and lets his 
live arrow go. He jumps back over the rock, runs up to the house, up a ladder to the 
roof, and down through the smoke hole. The arrow goes through the hearts of the 
people, kills them, and then returns. No matter how many people appear, the arrow 
kills them all. The old man ad\-ises his own relatives not to go to battle, but they 
do not believe him. Finally the old l)lind warrior himself goes out. He is placed 
behind the rock, and his grandson points the arrow to the smoke hole. When the 
young person comes out, the old man lets go, and hits the prince in the eye and kills 
him. His sister puts on the armor and acts in the same way as her brother had done. 
When going back, however, she turns and jumps over the rock forward. She becomes 
tired, and the people see that she is a woman. She throws the paraphernalia of her 
brother away. They are transformed into rocks. The Wolf people are scattered 
among all the tribes Ts 306. 

A similar story of a war between the Ginaxda'yiks (Bear clan) 
and GitAndu' (GitlEndo', Eagle clan) is embodied in the long Rarven 
legend recorded by Swanton at Wrangell. 

At the village Git like there is a war, A chief, his sister, and his sister's daughter 
are the only people left. The chief sends for an old man, in order to get knowledge. 
The first old man tells about good food and his noble descent; another one, about his 
love affairs. Finally he sends for Old Man Who Foresees All Troubles In The World, 
who lives among his enemies. The old man instructs him always to s[icak highly of his 
enemies, and makes a Wolf helmet, a dancing-hat of wolf skin, and an an-ow which 
is decorated with black lines. The youth is instructed that his sister shall sing a war 
song for him, that his sister's daughter shall beat a drum, and that he shall jump over 
a rock on the beach four times. The old man tells the chief not to direct his arrow 
toward the canoe farthest from the beach, in which the old man's nephews are. The 
old man further instructs the chief to let the arrow go at midnight, and to say to it, 
"I am shooting you to kill the chief of my enemies." At midnight he shoots, while 
his sister and his niece are singing and beating the drum, and the arrow pierces the 
enemy's heart. The people tr\' to find where the arrow has come from, and it flies 
back, naming the \illage where it came from. The people attack the chief. When 
they land, the chief's sister sings, and the niece beats the drum. 'When he comes out 
of the house, ashes fly out, which conceal his movements". He shoots, and his arrow 
passes through four canoes, comes back, and he shoots four more canoes. He shoots 
the old man's relatives, and then the arrow flies back to the old man, who, in his 
turn, kills the chief. Then the sister puts on her brother's war clothes, while her 
daughter sings and drums. The people tell the old man that he has not succeeded in 
killing the chief; but when the woman is running back to the house, they see her apron, 
recognize that she is a woman, and attack her. She escapes with her daughter. From 
the top of the mountain the two see that their house is being burned Tl 122. Here 
follows the Gau'6 story (see p. 847). 

53. The Prince and Prince Wolf (p. 317) 

The wife of a prince who is a successful hunter goes picking cranberries with her 
maid. She meets a youth in the forest, who sediu;cs her. She wears an armor set 
with ears of reindeer and deer, and a garment of mountain-sheep feet. He wears a 
hat ornamented with a wolf's tail. The prince becomes unlucky. He goes home 
secretly and questions his wife's maid, asking whether his wife had been true to him. 
Then ho kills the young man who is in the house and cuts off his head. He takes the 
armor and helmet as his crests, and does not discard his wife, because through her 



BOAS] COMPAKATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAIST MYTHOLOGY 859 

he obtained these crests. The people build a fort with a double wall against the 
Wolves. The Wolf prince's mother sings her mourning-song, and asks for the body. 
At night the Wolves attack the fort. They throw down the outer wall, but are unable 
to break the inner wall. At last the prince says to the Wolf mother that he will take 
her son's name. She adopts him as her son. From this time on the prince is suc- 
cessful again, because the Wolf mother helps him. After the death of his father and 
mother, the Wolf mother carries him away. .She in-\dtes all the wild animals, to show 
them her adopted son. 'She gives him her brother's two daughters in marriage. The 
Wolf wives help him when he goes hunting. Finally he becomes homesick. He 
goes home alone. His body has become hairy. His cousin, the cliief, recognizes 
him and welcomes him. After a while he brings down hia Wolf wives too, who help 
the people hunt by locating the game. When he dies, he orders his children, some 
of whom are Wolves, not to harm the people. The rest of thi children stay among the 
tribe. 

There is no strictly analogous story on record. The incident of 
the stockades built against animals occurs, however, in other con- 
nections. 

In a Maaset story (M 518) it is told that a man is carried away by the Black Bears. 
Eventually he steals the Bear chief's skin and makes his escape. Here the incident 
of the fort is introduced (M 522). The ])eople build ten stockades, one inside another. 
The animals try to o\-erthrow the fort, pull out the jjosts with their teeth, but are 
unable to destroy the innermost line. 

54. The Ghost who Fought with the Great Shaman (p. 32'2) 

A prince and his friends play that they are shamans. He lies down in a coffin and 
dies at once. His friends watch by the grave-box, but after a while go home one after 
another. His father takes the body home, places it on a plank, and finds that the 
heart is still beating. The shamans dance and restore him. The prince has come 
to b<3 a great shaman, and goes to recover the soul of a person who died. He goes to 
the village of the Ghosts and takes back the soul. On account of his shamanistic art 
nobody dies. Therefore the Ghosts try to kill him. Next time when he crosses the 
bridge to the Ghosts' \ illage the Ghosts trj' to throw him into the water, which burns 
his feet (see p. 455). He lies sick in his father's house, but recovers by the aid of his 
supernatural powers. Next the Ghost chief pretends to be sick, and sends for the 
prince to cure him. While he is away the Ghosts attack the village, but are beaten 
back by means of noxious fluids which are thrown against them. When the prince 
performs his shamanistic dance around the Ghost chief, he kicks the ground, the earth 
opens and swallows the chief of the Ghosts, who thus meets his second death. He 
cures a princess who has been drowned and whose body is found months after. The 
other shamans become en^•ious and decide to kill him. They give him diied human 
flesh to eat, and he predicts that he will die, but will revive after a year, provided 
they will catch him. One of his nephews promises to do so. At the end of one year 
he arises in the form of an owl. The nephew is afraid, and for this reason all the 
people die. He becomes the chief of the Ghosts. His companions become powerful 
shamans. The souls of the shamans who killed him he casts into the burning river 
that se])arates the Ghost \-illage from our world. The prince's friends are told by him 
not to trj' to resuscitate those who have been dead more than four days. They disobey, 
and are killed by the Ghost chief. 

55. Gre.\t Shaman (p. 331) 

A prince and his companions trj' to obtain power in a deep pit. The first two have 
not the courage to go down, but are hauled up again after descending a short distance. 



860 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. HI 

The third one haa a cedar-bark line tied around his waist, and is let down to the 
bottom. He passes stinging insects, which have frightened his friends. Down lielow 
a door opens with' a clap of thunder, and he is led into a house by a hairy young man. 
Inside a shaman is seen. Another shaman comes in, and he sees whistles, batons, 
boards for beating time that mo^'e like serpents, a live rattle, etc. Many shamans 
come in and put their powers into the mouth of the visitor. He finds himself in ihirk- 
ness at the bottom of the pit, and is pulled up. Wlien going home, all the men find 
that they have acquired supernatural power. The man ^ho had been given the 
greatest power does not show it at once, but finally becomes a great shaman. The 
other shamans are jealous of him and call him to a youth who pretends to be sick. He 
tells the man that on account of his evil intentions he shall never recover. The people 
bring him poisonous water, and he makes them drink it. AVlien going home, he takes 
along a spring of water. Another attemjit to kill him fails. A cannilial invites him, 
and they expect that tlie human flesh will take away his shamanistic power. How- 
ever, he swallows it whole antl takes it out of the side of his Iwdy . Finally he is called 
to the supernatural being Bagus. He is taken along in a supernatural canoe, and 
when about to lose consciousness he blows poisonous fluid into the air, wliich 
strengthens him. He sees an arrow in the chest of Bagus's son, pulls it out, and 
thus cures him. Other shamans who had in vain tried to cure the prince had been 
thrown into a lake of blood. Wlien he returns and the sun rises, lie sees that the canoe 
is a log of driftwood. 

The incident of the invisible arrow has been discussed on p. 820. 
The whole story of the visit to the supernatural being Bagus is 
obviously a version of the widely spread Laud Otter stories of the 
Pacific coast. The Land Otters take away human beings in their 
canoes, and keep them untd they are finally transformed into land 
otters. 

56. Story of the Ghost (p. 3.36) 

A prince named Brown Eagle dies and is buried. One day the children dig fern 
roots near the burial-place, and in jest offer some salmon to the buried prince. A 
middle-aged woman warns them and liides with her two grandchildren. Suddenly 
a terriljle noise is heard. The skeleton of the prince ajijjears and asks for the salmon. 
It takes away tlie breath of the people, and they all die. Some run into a fire that 
they have started, and are consumed. The shamans decide that tlie people must have 
a war with the Gliosis. The people put on their armor and go to the burial-ground. 
Led by the shaman, tliey go to the Ghost house at the burial-place, attack it, and 
rescue tlie souls of the young people. 

57. The Man Who Bound Up His Wrinkles (p. 339) 

An old shaman who lives on an island sells arrows winged witli beautiful feathers. 
He abducts princesses and kills them, but his actions are not known to the people. 
One day a good-looking young man appears to the last 8urvi\'ing princess. He wooes 
her, and asks her to follow him. He takes her to a small house filled with beautiful 
furs and other valuables. On the following morning she finds that what she believed 
was a youth was the old shaman who had tied uj) his ivrinkles, so that his skin appeared 
smooth. After a few days he takes her to a rock where he intends to gather feathers. 
Wlien they reach there, he tells her to jump ashore, and immediately pushes off, and 
says that he vdll leave her to die. The old man shouts, and flocks of birds come down 
to the rock. She liides in a cave; and when the birds leave again, she picks up 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STITDY OF TSIMSHIAN" MYTHOLOGY 861 

their feathers and finds the bones of the victims of the shaman. After four days the 
shaman reapjjears, intending to pick up the feathers. Wlien he goes ashore, she creeps 
into the canoe, cuts the rope with which it is tied to the shore, and leaves the shaman 
on the rock. She shouts, and he is eaten by the birds. Then she returns home, and 
she tells what ha-s happened . 

A somewhat similar story is told by the Comox. A woman deserts her rival on a 
lonely rock, induces her to tear out her hair, and calls the Thunderbird to kill her. 
Later on she is killed in the same manner by the woman who had sur^dved Co 5.84. 

An old woman who ties up her wrinkles in order to appear young is mentioned in 
Lil 294; Lil Hill-Tout 6.185; Sts 5.30; U 284 (see No. 64, p. 605). ' 

58, 59. The Brothers Who Visited the Sky; the Six Hunters 

(pp. 344, 345) 

(6 versions: Ts 344; > Ts 345; ^ M 370; Sk 259; Sk 36; Hare Indians, 7.207) 

A group of stories common to the Tsimshian, Haida, and Tinneh 
centers around the idea that hunters, by disregarding certain taboos, 
may find themselves suddenly either at the bottom of a pit or on 
top of an unscalable rock. 

Three brothers are out hunting and lie down to sleep. Wlien they awake, they find 
themselves on a rock near the sky. The elder brothers want to climb down, but the 
youngest ad\dses them to wait, ^\^len they lie down again, the youngest is told by 
the daughter of the Sun to hold a pebble in his mouth (see p. 776). The elder brothers 
try to climb down while the youngest is asleep, and perish. The youngest prays to 
the heavenly bodies, puts his arrow into a crack, ties a rope to it, and gets back 
safely Ts 344. 

Six men go out hunting. Their provisions are stolen by a squirrel, which they 
throw into the fire. On the following morning they find themselves in a deep pit. 
Since they are hungry, they throw one of their dogs into the fire. Suddenly they 
see it on top of the pit. Tlien five of the men jump into the fire and appear at once 
on the rim of the pit. The youngest one lies down. Tlie Mouse Woman appears and 
takes him to the house of the Squirrel, who tells him that the other men are dead. 
On the next morning he finds himself in the woods, sees the bodies of his companions, 
and returns. The people kill the Squirrels, who. in revenge, burn the town, sparing 
only the house of the youngest hunter Ts 345. 

A hunter and his friends kill a black bear which is different from othera. On the 
following morning they find themselves at the bottom of a deep pit. They put one 
of their dogs into the fire, which at once is seen on top of the pit. They do the same 
with their other dogs, and finally they themselves jump into the fire. Immediately 
they find themselves on top of the mountain. They go home in their- canoe; but 
when they arrive, nobody takes any notice of them, and they find that they have 
become supernatural beings M 370. 

Ten brothers go hunting with a dog. They find themselves on a steep mountain, 
light a fire, jump in, and find themselves on the ground below. They reach a town 
in Masset Inlet, and find that they have become supernatm-al beuigs Sk 36. 

The incident occurs also in the long story of Laguadji'na, which 
is said to have happened in the Kaigani country. 

A woman has ten children, whose father is a Dog. They attain human form when 
their mother burns their blankets. North marries the only gii-1 among these children, 
and a content between the brothers-in-law follows. North puts them on an inaccessible 
tree. The brothers jump into the fire, and find themselves at the bottom Sk 259. 

J Same as Ts 5.290. ^ Same as Ts 5.304. 



862 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. ann. 31 

A Hare Iiidiau stoiy recorded by Petitot is probably related to 
the Haida tale. 

Two sisters have been carried away by a giaut, and live among the Dog people. 
Their brother searches for them; and when he finds them, the women run away 
with him and leave their Dog children, ^\^len they awake, they find themselves 
on top of a steep mountain. They go to fleep again, and the brother flattens otit the 
country. On the following day, on awaking, they find themselves on a small desolate 
island. The brother creates a road that leads to the shore 7".207. 

60. TuE Land Otter 

(2 versions: Ts 34.5;' K 10.249. See also Tl 2S, Tl 87, Tl 4.288, M 523, M 536.— Tl 29, 
Tl 187, M G.53.— Tl 5.322, Kai 251.— Tl 30; Tl 188; Tl 4.272; Kai 253; M 517; M 545; 
M 601; Sk 64; Sk 269. See also M 448; Kai 2.54) 

Stories of people' who are drowned and taken away by the land 
otters are very common among the Tlingit and Masset, but occur also 
among the Tsimshian and Kwakiutl. In these tales the life of the 
land otters is described ; and many of them hinge on the point, that, 
if a traveler accepts the food of the otters or follows their call, he is 
lost and can never return. 

A man and his sister capsize. He s\\'im8 ashore and sees a fire that seems to move 
away when he appmiiches. He starts a lire of his own. The Land Otters arrive in 
their canoe. He throws the paddles into the fire and they turn into minks. At the 
same time the people disappear and the canoe turns into a log of driftwood. Later 
on his sister's ghost appears and feeds him. The man is on his guard, and is rescued 
by liis friends Ts 345. 

Quite analogous is a Kwakiutl story which tells first how a woman 
is induced to eat the Wood Man's food and is thus captured by him. 

A hunter reaches the Wood Man's house. He is warned by the captured woman. 
He tlirows the food and paddles of visitors into the fire. The food becomes rotten 
wood, the paddles become minks. The canoe becomes a skate; the people, land 
otters. Eventually he is rescued K 10.249. 

There are many other tales dealing with encounters with land- 
otters, but the themes show great variation. In our series the 
essential idea underlies the story of the princess who married a land- 
otter, which has been discussed on p. 751. 

61. The Deluge (p. 346) 

Some hunters go to a lake. The waters of the lake rise and overflow into Skeena 
River. A whale appears and goes down again. The following year two brothers try 
to get supernatural power at this lake. The elder one steps into the water and sinks 
to the bottom. The lake rises again, and the whale emerges. The younger brother 
remains on shore. The man who has gone into the lake is taken into a house. Light- 
ning and a grizzly bear appear, and he is given various supernatural gifts- — a thunder- 
bird, a grizzly-bear box, living eyes (the hail), a monster called Mouth At Each End, 
a codfish. He comes ashore with these gifts and finds his brother starved to death. 
Martens have eaten his body. He restores him to life, and the younger brother also 
becomes a shaman. The martens that have eaten him are in his body, and a vessel 
of blood is his supernatural power. On account of the great power of the elder brother, 
the supernatiu'al beings try to kill him. Finally two hermaphrodites ^overcome him. 

■ Identical with Ts 5.290. -Probably homosexuals are meant. 



BOAS] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 863 

The younger brother remains alive and overcomes his enemies. One ivinter there is 
a famine, and the people apply to the younger brother for help. He takes them down 
the river and instructs them in the use of sea fish, and shows them how to make halibut 
hooks. At that time the people of Skeena RiAer reach the sea for the first time 

62. The Q^xxibal (p. 350) 

Story of the initiation of a cannibal who is placed in a hut in the 
branches of a tree. 

He is visited by the cannibal spirit, who gives him dead bodies, which he has to 
bolt down. He is captured by the Cannibal Society and treated in the usual way, 
in order to restore him to his normal condition. He escapes and flies away. The 
people desert him, and he continues to prey on them, eating live people as well as 
bodies of the dead. The people catch him in a trap, and by treatment with medicine 
and by putting on him rings of red -cedar bark, they try to drive away the supernatural 
power. He flies to a rock which floats during high tide, and later on lands again. He 
continues to live on a tree. He devours people every now and then. After two gen- 
erations his voice ceases to be heard. 

63. Origix of the Caxnibals (p. 353) 

A mountain-goat hunter pursues a white bear, and is taken into a mountain. Tliere 
he finds a house, and sees the four secret societies, each seated in one comer of the 
house. There he learns their practices and is sent back. He appears on the top of 
a tree, devours jieople, but is finally overcome and restored to his senses, and teaches 
the people the dances. 

6-i. Story' of THE Wolf Clan (p. 354) 

The Tahltan have a war, and six brothers belonging to the Wolf Clan make their 
escape. Two cross the mountains to Nass River, where they are kindly received. 
Four go down Stikme River. The latter pass through an ice cave and reach a village 
at the mouth of the river. They are kindly received among the Stikine people. 
Later on a war breaks out, and some of them escape to Tongasa. Still later one of 
them escapes to the Tsimshian. 

NASS MYTHS 

The Wolves anx> the Deer (N, p. 83) 

The Wolves and the Deer have a feast. They play laughing at each other. The 
Wolves laugh first. The Deer fear the large teeth of the Woh'es and do not open 
their mouths. They are told to laugh aloud. When the '^'olves see that the Deer 
have no teeth, they devour them. 

The Stars 

(3 verpions: N 86; Tl 209; M 450) 

A boy makes fun of a Star, sajdng, "Poor fellow! You little twinkler, you must 
feel cold." In punishment, the Star takes him up. The people are unable to find 
him. The father travels about, reaches a smoking mountain, and is told by a woman 
who lives on top of the mountain that the Stars have taken the child and have tied 
it to the edge of the smoke hole, so that sparks fall on its body. He is told to make 
a chain of arrows and to ascend to the sky N 86. 

Two boys make many arrows, and when playing one of them makes fim of the 
Moon, saying that it looks like his mother's labret. A ring like a rainbow appears 
over this boy, and he is taken up. The friend who remains behind tries to shoot 
arrows to the skv, and finally succeeds Tl 209. 



864 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

A woman who lives on Naas River points her fingers at a star and is pulled up. She 
is placed on the roof, near the smoke hole. This story continues with the rescue of 
the woman, and tells that after she came back she pointed at the Moon and at a reflec- 
tion in the water. Eventually she is taken up by the Moon while she is carrying a 
bush of salal-berries. She may still be seen in the Moon carrying the bush and a' 
pail M450. 

The incident of the arrow-chain has a wide distribution, and occurs 
in many other connections (42 versions : Tl 209 ; Sk 78 ; Sk 142 ; Sk 354 ; 
BC 69; BC 95; BC 5.246; H 5.234; Ri 5.215; K 5.157; No 5.173; 
K 9.123; K 11.84.— Ts 5.278; Nu 5.117; Nu ap 907; Nitinath;' Co 
5.68; Co 5.65; Co 5.64; Sts5.31; Squ Hill-Tout 3.522; Ntl5.17; U246; 
NtlTeit3.334; Lil311; Sh749; Kutenai;^ Okanagon^ 146; Okanagon 
Gatschet;^ Quin 108; Kath 11; Wish 171; Wasco 303; Till 137: Coos 
151; Coos 12.— Achomawi^ 166.— N 88; M450). 

The boy tries all the bow staves, but breaks them except one made of very hard 
wood. He hits a star, which darkens. The aiTows form a chain; and when it nearly 
reaches the ground, he puts on the last one to complete it. The manner of the ascent 
has been described before Tl 209. 

A man who is pursued by his sister, who tries to kill him, first tries to find protection 
in the house of Many Ledges. Then he goes to an island, shoots up to the sky, and con- 
tinues making a chain of arrows, which he finishes by putting on his bow at the lower 
end. He climbs up, and the ladder draws itself up after him Sk 78. Raven makes 
an arrow-chain, which he completes by placing his bow at the lower end Sk 142. 

Tlie rejected lover (see p. 769) makes two boxes full of arrows, shoots at the sky, 
and makes a chain of arrows. He puts his bow at the lower end and climbs up. After 
he has been helped by the beings of the sky, he climbs down again Sk 354. 

Among the tribes of the central coast of British Columbia the 
incident of the arrow-chain is generally foimd in connection with 
the Mink tale (see p. 585, No. 1). 

Mink obtains a bow from his mother, and shoota arrows up to the sky until they 
reach down to the ground. Then he ascends BC 95. The same story is told of the 
Wasp BC 69. 

Mink shoots an arrow against the sky, makes a chain, which he shakes in order to 
see whether it is strong enough, then he climbs up BC 5.246. 

Mink receives bow and arrows from his uncle. He makes a chain, which he shakes 
in order to try its strength H 5.234. The incident of the shaking of the chain is omitted 
in Ri 5.215 and K 5.157. The rest of the story is the same as in the Bellabella version. 

Mink, who has been deserted while diving, asks his wife, who ia in the canoe, for 
his bow and arrows. He makes a chain in the usual way, shakes it, and climbs up 
Ne 5.173. 

Mink takes his bow and arrows, strings the bow, and shoots four arrows, which are 
transformed into a chain which stretches down to the ground. He shakes them, and 
they become a rope. Then he climbs up K 11.84. 

Mink obtains arrows from his imcle. He makes a chain of arrows, which reaches 
down to the ground. He shakes them, and they become a rope K 9.123. 

1 F. Boas, Die Mytliologie der nordwest-amerikanischen Kiistenvolke (.Globus, vol. Lin, p. 316, 188.S). 

2 F. Boas, Einige .Sagen der Kootenay ( Verhandtungen der Berliner Oesellschaft fiir Anthropologie, Eth- 
Tiologie und Urgexchickte, p. 165); Kutenai Tales (BuUdin 69, Bureau of American Ethnology, p. 72). 

'C. Hill-Tout on the Ethnology of the Okana'ken of British Columbia (Journal of the ArUhropological 
Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. xli, 1911). 
< Der Tskan Vogel (Globus, vol. i.n, 18S,S, p. 137). 
Roland B. Dixon, Achomawi and Atsugewi Tales (Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxi, 1908). 



BOAS] COMPAKATH^E STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY. 865 

So far as I am aware, the incident does not occur in this area in 
any other connection. In the north and the south, however, it is 
found in many stories tcUing of the visit to the sky. 

A man wislies to ascend to the sky. He goes to a sandbar near Metlakahtla and 
shoots arrows up, which form a chain. Finally he completes it by putting his bow 
at the bottom Ts 5.278. 

The Mucus Boy (see p. 734) resolves to go up to the sky. He takes a strong bow, 
makes many arrows, and begins to shoot. After shooting for a long time, he sees a 
fine dark line, which descends toward the earth. He rubs it with medicine, and in 
this way makes it so strong that he can climb up. Nu 5.117. 

The Mucus Boy asks the people to make arrows. He looks for the "log of heaven." 
Snail discovers it, and then exchanges its eyes for those of Thunderbird. The Mucus 
Boy shoots at the log and makes a chain of arrows. He reaches the sky and walks 
along a trail Nu ap 907. 

Two brothers, Kumsla'aqs and Si'ax^um, go out in their canoe to hunt birds. The 
second h>rother is sent to get water; and when he returns, they notice that the sun is 
low. They shoot their arrows at the sky, form a chain, and shake it. The elder 
brother climbs up, and when he reaches the sky shakes the chain. Then the younger 
brother follows. Up above they meet the Sun, who at first is angry, Init then welcomes 
them, Nitinath. 

Two boys go out in a canoe, and begin to shoot toward the sky, until they make a 
chain that reaches down to the ground. The elder one shakes it, and finds that it is 
strong enoflgh. Then he ascends Co 5.68. Two boys who have been scolded shoot 
arrows up to the sky. They form a chain. The elder one shakes it to see whether it 
is strong enough. Then they climb up Co 5.65. In Squ Hill-Tout 3.522 Wren 
shoots the arrows; the Transformer strengthens them with medicine. 

The Sun has killed the Pitch. Pitch's sons resoh-e to take revenge. They shoot 
their arrows toward the sky. The elder brother shakes the chain, and they climb 
up Co 5.64. Woodpecker and Eagle ha^-e lost their sons, who had been taken up to 
the sky. The two birds ask all the animals to de^-ise a plan to reach the sky. 
They are all unsuccessful. Finally one Bird shoots arrows up to the sky while hia 
grandmother is beating time. A\Tiile doing so, he paints his face with a long straight 
red line. After he has finished, he wipes off the red paint and paints his whole body 
white. Then the arrows are transformed into a wide trail, which the animals ascend 
Sta 5.31. The Birds try to make war on the sky. They try to reach the sky with 
their arrows; but all of them are unsuccessful, imtil finally Tcitu'c succeeds. After 
they have ascended, the chain breaks tiefore all the animals succeed in getting back 
Ntl 5.17. The people of the sky steal Swan's wife. The Birds try to shoot their 
arrows at the sky, and finally Wren succeeds. He makes a chain, and the people 
ascend. When they return, the chain breaks, and some remain in the sky U 246, 
Ntl Teit 3.334, Lil 311. 

Black Bear and Wolverene — the former the chief of the Fishes, the latter of the 
Birds — make war on the sky. The animals are unable to reach the sky with their 
arrows, until Wren succeeds. Then the other small birds shoot in order, until a chain 
is made. Woh'erene and Black Bear quarrel, and the Bear knocks down the chain 
of arrows. Only a few animals succeed in getting back Sh 749. 

The animals believe that a woman has been killed by the Sky people. They try 
to make a chain of arrows, but they do not succeed until finally two Hawks shoot. 
They make a chain. In order to complete it. Raven puts his beak in the nock of 
the last arrow, and stems his feet against the ground. The animals go up. Wolverene 
tells them to wait. Since they do not do so, he becomes angry and tears down the 
arrows. Only some of the animals succeed in getting back, Kutenai 165. 

The animals try to get the fire from the upper world. They try to make a chain 
of arrows, but all fail. The bird Tsiska'kEna succeeds, and then the others continue 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 55 



866 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

to shoot until the chain ia complete and they tllnib up. \Mien they try to come back, 
they break the chain of arrows, and some of them ha^■e to jump down, Okanagon 
Hill-Tout 146. 

Another version of this story has been recorded by A. S. Gatschet. 

The Birds are unable to reach the sky. Finally the bird Tskan (Zonolrichia inter- 
media) uses the rib of an elk as bow, the feathers of the eagle for winging his aiTows, 
and obtains stone arrow-points. He hits the sky. Then all the other animals shoot 
and climb up; last, Grizzly Bear, who carries provisions on his back. By his weight 
he breaks the chain, Okanagon Gatschet. 

The animals make war upon the sky. A small bird calls the sky to come down, 
but does not succeed. Then they try to shoot at the sky, making a bow of the trunk 
of a white cedar, and an arrow of the limb of a tree. None of the animals can bend 
the bow. Wren succeeds and strings it. He is also the only one to shoot the arrow. 
Snail sees it sticking in the sky. Snail directs the next arrow, and Wren pulls. In 
this way the chain of arrows is made. The people ascend, ^^'hen they return, the 
arrow-chain breaks, and some are left up above Quin 108. 

An ogre steals a boy, who succeeds in killing the ogre. Then the trees fall upon 
him. He climbs a white pine, takes hia arrow and shoots at the sky. Then he ties 
the bow to the lower end and climbs up Kath 11. In a Wishram variant the boy is 
given five quiverfuls of arrows. He goes up a mountain, makes a chain of arrows, 
and climbs up Wish 171. A boy shoots arrows up in the air, makes a chain, which he 
climbs; then he follows a trail which leads him to the Sun's house Wasco 303. A man 
has been killed by the Sky people. His two sons set out to take revenge.* The elder 
brother is unable to reach the sky with hia arrows. The younger brother, who is 
half dog, makes a chain of aiTows. When it reaches half down, the elder brother 
helps, and they climb up. The elder one ia warned not to look back while they are 
climbing Till 137. The Sky people kill a man. His younger brother wants to take 
revenge, makes a chain of arrows, and climbs up. On his way up he meets various 
people, who give him information, Coos 151. Two men create the world. They want 
to go up to the sky. They make a chain of arrows, shake it, find that it ia firm, and 
go up, Coos 12. 

Farther to the south the arrow-chain incident seems to disappear, 
and in its place we find the tale of a rope shot up into the sky. Fol- 
lowing is an mstance of this type of tale: 

Loon Woman has married Wildcat. The latter leaves her and returns home. Loon 
Woman threatens to attack the people. Then the Mice brothers make a rope of rye 
grass, and shoot it with an arrow into the sky. Then they climb up the rope. The 
rope breaks, and the people fall back into the burning house, Achomawi 166. 

We revert to the story of the Star. After the chain of an-ows has 
been made, the friends of the person who has been carried away try 
to rescue him. 

His father carries tobacco, red paint, and sling-stones. Wlien he reaches the sky, 
a person advises him to carve a figure in the shape of his son, to place it on the roof 
of the house, and to carry away the boy. He tries spruce, hemlock, balsam fir, red 
cedar, yellow cedar. He hangs these figures over the fire. They cry, but only the 
figure of yellow cedar does not stop. Therefore he selects the last (see p. 822). The 
father goes on and meets the Star's slave, who is splitting wood. He gives him 
tobacco, red paint, and sUng-stones, and in return receives advice N 88 (see p. 845). 

After the boy has made the chain of arrows, he sticks various kinds of bushes in 
the knot of his hair. \\Tiile he is ascending, the bushes bear berries, which he eata. 
^\'hen he reaches the sky, he is tired and sleeps. During his sleep a girl speaks to him. 
The first time she hides before he awakes. Afterwards he pretends to sleep and seea 



POAS] COMPAKATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 86^ 

her. She calls him to her grandmother's house, who tells him that his friend is in 
the Jloon's house. She produces food by putting her hand up to her mouth, and 
gives it to the boy. Then she gives him a spruce cone, a rosebush, a piece of de\-il'a 
club, and a piece of whetstone to take along Tl 210. The girl's brothers carve a figure 
which cries, and its voice is different from that of the girl. After several attempts 
they succeed in making a figure that cries like their sister XI 4.50. 

In the night the father places the wooden image on the roof and escapes with his 
son. The image does not cry ^-ery long. The Stars discover their loss and pursue 
the boy. The father throws tobacco, red paint, and sling-stones in their way. The 
Stars pick them up and paint their faces. This accounts fw the colors of the stars. 
When he passes the slave of the Stars, he gives him tobacco, and the slave swells up,' 
obstructing their way. He goes down the chain of arrows, which he pulls down N 93. 

The friend places the spruce cone on the roof, frees the boy, and they run away. 
The spruce cone drops down, and the Moon starts in pureuit. Here follow.^ the Magic 
Flight. The boys reach the old woman's house. They are told that if they want 
to return to earth, they must think of nothing but their playgrotmd. One of them 
disobeys and thinks of the old woman's house, and immediately they find themselves 
back there. When they obey, they go to sleep, and on awaking find themselves on 
earth Tl 211. 

The Masset version is very brief. The Stars pursue the boys and the girl, who 
pour out some red paint. The Stars pick it up, and they succeed in getting back to 
the earth M451. 

War Between the D-warfs and the Birds (N, p. Ill) 

This story does not occur mdependentlv, but appears embodied 
in various other tales. It has a pecuHar hkcuess to the ch^ssical story 
of the war between the Pygmies and the Cranes. 

A person carves a sea lion out of wood, which pulls his enemy through the water to 
a land across the ocean. The man and his companions go ashore, and see a canoe in 
which a small man is seated. He jumps into the water and clubs halibut tmder water, 
strings them on a line, and puts them into the canoe. When he jumps into the water 
again, the men paddle out to his canoe and steal fish. liMien the dwarf comes back, 
he misses two fish that have been stolen. He paddles ashore, asks who has stolen 
the halibut, and takes the thief by the feet and kills him by striking him against a 
stone. The dwarf goes back to the village, and the men are invited in. All the 
people are dwarfs. At one time the people make clubs, saying that they expect an 
attack by enemies. The next day the Birds come in great swarms to a sandy point 
below the town. A battle ensues in which many dwarfs are killed. On the following 
day the men offer their assistance. They run among the Birds and twist off their 
necks. The dwarfs are grateful and send the men back to their home. The dwarfs 
are here called Gilgina'm^n, a word evidently analogous to the Kwakiutl Giugina'- 
nEmis (that is, "Children of the Sea") N 111.= 

Parallel to this is a Newettee story, which also teUs of a man who 
is towed across the ocean by a seal. 

After several adventtires, he reaches a canoe which is adiift near a small inland. 
There is nobody in the canoe, but two halibut are in it. A man, A'pdl, takes the.?e 
and goes ashore. Then the dwarf G'ing'ina'nEmis emerges, carrying a halibut in each 
hand. He shouts, "'^'ho has stolen my halibut?" A'pol becomes afraid and returns 
them Ne 5.192. 

> See p. S44. 

2 In a Tlingit tale men are requested to assist the ducks in their war against the herons Tl 56. 



868 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

A man makes a seal of cedar wood. His brothers try to kill it and are towed across 
the ocean. After several adventures, they reach a village, where they go sealing. 
Near an island they see a canoe adrift. There is nobody in it. After a while a dwarf 
named Tcetciudjai'mix comes up, who puts two halibut into the canoe. The brothers 
steal one of the fish. \\Tien the dwarf comes up again and notices the theft, he stretches 
his hand out, moves it around the horizon, and in this way gets the scent of the l)rothcrs, 
The Bu-ds try to attack him; but he overcomes them, puts them into his canoe, and 
enslaves them. He takes them to the \'illage of the dwarfs; and the chief tells them 
to assist them in the war against the Birds, who shoot the dwarfs with their feathers. 
The brothers club the Birds. The youngest brother pulls the feathers out of the 
bodies of the killed dwarfs, and they come to life again. Out of gratitude the chief 
sends the men back home. He puts them into a whale, which serves as their canoe 
Co 5.88. 

Paul Kane ' tells another version of this story, apparently collected 
among the NisquaUy of Puget Sound. 

In a family of four brothers the three younger ones quarrel with the eldest one, who 
causes a Seal to take them acro.ss the ocean. They spear it, and are unable to detach 
the harpoon-line. They land and see a small canoe. In it is a dwarf, ^Yho jumps 
into the sea and brings up a fish, which he throws into the canoe. Every time he 
comes up he counts the fish. One of the brothers swims out to the canoe and steals 
a fish. The dwarf notices that one fish has been stolen, and moves his hand along the 
horizon. It is arrested in the direction in which the brothers are hidden. He finds 
them and takes them home. Swarms of large geese appear, which attack the dwarfs 
with their feathers. When all the dwarfs are killed, the birds leave. The brothers 
pull the quills out of the bodies of the dwarfs, and they return to life. In return the 
dwarfs send the brothers home. They are placed on the back of a whale, which carries 
them away. On his way back the whale transforms the brothers into turtles. 

Coyote meets a man who dives from his canoe and comes up holding in each hand 
a sturgeon. He puts the sturgeon into the canoe and counts them. A\'hen he dives 
again. Coyote steals one of the sturgeon. \\'hen the person comes up again, he misses 
a fish. He jioints with his finger, and thus finds the place where Coyote is located. 
Coyote dodges, but the finger always points at him. Coyote sees that the person has 
no mouth. Here the story continues differently, and it is told how Coyote cuts a 
mouth in his face. Then he makes mouths for all the people of the tribe Wish 19. 

ts'ak- (N, p. 117) 

This story is a combination of the story of the boy or bird that 
killed the grizzly bear and the marriage to tlie daughter of the Chief 
in Heaven. The latter part has been discussed in connection with 
the Asdi-wa'l story (pp. .243 et seq.). 

A boy named Ts'ak' catches fish, which are stolen by Grizzly Bear. The boy scolds 
the Grizzly Bear, who snuffs him in. . Ts'ak' kills the Bear by starting a fire in his 
stomach. Then he comes out and asks his grandmother to cut the Bear. First she 
refuses to believe him, but finally accompanies him and finds the Bear N 117. 

Other stories of this type have been discussed before (see No. 4, 
p. 611; pp. 659,687, 718). 

On the opposite side of the river li^e the Wolves. Ts'ak- visits them, and they 
learn that he has killed a bear. They tie him, go to his house, and steal the meat. 
On being released, he returns, finds his grandmother asleep, cuts some fle.sh off of her 
body, roasts it, and gives it to her to eat. Then he taunts her with having eaten her 
own vulva, and she turns him out of the house N 120 (see No. 18, p. 585). 

> Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians of North America (London, 1SS9), pp. 250 et seq. 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 869 

Ts'ak- takes reA-enge on the Wolves. A supernatural being tells him to blow sickness 
through a hollow bone into the daughter of the chief of the Wolves. The Wolf shamans 
can not cure her. He claims to be a shaman, sends his grandmother to offer his 
ser\-ices. He cures the girl, and receives as reward the sick girl and a slave named . 
Drum Belly N 122. 

Parallel to this is a Masset tale. A boy has been deserted with his grandmotlier. 
The boy makes himself into a shaman and goes to cure the child of his uncle who 
had deserted him M 417. 

Here follows Ts'ak' 's visit to the sky. He desires to get another wife, and starts, 
accompanied by his slave Drum Belly, and several Birds. He reaches a burning 
mountain, which he tries unsuccessfully to cross by assuming the shape of various 
birds. He lies down, and is called by a Mouse, whose house is under a bunch of grass. 
He obtains her good will in the usual way, and is shown the trail that leads to the other 
side under the mountain. At the end of the trail he reaches another Mouse, who 
gives him ad\dce. Then follows the marriage between Ts'ak' and the daughter of 
the chief, and the tests of the son-in-law, as discussed on pp. 794 et acq. N 126. 

Growing TTp Like One Who Has A Grandmother (N, p. 137) 

This story belongs to the type of tales of boys -who are deserted 
by the tribe (see p. 783) . The introduction is some'what different here ; 
but the second part of the story, telling how the boy becomes rich 
and how he rescues the people who have deserted him and who are 
star'ving, is the same as usual. 

A chief's nephew is a poor orphan. A light comes down from heaven and hangs at 
the end of a branch. It proves to be copper. The chief promises liLs daughter to the 
one who will knock it down. The orphan boy receives from a supernatural being 
stones of four different colors, and with the last stone knocks it down; but the young 
men take the copper away from him, and claim to have hit it. The next day a white 
bear is heard behind the village, and the chief's daughter is promised to him who 
kills it. The orphan boy kills it with his arrow. The other j'ouths claim to have 
killed it; but the youth's arrow is found, and thus the chief learns that his nephew 
has killed the bear. The chief is ashamed, and deserts his nephew, his daughter, 
and their grandmother. The boy goes to a pond and shouts. A giant frog, the 
guardian of the pond, emerges and pursues the boy. The boy makes a trap and catches 
the frog in it. 

The sea monster caught in a trap is mentioned in JI 614, 624; 
Sk 283. 

He skins the frog, goes into the pond, and catches a trout. He puts the trout on 
the beach. In the morning a raven finds it and begins to croak. The princess sends 
the boy to look, and he brings the trout. E\-ery night he goes out and catches in 
succession trout, salmon, halibut, bullheads, seals, porpoises, sea lions, and whales. 
Finally the princess discovers that he catches them, and asks him to marry her. 
They have two children. The chief's people are starving; and the chief sends a 
man and some slaves to see if his nephew, his daughter, and their grandmother are 
dead. The boy gives them food to eat, and they report what they have seen. The 
people return; and he sells hLs pro\asions for slaves and elk skins, gives a potlatch, 
and becomes a chief. Finally he is unable to take off his frog blanket, and staj-s 
in the sea, whence he provides his wife and children -with food X 16.5. 

The story of a man who kills an animal or a monster, whose skin 
he puts on and whose form ho thus assumes when out hunting, occurs 
frequently in the mythology of the Haida. 



870 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

A man kills the sea monster Wa'sgo, skins it , and puts on the skin. In this form he 
is able to catch whales and other sea animals Tl 166; M 614, 624 ; Sk 283; Hal 6,60. 
The same story is told of a brown eagle Kai 249 ; of a lialibut Sk 196; of a fish M 366; 
of a sea lion M 657. A woman enters the skin of a surf scoter and goes fishing Sk 78. 
In other cases the hero borrows a. skin from the animals: from a mouse Sk 206; an 
eagle Sk 279, Tl 204, 209; M 514. (See also Tl 101.) Tales of the skin-shifter have 
been enumerated on p. 606, No. 66. 

She Who Has A Labret On One Stoe (N, p. 188) 

A scabby slave-girl appears on the street of a village. A prince marries her. ^\'hen 
his mother feeds her, she puts into the empty dish a scab, which is transformed into 
an abalone shell. In the evening the girl's mother, Evening Sky, comes and aimounces 
that her people will come and give the prince much property. Next day they arrive. 
The jirince and his people go inland to trade. His wife is angry because he does not 
take her along. She bathes the awkward brother of the prince, gives him red paint, 
and sends him to the inlanders to trade for weasel skins. He becomes beautiful and 
rich, and she marries him. Her mother comes again and brings much property, 
which she gives to her new husband. 

The marriage with the awkward man who is made beautiful is 
somewhat similar to the marriage of Tsauda to the lame girl whom 

lie cures (see p. 855). 

The Squirrel (N, p. 211) 

This story accomits for the origin of the power of a shaman, and it 
is similar in character to the story of Great Shaman (p. 859; see 
also No. 61, p. 862). The single incidents, however, are quite dis- 
tinctive. 

A young man has killed many squirrels. One day he sees a white squirrel climbing 
a spruce tree. He goes around the tree to get a shot, and finds that the squirrel is 
the daughter of the chief of the Squii-rels. He is called into the house. The chief 
asks him to bum the meat and bones of the squirrels which he has killed, and thus 
to restore the Squirrel people to life. In return he promises to make the hunter a 
shaman, and gives him a dance and a song. After some time the youth's dried-up 
body is found on the tree. It is taken to his father's house and placed on a mat, and 
during the mourning-ceremony he revives. The squirrel meat is burned and the 
youth becomes a great shaman. 

Tsegu'ksk" (N, p. 231) 

A shaman has a carved squirrel, which comes to life and kills all the people of a 
village except TsEgu'ksk". He lies down on a painted board in a canoe, sings, sacri- 
fices, and is taken down to the bottom of the sea, where he receives a box in the form 
of a killer whale and a magical club. The box, by his orders, becomes a live whale, 
which breaks the ice and takes away all the women of his enemy's ^■iIlage when 
they come down to get water. Eventually the club and the box kill all these 
people. The Haida make war on the Nass River villages and kill TsEgu'ksk". His 
head is cut off and taken along, but it swims back to the body and joins it, and 
TsEgu'ksk" re\-ives. He is invited to a feast. He knows that he is to be poisoned, 
and tells his friends to take out his intestines when he seems to be dead, and to replace 
them with those of a dog. This is done, and he revives. Another time he capsizes 



BOAS] COMPAEATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 871 

in his canoe, but is rescued by gulls, which carry him to the shore. An epidemic of 
smallpox visits the tillages. He becomes sick. Four arrows are shot up to the sky, 
which do not retiu-n, and with each shot blood flows from TsEgu'ksk"'s cheek. This 
shows that he will die, but will afterwards re\-ive. He dies. His body is tied in a 
box, but re\'ives and sits on the grave-box in the shape of an owl. A painted pole 
which he has erected in front of his house falls over and is seen to be rotten. At the 
same time the owl falls back into the box dead N 233. 

The incident of TsEgu'ksk"'s transformation into an owl and his 
subsequent death is paraUel to the incident recorded in Ts 322. 

The Spirit of Sleep 

(3 versions: N Boas 5.055; Tl 326; M 426) 

In Boas 5.655 a dance is described in which appears the spirit of sleep. The 
legend itself has not been recorded, but it must be analogous to Tl 326, the story of 
a hunter who by mistake killed the spirit of sleep which flew about his canoe in the 
shape of a bird. Wliile he himself could not sleep after this, he had killed by his 
act the other people. The same story is found in M 426. 

In the story of Rotten Feathers the hero abducts the wife of the Spirit of Sleep, 
who is warned by his chamber vessel, pursues the fugitives, and raises obstacles in 
their way N 235. 

The Owl 

A chief's son at Prairie Town cries all the time. His father says that the Owl shall 
take him. The Owl caiTies the boy's sister to the top of a tree and marries her. 
After some time the Owl's child is taken to the house of the girl's father. His crest 
and song are given to his maternal uncle. Boas 5.324. 

The Boys who Became Supernatural Beings 

Some boys of the Raven Clan slay in small houses in the woods. They play with 
a spring salmon and dance. Gradually they become supernatural beings. The hair 
of their leader turns into crystal and copper. Boas 5.326 



CONCLUSION 

The comparative material contained in the preceding chapter 
illustrates a. number of points that are of importance for the inter- 
pretative study of modern primitive mythology. 

In my first attempt at a comparative study of the folk-lore of the 
North Pacific coast, which was published as the concluding cliapter of 
my "Indianische Sagen" (1895), I pointed out that the Tsimshian 
take a somewhat exceptional position among neighboring tribes, and 
seem to be recent intruders on the coast (p. 347). 

The much fuller collections which have since been accumulated, 
largely through the activities of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, 
through Swanton's work among the Tlingit, and Hill-Tout's collections 
on the Gulf of Georgia, demonstrate that the Tsimshian possess a 
number of stories that show close affinities to those of the Western 
Plateaus, and that these have not spread among the more southern 
coast tribes. Whether or not the Tsimshian differ fundamentally in 
this respect from the more southern coast tribes, which have many 
tales in common with their inland neighbors, wiU appear when a 
careful analysis of other coast and inland mythologies has been made. 
It is certainly true that the inland stories have, on the whole, not 
gained a wide distribution along the coast, so that they are prob- 
ably comparatively recent acquisitions. 

Most remarkable among the inland stories found among the 
Tsimshian is that of the brothers who become sun and moon (p. 727), 
which has direct relationship to the corresponding tales of the Shu- 
swap, Lower Thompson Indians, Okanagon, Kutenai, Wishram, and 
Wasco, but which has no analogue whatever on the North Pacific 
coast. The relationship of the second part of the story, which deals 
with the origin of the seasons, points even more markedly eastward. 
References to this story occur in Tlingit and Haida mythology, but 
they are so fragmentary that they are hardly intelligible. The 
story itself is fully developed among the Shuswap, Shoshoni, Assini- 
boin, and northern Athapascan. To the group of stories with inland 
affihations belongs also "How Raven Makes a Princess Sick and 
Cures Her" (p. 722), which is well known among the Thompson 
Indians, but occiu-s also among the Wishram and Tillamook, and in a 
modified form among the Kwakiutl. Other tales of this class are 
that of "The Beaver and Porcupine" (p. 724) and that of "The 
Fom- Chiefs of the Winds" (p. 7.32). It seems plausible that a fuller 
knowledge of Carrier mythology would show that we are dealing here 
872 



BOAS] CONCLUSION 873 

with a continuous stream, that runs from the interior to the coast by 
way of Skeena River, and that has shghtly affected the Haida. 
Swanton's collections show that Tlingit mythology has also obtained 
much material from inland sources, but in this case the affiliations are 
rather toward the Athapascan tribes of the Northeast. The number 
of analogues to Tsimshian tiUes that have been found tliroughout the 
interior of southern British Columbia and along the middle part of 
Columbia River seems remarkably large. 

Although some of the incidents that I have discussed possess a very 
wide distribution, they have developed characteristic peculiarities in 
restricted parts of the territory in which they occur. This may be 
illustrated by the incidents composing the story of the Bungling 
Host (pp. 694 et seq.). The fundamental idea of the story, the 
failure of the attempt to imitate magical methods of procuring food, is 
common to the whole North ^Imerican Continent, apparently with the 
sole exception of California and of the Arctic coast. Confined to 
the North Pacific coast are the tricks of prt)curing food by letting 
oil drip from the hands, by striking the ankle, and by the song of 
a bird. The trick of cutting or digging meat out of the host's body is 
practically unknowii on the North Pacific coast. The host's trick 
of killing his children, who revive, which forms part of the Bungling 
Host tale in Washington and on the Plateaus, is well kno\vli on the 
North Pacific coast. However, it does not occur as part of this 
story. It is entirely confined to stories of visits to the comitries of 
supeniatvu-al beings. 

Similar observations may be made in regard to the prolific Test 
theme. The dangerous entrance to the house of the supernatural 
beings is represented among the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian by 
the closing cave or by the closing horizon ; among the tribes between 
Millbank Sound and the Gulf of Georgia, by the snapping door; in 
the interior of the country, by animals that watch the door (pp. 797, 
798). In the northern type of heat test the youth is baked in an 
oven or boiled in a kettle; in the southern area he is sent into an 
overheated sweat-lodge or placed near a large fire. More important 
differences may be observed in the general setting of the Test tales, 
wliich in the northern part of the country are tests of the son-in-law; 
in the southern area, matches between the inhabitants of a village 
and their visitors (see also p. 816). 

Other examples of the local development of the plot by the introduc- 
tion of specific incidents are contained in our series; as m the story 
of Raven killmg the Deer (p. 703), whom in the north he strikes with 
a hammer, while in the south he pushes him over a precipice ; and in 
the story of the rejected lover (p. 767), in which in the northern 
versions the youth is made ])eautiful by bemg bathed in the bathtub 
of a supernatural being, while in the south he is given a new head. 



874 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. jnn. 31 

In other cases the geographical differentiation is not quite so evi- 
dent, because different types of stories overlap. This is the case in 
the story of the deserted prince (p. 783). On the whole, the tales 
in which the youth gives offense by being lazy or by wasting food 
belong to the north. The other type, in which a girl is deserted 
because she has married a dog, belongs to the south; but the two 
types overlap in distribution. This particular theme occurs in a 
much wider area on the American Continent, and other tj^es may 
easily be recognized in the stories of the Plains Indians. 

In the tales of marriages with supernatural beings or animals, the 
theme of the offended animal seems to belong primarily to the 
Tlingit, while the theme of the helpful animals is much more frequent 
among the Tsimshian. 

AU these examples illustrate that there are a number of very simple 
plots, which have a wide distribution, and which are elaborated by a 
number of incidents that are literary devices peculiar to each area. 
In all these cases the incidents obtain their peculiar significance by 
being worked mto different plots. 

On the other hand, we find also certain incidents that have a very 
wide cUstribution and occur in a variety of plots. Many examples of 
these are given in the comparative notes accompanying our stories 
and in the annotations to all the more important recent collections 
of folk-tales. The local character of folk-tales is largely determined 
by typical associations between incidents and defmite plots. 

In most of the cases here discussed the plot has a general human 
character, so that the processes of invention and diffusion of plots 
must be looked at from a point of view entirely different from that 
to be applied in the study of invention and diffusion of incidents. 
The latter are, on the whole, fantastic modifications of every-day 
experiences, and not likely to develop independently with a fre- 
quency sufficient to explain their numerous occurrences over a large 
area. On the other hand, the stories of a deserted child, of contests 
between two villages, of a rejected lover, are so closely related to 
every-day experiences, and conform to them so strictly, that the con- 
ditions for the rise of such a framework of literary composition are 
readily given. Nevertheless the plots that are characteristic of 
various areas should be studied from the point of view of their literary 
characteristics and of the relation to the actual life of the people. 
A study of a lai'ger area than the one here attempted wiU be neces- 
sary for a fruitful investigation of this problem. 

Without such a comparison, it is not quite easy to give a satisfac- 
tory description of the characteristic traits of the formulas on which 
some of the longer Tsimshian stories are based. An attempt of this 
kind has been made by Swanton,' who enumerates a number of for- 

1 John R. Swanton, Typos ot Haida and Tlingit Myths (American Anthropologist, N. s., vol. vn, 1905, 
p. 94). 



BOAS] CONCLUSION 875 

mulas, without distinguishing, however, between single stories and 
recurring plots. For the purpose of a more general characterization, 
the latter are undoubtedly more important. In our series the fol- 
lowing plots occur a number of times: 

1. A woman marries an animal, is maltreated by it, and escapes. 

2. A woman marries an animal, who pities and helps her; she 
returns with gifts. 

3. Men or women marry animals and receive gifts; crest stories. 

4. Men obtain crests through adventures in hunting or traveling. 

5. Parents lose their children; a new cliild is born owing to the 
help of some supernatural being; adventures of this child. 

6. A man maltreats liis wife, who receives help from supernatural 
beings. 

7. The adventures of hunters: they meet dangers, which the 
youngest or eldest one overcomes. 

8. War between two tribes, due to the seduction of a woman and 
the murder of her lover. 

All these stories show a unity of the underlying idea. They are 
built up on some simple event that is characteristic of the social life 
of the people and that stirs the emotion of the hearers. .Some tales 
of this type are elaborated in great detail, and therefore conform to 
our own literary standards. To this class belong, for instance, the 
tale of a deserted prince (p. 225 ; notes, p. 783) , " Growing Up Like One 
Who Has A Grandmother" (N, p. 137; notes, p. 869), and "Prmce 
Snail" (p. 161; notes, p. 747). 

Besides these, there are a large number of complex tales of fixed 
form, which are put together very loosely. There is no unity of plot, 
but the story consists of the adventures of a single person. I do not 
refer here to the disconnected anecdotes that are told of some favorite 
hero, such as we find in the Raven legend or in the Transformer tales, 
but of adventures that form a fixed sequence and are always tokl as 
one story. Examples of this kind are the story of Nalq (p. 125; 
notes, p.734), Asdi-waT (Ts 1. 71 ; notes, p. 792), andGunaxnesEmg'a'd 
(p. 285; notes, p. 835), "The Hunters" (p. 145; notes, p. 741), "The 
Prince who Was Taken Away by the Spring Salmon" (p. 192: notes, 
p. 770), "The Blind G-it-q!a'°da" (p. 246; notes, p. 825), "The Local 
Winter in G-it-q!a'°da" (p. 250; notes, p. 829). 

It is noticeable that only a few of the complex tales of this type are 
known to several tribes. Although enough versions have been 
recorded to show that in each area the connection between the com- 
ponent parts of the story is firm, the whole complex does not migrate 
over any considerable distance. On the contrary, the parts of the 
tale have the tendency to appear in different connections. Tliis 
point is illustrated, for instance, by the story of the sea-lion rock, 
which among the Tsimshian forms part of the Asdi-wa'l story; 



876 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth, ann. 31 

appears, however, in quite difiPerent connections in other regions (see 
p. 818). The same is true of the story of the Killer Whale who car- 
ries away the woman, which among the Tsimshian belongs to the 
GimaxnesEmg'a'd tale, but appears among neighboring tribes in this 
connection, by itself, or in other connections. Other examples of 
similar kind are quite numerous. 

Tlie literary device that holds together each one of these tales con- 
sists in the use of the interest in the hero that has been created by the 
introductory story, and that makes the audience desirous of knowing 
about the hero's fm'ther deeds and adventm'es. The gi'eater the 
personal interest in the hero, the more marked is the desire to attach 
to his name some of tlie favorite exploits that form the subject of 
folk-tales. I presume this is the reason why in so many cases the 
introductory tales differ enormously, while the adventmes and 
exploits themselves show a much greater degree of imiformity. I 
have tried to elucidate this point somewhat fuUy in connection with 
the Transformer and Raven tales (pp. 567 etseq.). When a large 
number of the same exploits is thus ascribed to the heroes of different 
tribes, it seems to happen easily that the heroes are identified. There- 
fore I imagine that the steps in the development of a culture-hero 
myth may have been in many cases the following : An interesting story 
told of some personage; striking and important exploits ascribed to 
him ; similar tales of these personages occurring among various tribes ; 
identification of the heroes of different tribes. While I do not assume 
that this Hne of development has occurred every single time, — and it 
seems to me rather plausible that in other cases the introductory 
story and the adventures may have come to be associated in other 
ways, — it may be considered as proved that introduction and adven- 
tures do not belong together by oiigin, but are results of later asso- 
ciation. The great diversity of associations of this type compels us 
to take this point of view. 

On the whole, in the pecuhar development of Northwest-coast 
Uterature, the interest in the personality of the hero is a sufiicient 
means of establishing and maintaining these connections. Never- 
theless there are a few cases at least in which the adventures conform 
to a certain definite character of the hero. I have pointed out that 
this is the case in the Raven, Mink, and Coyote tales, in wliicli greed, 
amorous propensities, and vaingloriousness are the chief character- 
istics of the three heroes (see p. 618). In tales that have a more 
human background these tendencies are hardly ever developed. 

The large number of Raven incidents that have been recorded and 
discussed in the present investigation show also that the imagination 
of the Indians revels in the development of certain definite themes, 
that are determined by the character of the hero, or that lend them- 
selves in other ways to variation. Thus Raven's voraciousness, that 



BOAS] CONCLUSION 877 

induces him to cheat people and to steal their provisions, is an ever- 
recin-ring theme, the point of which is regularly the attempt to induce 
the people to rim away and leave their property. Mink's amorous- 
ness has led to the development of a long series of tales referring to 
his marriages, all of which are of the same t^-pe. The strong influence 
of a pattern of thought on the imagination of the people is also illus- 
trated hy tales of marriages hetween animals and men or women and 
a few other tvpes to which I referred hefore (p. 875). 

The artistic impulses of a people are not always satisfied with the 
loose connection of stories, brought about by the individuality of 
the hero, or strengthened by the selection of certain traits of his 
character illustrated by the component anecdotes. We find a num- 
ber of cases in wliich a psychological connection of the elements of 
the complex story is sought. An example of tliis kind is found in 
the Raven legend, in wliich a number of luirelated incidents are 
welded into the form of an articulate whole. Tlie adventures of the 
Steelhead Salmon, the Grizzly Bear, and Cormorant, are thus worked 
into a connected series. Raven kiUs Steelhead Salmon because he 
wants to use it to deceive Grizzly Bear. He holds part of the salmon 
in front of his body, so as to make the Bear beheve that he has cut 
himself. Thus he induces the Bear to imitate him and to kill him- 
self. Finally he tears out the tongue of Cormorant, who had witnessed 
the procedure, so that he may not tell. Another excellent case in 
point is the story of Raven's son and Thunderbird. He has seduced 
a girl, and their son is stolen b}' Thunderbird. In order to take 
revenge, he makes a whale of wood, then kills Pitch in order to calk 
the whale, and by its means ch'owns the Thunderbird. Among the 
southern tribes the same tale occui"s in another connection. The 
animals have a game, and Thunderbird wins. The defeated guests 
are invited, and the host's wife produces berries by her song. Tlicn 
the Thunderbird abducts her, and the revenge of the animals by 
means of the whale follows. In the northern gi-oup of tales the 
death of Pitch is brought in, which ordinarily occurs as an independ- 
ent story. 

In these cases we find the same incidents in various comiections, 
and this makes it clear that it would be quite arbitrary to assmne 
that the incident developed as part of one story and was transferred 
to another one. We must infer that the elements were independent 
and have been combined in various ways. There certainly is nothing 
to prove that the connection in which an incident occurs in one story 
is older and nearer the original than one in which it occurs in another 
story. 

The distribution of plots and mcidents of North American folk- 
lore presents a strong contrast when compared to that found in Eu- 
rope. European folk-tales, while differing in diction and local color- 



878 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

ing, exhibit remarkable uniformity of contents. Incidents, plots, 
and an'angement are very much alike over a wide teiTitory. The 
incidents of American lore are hardly less widely distributed; but the 
make-up of the stories exhibits much wider divergence, coiTespond- 
ing to the greater diversification of cultural tyjjes. It is evident 
that the integration of Em'opean cultiiral types has progressed much 
fm'ther dui'ing the last two or tliree thousand years than that of the 
American tyjies. Cidtural contrasts like those between the North- 
west coast and the Plateaus or between Alaska and northern British 
Columbia, on the one hand, and Vancouver Island, on the other, are 
not easily found in Europe. Excepting a few of the most outlying 
regions, there is a groat miderlying uniformity in material culture, 
social organization, and hehefs, that permeates the whole Em'opean 
Continent, and that is strongly expressed in the comparative uni- 
formity of folk-tales. 

For this reason European folk-lore creates the impression that the 
whole stories are imits and that their cohesion is strong, the whole 
complex very old. The analysis of ^Vmerican material, on the other 
hand, demonstrates that complex stories are new, that there is little 
cohesion between the component elements, and that the really old 
parts of tales are the incidents and a few simple plots. 

Only a few stories form an exception to this rule, — such as the 
Magic Fliglit or Obstacle myth, — which are in themselves complex, 
the parts having no inner connection, and which have nevertheless 
a very wide distribution. 

From a study of the distribution and composition of tales we must 
then infer that the imagination of the natives has played with a few 
plots, which were expanded by means of a nmnber of motives that 
have a very wide distribution, and that there is comparatively httle 
material that seems to belong to any one region exclusively, so that 
it might be considered as of autochthonous origin. The character 
of the folk-tales of each region hcs rather in the selection of prepon- 
derant themes, in the style of plots, and in theii' literary develop- 
ment. I hope to treat this subject more fully at a later time. 

The supernatural clement in tales shows a peculiar degree of 
variability. In a study of the varying details it appears a number 
of times that stories which in one case contain fantastic elements are 
given a much more matter-of-fact setting than others. In the tale 
of Raven's battle with South Wind we find in most cases an incident 
of an animal flying into the enemy's stomach, starting a fire, and 
thus compelhng him to cough. In the Tsimshian version he simply 
stai'ts a smudge in liis house (p. 658). In most talcs of the Ubera- 
tion of the Sun the magical birth of Raven play an important part 
(p. 646) ; but among the Eskimo he invades the house by force or by 
ordinary fraud. In the Tsimsliian tale of the origin of Raven a dead 



BOAS] CONCLUSION 879 

woman's child flies up to the sky, wliile the Thngit tell the same tale 
without any supcrnatm-al element attached to it cp. 781). . iVn other 
case of this kind is presented by the wedge test as recorded among 
the Lower Thompson Indians. The boy does not escape miraculously 
when the tree closes, but finds a hollow which he keeps open by 
means of supports (U 209) . Here may also be mentioned the artificial 
arumals that th-ag himters out to sea (p. 822), as compared to the 
corresponding incidents farther to the south, in which an animal is 
harpooned and swims away, dragging the himting-canoe along. I 
am imder the impression, so fai" as the present material shows, that 
the loss of supernatm'al elements occiu-s, on the whole, near the bor- 
der of the area in winch tlie titles are known, so that it might be a 
concomitant of the fragmentary chai'acter of the tales. That loss of 
supernatm'al elements occm's under these conditions, appears clearly 
from the character of the Masset and Tlingit tales recorded by 
Swanton. In some of the Thngit tales — for instance, in those cor- 
responding to the Asdi-wa'l story (p. 792) — the supernatm'al ele- 
ments ai'e omitted, or weakened by saying that the person who had 
an increcUble experience was out of liis head. In the Masset series 
there ai'e many cases in winch the supernatural element is simply 
omitted. I am not prepared to say in how far this tendency may 
be due to confhcts between the tales and Christian teachuig or in 
how fai it may be due simply to the break with the past. The fact 
remains that the stories lost part of then" supernatural chai'acter 
when they were told in a new environment. 

I think it would be wrong to generahze and to assume that such 
loss of supernatural elements is throughout the fate of tales, for the 
distribution of explanatory tales shows very clearly that it is counter- 
balanced by another tendency of tales to take on new supernatm'al 
significance. 

An additional word on the general theory of mythology. I pre- 
sume I shall be accused of an entire lack of imagination and of 
failm'e to realize the poetic power of the primitive nund if I insist 
that the attempt to mterpret mythology as a direct reflex of the 
contemplation of natm'e is not sustained by the facts. 

Students of mythology have been accustomed to inquire into 
the origin of myths without much regard to the modern history of 
myths. Still we have no reason to believe that the myth-forming 
processes of the last ten thousand years have differed materially 
from modern myth-making processes. The artifacts of man that 
date back to the end of the glacial period are so entnely of the same 
character as those left by the modern races, that I do not see any 
reason why we should suppose any change of mentality dm-ing this 
period. Neither is there any reason that woidd countenance the 
belief that during any part of this jjeriod intertribal contact has 



880 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

been materially different from what it is now. It seems reasonable 
to mv mind, therefore, to base our opinions on the origin of myth- 
ology on a study of the growth of mythology as it occm^ under our 
own eyes. 

The facts that are brought out most clearly from a careful analysis 
of myths and folk-tales of an area like the Northwest coast of America 
are that the contents of folk-tales and myths are largely the same, 
that the data show a continual flow of material from mythology to 
folk-tale and lice versa, and that neither group can claim priority. 
We furthermore observe that contents and form of mythology and 
folk-tales are determined by the same conditions that determined 
early art. 

The formiilas of myths and folk-tales, if we disregard the par- 
ticular incidents that form the substance with which the framework 
is fiUed in, are almost exclusively events that reflect the occurrences 
of human life, particularly those that stir the emotions of the people. 
If we once recognize that mythology has no claim to priority over 
novelistic folk-lore, then there is no reason why we should not be 
satisfied to explain the origin of these tales as due to the play of 
imagination with the events of human life. 

It is somewhat different with the incidents of tales and myths, 
with the substance that gives to the tales and mytlis their highly 
imaginative character. It is true enough that these are not directly 
taken from every-day experience; that they are rather contradictory 
to it. Revival of the dead, disappearance of wounds, magical treas- 
ures, and plentiful food obtained without labor, are not every-day 
occurrences, but they are every-day wishes; and is it not one of 
the mam characteristics of the imagination that it gives reahty to 
wishes? Others are exaggerations of our experiences; as the power 
of speech given to animals, the enormous size of giants, or the diminu- 
tive stature of dwarfs. Or they are the materialization of the objects 
of fear; as the imaginative difficulties and dangers of war and the hunt, 
or the monsters besetting the steps of the xmwary traveler. Still 
other elements of folk-lore represent ideas contrary to dady experi- 
ences; such as the numerous stories that deal with the absence of 
certain features of daily life, as fire, water, etc.. or those in which 
birth or death are brought about by unusual means. Practically 
all the supernatural occurrences of mythology may be interpreted by 
these exaggerations of imagination. 

So far as our knowledge of mythology and folk-lore of modern 
people goes, we are justified in the opinion that the power of imagina- 
tion of man is rather limited, that people much rather operate with 
the old stock of imaginative happenings than invent new ones. 

There is only one point, and a fundamental one, that is not fully 
covered by the characteristic activity of imagination. It is the fact 



BOAS) CONCLUSION 881 

that everywhere tales attach themselves to phenomena of nature; 
that they become sometimes animal tales, sometimes tiiles dealing 
with the heavenly bodies. The distribution of these tales demon- 
strates clearly that the more thought is bestowed upon them by 
individuals deeply interested in these matters — by chiefs, priests, or 
poets — the more complex do they become, and the more definite 
are the local characteristics that they develop. The facts, however, 
do not show that the elements of which these tales are composed 
have any immediate connection with the phenomena of nature, for 
most of them, retain the imaginative character just described. 

The problem of mythology must therefore rather lie looked for in 
the tendency of the mind to associate single tales with phenomena 
of nature and to give them an interpretative meaning. I do not doubt 
that when the anthropomorphization of sun and moon, of mountahis 
and animals, had attracted stories of various kinds to them, then 
the moment set in when the observation of these bodies and of the 
animals stUl fm'ther stimulated the imagination and led to new forms 
of tales, that are the expressions of the contemplation of natm'e. I 
am, however, not prepared to admit that the present condition of 
myths indicates that these form any important part of mythology. 

That Em'opean mytlis happen to have developed in this direc- 
tion — presumably by long-continued re-interpretation and systema- 
tization at the hands of poets and priests — does not prove that we 
must look for a poetic interpretation of natm-e as the primary back- 
ground of aU mythologies. 

The material presented in the present work, if examined in its 
relation to the folk-tales of neighboring tribes and in its probable 
historical development, shows notliing that woiild necessitate the 
assumption that it originated from the contemplation of natural 
phenomena. It rather emphasizes the fact that its origin must be 
looked for in the imaginative tales dealing with the social Ufe of the 
people. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 56 



APPENDIX I— BELLABELLA AND NOOTKA TALES 

MYTHS OF THE BELLABELLA 

Collected by Livingston Fabrand 

1. QIa'neke'lak" 

111 the beginning there was nothing but water and ice and a 
narrow strip of shore-line. In those days the killer whale, in the 
upper part of his bod\', was man; in the lower part of his body, 
hke a whale. Q lii'neke'lak" passed his hands over his body, and 
he became a man and the ancestor of the Killer-Whale Clan of 
the Nolawitx. 

[Then follows the tale of the origin of the deer (see no. 16, p. 599) 
and the otter (see No. 17, p. 600.)] 

Next Q!a'neke^lak" created the dog and gave Mm to the people. 
He went on and gave names to all the people and all the animals. 

He came to a place where Geese were cooking food. They were 
blind women; and one of them sniffed the air and said, "I smell 
Q lii'neke-lak" ! " He spit in their eyes and gave them the power to 
see. Then he transformed them into geese (hanaFa'x), 

2. The Sawbill-Duck Woman 

In Nolo there were seven houses. In one of them Uved a chief's 
daughter whose name was Aa'x'taqs, whom Raven wanted to 
marry. Eaven always tried to help her in her work, but she would 
not let him touch her. One day he sees that there is no fire in 
the house, and he offers to go after wood. (Here foUows the storv 
p. 707.) He tells her to call Dixlais. He finds small black scales, 
which he puts into a clamshell, and from which originates a child. 
The child is called Xiu'lx. • 

^Masmasala'nix was alwa^'s building large canoes, and he wished 
Xiu'lx to help him launch the canoe. His friend Kane'silsuq used 
to take people up to heaven: therefore Xiu'lx was warned to look 
out for the Eagle. When they ' launched the canoe, the Thunder- 
bird took the boy by the hair, although he tried to hold on to the 
canoe. 

■ It is not clear whether Masmasala'nix and Xiu'lx, or Raven and Xiu'lx, are meant. 

883 



884 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. axn. 31 

The boy sees the Raven mourning for him, and after three days 
he comes down to visit lus father, who, however, does not recognize 
him. At the same time Xiu'lx tells him that if he should staj- 
away for four days, many people would die. 

Then he asks Masmasala'nix to help hirn, and they build a whale. 
(Then follows the story of the war between the animals and the 
Thunderbird.) He lets the people put stones into the whale. He 
gets pitch and alder wood. Among the animals is also the blouse. 
The Thunderbirds stick to the whale, and the Mouse gnaws through 
their wings. 

3. TsIemkalaqs 

A woman named TslEmkalaqs had four children by a Wolf. 
(Then follows the story of the Dog children.) The eldest one is a 
canoe-builder named Taxis. He travels about and paints stones. He 
hears of a sea monster, and goes to see what it is. Finally he dies 
at a place near BeUabella, Tqainox. He becomes the devilfish. 

4. Raven Obtains the Sun 

A chief kept the sun in a box. Raven thought that if he could 
become the child of the chief's wife, he might be able to get possession 
of the box. He turns himself into a very small fish and is taken up 
in the water and carried to the chief's wife. The woman, however, 
always looks at the water first; therefore, when she finds the fish, 
she throws it out. Then he turns into a needle of a conifer, but slie 
blows it away before she drinks. When the berry season comes, 
he transforms himself into a berry. The woman smells of it, however, 
tliinks that it is bad, and throws it away. Then he hides in a clam, 
but the woman will not eat the clam. Finally he lets himself drop 
into a box of mountain-goat tallow, and the woman swallows him 
with the tallow. 

After seven months a child is born, which grows up rapidly. The 
chief always watches the box, which hangs from a rafter. Raven 
begins to cry because he wants to play with it. He nearly dies 
from crying. He begins to creep about in the house, and continually 
points at the box. Whenever any one carries him out of the house, 
he cries to get back. The friends of his grandfather make all kinds 
of toys for hun, but nothing satisfies him. 

Finally the grandfather thinks that he wants to play with the 
sun box. First he gives him the box containing the sun's rays, 
which quiets him somewhat. Tlien he gives him the box containing 
the rainbow. He opens it, and becomes more quiet. Next the grand- 
father gives him the box containing the fog, but this does not satisfy 
liim. He continually points at the sun box; and finally the grand- 



BOAS] APPENDIX I BELLABELLA TALES 885 

father takes it down and gives it to him. The boy takes it in his 
anns, plays with it, and rolls it about. 

One day lie begins to cry again. He wants to go out of the house. 
When they open the door, he takes the box out and rolls it about on 
the street; suddenly, assuming the form of the Raven, he carries it 
away. He flies to Dza'wade, where the people are catching olachen. 
He asks to be given some, but the people refuse it. He promises 
them to open the box if they will give him some olachen, but they 
dechne. Then he flies to Rivers Inlet and to Skeena River, but 
nobody wUl give him anytliing to eat. Finally lie comes to Nass 
River, where many people are fishing. He sits dowm on a stone and 
takes good care of his box. Finally he opens it, and it is broad 
dayhght. Then the fishermen become frogs and water-birds. 

Xow the people had dayliglit. At night a blanket was drawn over 
the sky in order to make it dark. 

5. The Boy who Fed the Eagle 

A chief's son, laxdze, used to go out with the other boys to fish. 
They make a dam and catch salmon. Then they string the fish 
on a rope, but they do not tie a knot at the end; tlierefore, when they 
drag the rope along, a salmon drops off. This annoys the chief. 

The Eagle picks up the salmon, and also takes those that he leaves 
in the river. The boy is as a brother to the Eagles, and gives tliem 
much food. Finally the father becomes so annoyed that lie decides 
to desert him, and he leaves with all the people of the village. Only 
the grandmother of the boy remains; she hides a little fire for him 
in a clamshell. Then they build a fire of leaves. The Eagles watch 
them. In the morning the old woman nudges the boy and asks 
him to get up. Then he finds food on the beach, which is given to 
him by the Eagles. First he finds a hahbut, which they roast over 
the fire. 

The father sees the smoke from a distance, and wonders where it 
comes from. Tlie Eagles give them larger and larger food, seals 
and sea hons. 

After some time the father sends a canoe with two men to look 
after his son. They discover the food, and on returning tell the 
father that his son is wealthy. The father returns with his people; 
but when they arrive, the boy upsets their canoes. (After this 
follows the story how the father offered various girls to the young 
man, who finally accepted one whom he hked.) 

6. Mink 

(A boy named Hanaxla'xtua makes a chain of arrows, and climbs up 
to the sky, where the wife of the Sun sees him coming. The Sun asks 
him to stay ^vith him and to be his son. One day he cries until he 



886 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

is allowed to play with the Sun. The Sun tells him not to jilay 
too far from the house and not to walk too fast when wearing the 
sun mask. Soon he forgets, and the world is burned. When he 
looks down, the Sun is very hot. Then the Sun strikes him, trans- 
forming him into a mink, to whicli he gives a bad smell.) 

7. The Salmon Boy 

• 

A chief has tliree children, who want to get married. One day 
the chief and his sons are invited to a feast. The boys, however, 
refuse to go. After the feast the father takes home some of the food ; 
and liis eldest son, who has been Ijnng abed, jumps up and eats it. 
Then his father scolds him, saying, "Wliat are you doing with my 
food ? If you are a good boy, you may marry the daughter of Maesila, 
the Sahnon chief." 

Then the boy is sad. He does not sleep, but stays in bed for three 
days. 

Then he arises, takes his bow, and goes out to kill birds. His 
younger brother follows him. The elder one shoots a bird and gives 
it to his brother. He repeats this three times. Tlien he tells his 
younger brother to take the birds home. 

After this the boy shoots tlu-ee times more, and each time his arrow 
strikes a salmon-bone on the beacli. Wlien he goes to get his arrow, 
and sees the bone, he says, "Alas! if you were only a fresh salmon, 
you might take me to the Salmon chief's country." The Salmon- 
Bone replies, "Take up all my bones and tlirow them into the 
sea!" Then the bones become a salmon. The boy, however, has left 
the neck-bone of the salmon (trnwa), and for this reason the sahnon 
can not jump. At the request of the Salmon, the boy searches for 
it, and eventually fhids it. He throws it into the water, and then the 
sahiTon are able to jump. The fish tells the boy to get on his back, 
but not to touch the dorsal fin or liis tail. The boy obeys, and holds 
on to the salmon. 

After travehng a long time, they come to the Salmon country. On 
the way to this country there is a hole, through which the salmon 
have to pass, and an Eagle is seated by the hole, watching for the fish. 
The Salmon tells the boy to look out for the Eagle as they are passing 
through. Several times the Salmon tries to pass through, but the 
Eagle is watching all the time. Finally the Eagle looks away for a 
moment, and the Salmon darts through with the boy on his back. 

As soon as they have passed through the hole, the boy sees that 
the Salmon are hke people. There are many villages, and many 
people, about there. They travel on in their canoe. First they 
come to the village of the Steelliead Salmon. All the men are tall 
and strong. Then they come to the village of the Humpback Salmon, 



BOAS] APPENDIX I BELLABELLA TALES 887 

where all the people are poor and weak. They pass the village of the 
Dog Salmon, where all the people have big teeth. 

They go on; and the Salmon tells the boy that soon they will roach 
the town of the Salmon chief. He instructs him to look for the chief's 
daughter, who is bathing in a lake near by. After a while they 
approach a large village. They see many children placing. Many 
bu-ds are round the village, and flowers are blooming. 

The boy follows the instructions of the Salmon, and hides near a 
lake. In the morning two pretty girls come along, in order to bathe 
in the lake. As soon as they have gone into the water, the boy 
jumps out of his hiding-place and carries away one of them. She 
smells very sweet. The boy tells her that he wishes to marry her. 
After some time the young woman is with child. Her father is very 
much annoyed, and calls aU the people together to find out who the 
child's father is. The young woman is sitting on one side of the 
house. First the Wren (Tsiskin) comes in and teUs the father that he 
is the father of the child, but she denies it. Next the Tso'palu claims 
to be the child's father, but the girl denies it. Tlien the young man 
comes in unseen. He has anointed himself \\'ith medicme, and the 
people smeU him when he arrives. On being asked, he says that he 
is the child's father, and the girl admits the truth of his statement. 
Then there is great confusion in the house. The father lets the young 
man sit down with his daughter on the mat. 

After some time the girl gives birth to twins. Soon the. children 
are growing up. The young husband is very hungry, and wants to 
eat salmon. One day the chief asks his daughter what ails her 
husband. She repUes that he wants salmon. Then the chief teUs 
him to go out to the playground of the children by the river, to take 
one of them, and to throw him into the river. The young man does 
so, and throws a boy into the river, who is at once turned into a 
salmon, which he takes home. He cooks him over the fu-e; and the 
young woman spreads a mat carefully, and teUs him not to lose a 
single bone. They put the bones and the eyes on a mat, and then the 
young woman tells her husband to throw the bones into the river. 
At once they turn into the boy whom he had tlii-own into the water 
before; but the boy cries, for he has only one eye. Tlie young man 
finds it on the floor of the house, picks it up, throws it into the water, 
and the boy is well again. 

For some time the young man does not rise at breakfast-time. He 
is homesick. The chief asks his daughter what ails him, and he tells 
her then that he is longing for his parents. The chief promises to 
send him back on the fourth day. Tliey prepare four boxes filled 
with food, and they start, five in their canoe — the j^oung man, his 
wife, and their three children. On their return journey they do not 
see the hole through which they passed. 



888 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

He believes that he has been away fi)r four days, but in reality he 
has been absent for four years. When he comes near his father's 
house, he meets his younger brother, and sends him to tell his father 
that he has married and has come home again. When the boy goes 
in with the message, his father strikes him, and bids him not to men- 
tion the brother's name. The boy, however, insists, and finally the 
father believes, and the young man ■nath his wife and children enter 
the house. The people dance in his honor, and he sends them to, 
bring in the load from his canoe. The people, however, can not lift 
the boxes, because they are too heavy. Then the shaman wife goes 
out and carries in the boxes. She tells her father-in-law to build a 
large house and to call all the people together. They will not believe 
that the boxes contain enough material for a great potlatch ; but when 
they are opened, the boxes prove to be inexhaustible. One contains 
salmon; another one, berries; another one, meat and tallow. 

Notes 

8. Tlie bird Tsiskin quarrels with the Black Bear. The Bear snuffs 
him in, and the bird makes a fire in his stomach with his fire-drill 
and kills the Bear. 

9. A chief catches a sea otter, and lets his daughter wash it. 
Then a I^jller Whale takes her and carries her away. 

10. A woman named Ilabds is picking berries. She has the same 
name as a whale who came and carried her away in his canoe. Two 
girls who accompanied her return home and tell what has happened. 
Then the people prepare many poles and put poison on them, and 
then call the monster Hanaxatse. It opens its mouth. They 
throw the poles m. After a short tinie they become rotten and kill 
the fish, which drifts ashore. 

11. The Raven sees Sea Gull getting herrings. Then he tells the 
Beaver that the Sea Gull is slandering him, and suggests to him to 
hit Gull's belly. WTien Beaver does so, the herrings come out, and 
Raven eats them. 

MYTHS OF THE NOOTKA' 

Collected by George Hxjnt 

1. The Liberation of the Sun 

Once upon a time there lived at Heltsaes a chief, one of the 
Yalo^asaqin^ath* sept of the Mowa'tc lath'', whose name was Gwawcte, 
or the Chief of the Moon, who owned the sun, which he kept in a box. 
He would open only one corner of the box, so as to have daylight in 
his own village; but the light did not reach to the other viUages. 

' The spelling of Nootka words has been revised according to information kindly furnished by 
Dr. Edward Sapir. 



BOis] APPENDIX I — NOOTKA TALES 889 

The chief of the Ts la^wtn'^ath" sept was Raven (Qo'^cin'^mit), 
who hved at Yogwat; and he was sad because there was light in 
Heltsaes and there was none in his village. Then he thought he 
would call aU his people into his house to see what they would say 
about it. He sent out his speakers to call all the people. It did not 
take a long time to do that, for they wanted to find out what their 
chief wished. 

After they had all come into his house, Raven spoke, asking the 
wise men what they thought of the darkness of his village, .while 
there was hght in the other village close to his; and he said that it 
seemed bad to him. Then aU the people answered him, saying, 
"Who is wiser than you, great chief? You are the only one who 
can get it." He rephed, "I wiU try to get it; and if I do not get it, 
then one of you, my wise men, must try." 

After he had finished talking, all the peojale went out of his house, 
and Raven prepared for the trip,; and when every thmg was ready, 
he started. 

He went to the village; and when he came to one end of it, he found 
a sprmg where the people went to draw their drinking-water, for the 
ground was covered with tracks. Close to the spring stood a hemlock 
tree, which had a branch full of leaves. He said, "I will chmb this 
tree, and stay there until the prmcess of the chief comes to draw 
water;" for he loiew that the chief had a daughter. He saitl that 
he was gomg to wait for her to come and draw some water. 

He took his seat among the branches, and there he sat until it was 
getting toward evening. Then he saw Gwawete's daughter coming. 
She carried a small bucket in her hand; and she came and sat down 
by the well. She washed out her bucket, and meanwhile Raven 
transformed himself into the leaf of a hemlock tree. After she had 
washed her bucket, she dipped it into the water and filled it; and 
while she was doing so, Raven, in the form of a hemlock leaf, dropped 
into the bucket. 

After filhng her bucket \\dth water, she remained sitting there quite 
a while, as though she were thinking about something; and just 
before she arose she took up her little bucket and took a drink. The 
httle hemlock leaf went down with the water she was drinking. 
Then she arose and went home, carrying her bucket of water. 

In the night she felt something moving inside of her, like a small 
snake, and she screamed and cried for pain. All her father's people 
came into the house to see what ailed her. Soon they discovered 
that she was pregnant, and they talked about it, for she had never 
yet gone with any man. 

On the second day she was quite stout, and on the third day it 
looked as if she were about to give birth to her cliild, for the hemlock 
leaf had become a baby; and on the fourth day the young woman 
gave birth to a boy. 



890 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The chief looked at the child, aud said, "I know who that baby is. 
It is Raven. Look at his great nose, his black feet, and his long 
black claws! I don't tliink he came to us for nothing; he is going to 
cause us trouble. I think it will be best to kill him." His daughter, 
the baby's mother, however, said, "If you kill my child, I will kill 
myself also; if you want to kill liim, better kill me first." 

The child was growing fast, and on the fourth day he could sit 
up without any one looking after him; and in another four days he 
could walk about. Then he began to cry, for he wanted to go down 
to the beach to plaj^ in a canoe; and his mother had to take him down. 

Then he went into the canoe, and he cried more for the chief's 
great paddle. The name of this great paddle was ^oxwa'p'^ts 
^no'p!lti-'mlt' ("little paddle one-time-son"). One stroke with it 
woidd send a canoe as far as the eye coxdd see. The chief forbade 
his daughter to give it to the boy; but she thought he might cry 
himself to death, and said, "If iny child cries himself to death, I 
will kill myself; then you may take that paddle and put it in my 
place, for it seems to me that you love your paddle more than 
me." Then the chief let him have the paddle. 

When he had been given the paddle, he cried still more, and asked 
for the box which contained the sun. Then the chief said, "No, I 
will not let him have that box, for I think he is Raven." She repUed, 
"If my child cries himself to death, you will lose me also." And 
wliile she was thus speaking to her father, Raven, the little boy, cried 
so hard that his breath nearly stopped; and of course the cMef became 
frightened lest the child should cry himself to death; and he said to 
himself, "If that child dies, I shall lose my daughter also; so I will 
let him have the sun box." He took the box and gave it to his 
daughter; for he would not give it to the child himself, because he 
hated him so. 

The yomig woman took the box to the child, who was in the canoe 
all this time. When the boy took the box into the canoe, his mother 
took hold of the anchor-lme of the canoe; and as soon as he saw her 
take hold of the line, he cried agam for her to let go; but for a long 
time she held it, imtil he began to cry so much that he nearly choked. 
Then his mother became frightened, and let the anchor-line go. 

As soon as she had done so, the boy pushed the canoe out mto deep 
water. Then he grew to his right size, and the people saw that he 
was Raven; and they pushed their canoes mto the water to capture 
him. Raven, however, took the great paddle ^no'pIitFmlt' ^oxwa'p' 
and paddled one stroke with it, and the canoe went away as far as 
the eye could see ; and when the people of Gwawete saw him \ise the 
great paddle, they gave up the pursuit. 

When Raven came near his village, he said to himself, "I will 
lift the cover on one side a little, so as to bring a little light, and 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 891 

let the people know that I have the sun box." When he arrived 
near the village, he lifted the box-cover a little, and there was light 
all over the world. 

Thus the people in his village came to know that Raven had 
obtamed the sun box; and all the people said, "Now our chief. Raven, 
has the sun box, and we will thank our great chief for bringing light 
into the world." But Raven shut the sun box up again, and the 
world was dark once more. 

He thought, "I wiU not go to my village. I wiU go to another 
place near by. The people shall pay me to bring light into the world." 

Then all the people of the Ts la^wln'^ath" were called into the house, 
and all the wise men also. Xow, Wren (Asboyak") was the wisest of 
all. He always gave good advice. After all the people had gone 
into the house, they asked Wren how to get the smi box from 
Chief Raven. It was a long while before Wren, the small man, 
answered; for he was lying down on his back, his head covered with 
his blanket. He was pondering what answer to give. 

After he had been hing a long while m that way, he sat up, and 
said, "Listen to my plan! Get ten large canoes, fill them with 
food and blankets, and take them to where our chief, Raven, is 
livmg. Give them to him in payment for his trouble!" 

The people said that they were ready to do this, and every one 
went out of the house and got somethuig to put aboard the ten large 
canoes, ujitil they were filled up. Then, when they were aU full, 
they took them to the place where Raven was living; and when they 
came to the beach of his little house, they sent four of his speakers 
to tell him that the}' had brought ten large canoes to pay him for 
his trouble. 

Wlien they had finished speaking, they waited for an answer; 
but he would not speak a word to them; he only went out of his little 
house, carrying the little sun box in his arms, and walked into the 
woods behind his house. Then the speakers told their friends about 
it, and they went home again. 

After they had reached their home, they had another meeting. 
When Wren came in, he saw Elk (L!5'nlm'=rmt) sitting on one side 
of the house, and said to him, "Here, you big man, can you tell 
us how we can get the sun from Raven ? for you are such a large 
man, you ought to tell us some way to get the sun box." But the 
great man Elk became angry, and said to Wren, "Wliy, you little 
man, how impudent you are to speak to me in this way! Don't 
you know that if I were to put my thumb on you, I should kill 
you?" And Wren retorted, "No, you can not kill me; but I know 
that I might kill you very easily." 

Then the great man became still more angry, and said, "Do try 
to kill me!" Tlien Wreia jumped into the great man's nose, and 



892 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

the Elk man began to sneeze. He took up a stick and poked it 
into his nose, for he thought he could kill the little man inside; 
but he made a mistake, for, as soon as he finished poking the stick 
up his nose, Wren jumped out, covered all over with the great man's 
mucus; and all the people laughed at the great man because he was 
overcome by so small a man as Wren. 

After this the great man said, '"I did not think 3'ou could over- 
come me." Then they were friends again, and they began to speak 
about the sun box. 

Now, Wren, the wise man, lay down on his back, as he always 
did when he was thinking, and covered his face with his blanket; 
and everybody was suggesting a different plan to get the sun box. 
After they had aU spoken. Wren uncovered his face and sat up, 
and said, "Friends, Usten to my plan! I think that if we promise 
our chief that whenever any of us catch fisli or clams, or game, we 
will give him one of each kind before we take ours out of the canoe 
(for we wall treat him like a chief) — I think he ought to be pleased 
with this, and I think tliat he will let us see tiie sun." 

The people agreed. They sent four speakers in a canoe to tell 
the chief what they had decided to do. He replied, "I will let the 
Sun go up to the sky now, and tell him to travel from one end of 
the world to the other. Then we shall have the day to go about in, 
and the night to sleep in. Now I will go home with you." 

Wlien they came to the beach of the village, he lifted the box- 
cover, and the Sun went up to the sky, where lie is now. The people 
were well pleased, for now they had daylight; and every man went 
out, some to get fish, some to get clams and other kinds of food; 
and as soon as they came home, they called Raven to pick out 
the best of each; and he would go down to the beach wherever there 
was a canoe with fish, and pick all the eyes out. He never took 
anything else. He took the siphons of the clams, and he took the 
eyes of the deer. His people were much pleased with him, for 
he did not take the body of anything. For this reason 'ravens, 
whenever they see any animal lying dead on the beach, pick out 
the eyes first. 

2. The Origin of Fresh Water 

Once upon a time there lived a woman at T!acl'^is whose name 
was Crow (K'!e'^lnlqas). She was the only one who possessed fresh 
water. If any one wanted to drink, he had to pay for it. Some of 
the chiefs of the Ma'tclath* used to give slaves to her for four drinks, 
and even their canoes for a few drinks. Therefore the chiefs com- 
plained against her, and many died with thirst. 

Then Raven thought, "I will call all the tribes into my house, and 
speak to them about tliis woman." He sent out some of his friends 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 893 

to call the people into bis house. Soon they all came. He asked 
them whether they would help him take the water from the Crow. 
He said, "It is hard to see everybody dying of tliirst. Even when 
she sees people dying, she will not try to save their Hves by giving 
them a little water. Therefore I want you to help me get the water 
from her." Then one of the chiefs said, "O chief! who is there with 
more power to get the water than you?" Raven rephed, "Friends, 
I will try and get some of the water; and if I can get it, I will spread 
it all over the world." Then the people thanked him for what he 
had said ; and they said they would put him over all the chiefs if he 
succeeded, and thus saved then" hves. 

He asked one of the chiefs to have a small mat made, about one 
span broad and two spans long. "As soon as it is finished," said he, 
"I will get the water for you." The people left and had the little mat 
made; for the quicker it was made, the sooner they would have the 
water. After it was finished, they gave it to him, and lie doubled it up 
and put it away. Early tlie next morning he took the httle mat and 
went out of his house, back into the woods. There he eased himself, 
letting his droppings fall on the little mat. Then he folded it up, 
with its contents, and hid it under his arm. He went to Crow's 
house; and when he went in, he saw her sleeping in her bed. He 
woke her from her sleep, and said to her, "Sister, will you give me 
some water to drink?" She replied, "Xo, not unless you give me 
something first; then I will give you some water." He said, "I will 
pay for it afterward." But she retorted, "I never give any one a 
drink unless he pays for it first." — "Oh," he said to her, "you are 
truly a cruel woman; for I shall die of thirst if you do not give me 
some water now." He would pretend to try to spit out sometliing 
he had in his mouth that looked like matter, to show her that he was 
very dry. She said, "What do I care if you die, for you never help 
me in any way!" 

Then he gave up trying to get the water in that way. He said, 
"I am cold. Would you let me lie down by your side, that I may 
get warm?" She rephed, "No, I never allow any man to lie down 
with me." Then he said, "I will stay here for a while, so that I may 
at least get the smeU of the water." 

Now he thought, "Come upon her, sleepiness!" Very soon she 
went oft" to sleep and began to snore. Then he went to her, took the 
Uttle mat, and lifted her bed-clothes. He opened the little mat and 
put his droppings just as near as he could to her buttocks, as though 
she had soiled her bed. After he had finished, he sat down agaui, 
and thought, "Wake up, G-esg-osamaga! " (this is the high name of 
the Crow.) Soon she awoke from her sleep. As soon as she was 
awake, he said, "You have been sleeping soundly. Now, I am very 
cold. Will you let me lie down by your side?" He lifted up her 



894 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

bed-clothes, but she tried in vain to stop him. He said, "What is it 
that smells so bad? I think you soiled your bed while you were 
asleep." She retorted, "No, it is you who smeU so bad." He 
pulled her bed-clothes off. He said, "Now give me a druik; for, if 
you do not, I shall call eveiybody in to see that you have soiled your 
bed." She said, "No, I will not give you a drink." Then he called 
out in half-whispers, "O jjeople! come and see this big M^oman who 
has soiled her bed." She said, "Don't call out to them in that M'ay, 
for I wiU not give you any water if you do." Raven rephed, "Then 
give me some water to drink; and if you don't, I shall call out as loud 
as my voice will let me, for it is a great thmg that you have done." 
Then she said, "I will just let you have a taste of the water; and I beg 
you not to tell any one about it, for I must have been sound asleep. 
Only let me clean myself first." Then she took the box of water, and 
said to Raven, "Now come and take a mouthful, but no more! " He 
put his mouth to one corner of the box. She ti])ped it a little; but he 
pulled it over and let all the water run out of the box. Then he said 
to the water, "Now turn into a large lake, whose name shall be Green 
Lake(L!i'tsit')." Then he went away and told his people to get the 
water out of the lake, and they went to drink water out of it. After- 
ward he made a stream running out of the lake to the sea; and now 
the river's name is T!aci'^. He carried some of the water all round 
the world, and he turned each drop into a river. Since he dropped it 
as he was going along, there are rivers all round the world. 

3. The Origin of Fire 

( Told by L.'aleleladzogwa) 

Once upon a time there lived LlSh^ma^mit" (Woodpecker), chief 
of the Wolves, who had a slave named Kwa'ttyat'. His house was 
called Ha'^\vilsats!im'. He was the only one in the world who had 
fii-e in his house; even his own people did not have fire. The wise 
chief EebEwayak, of the Mowa'tc lath"* tribe, his rival, did not know 
how to get fu-e from Woodpecker, the chief of the Wolves. 

One day the Mowa'tc !ath^ had a secret meeting, for they heard 
that a winter ceremonial was going to take place in the house of 
Woodpecker. They decided that they would go into the house 
Ha'-wilsatslim', where the fire was. Woodpecker had many sharp- 
pointed sticks put on the floor near the door, so that the people 
could not run out without hurting theh feet. Chief EebEwayak 
spoke in the meeting, saying, "My people, who among you will try 
to steal fu-e from Woodpecker?" The Deer said, "I will get fh-e 
for you." Then the chief took some hair-oil in a seaweed bottle, 
saying, "Take this with you, and also this comb, and this piece of 
stone. When you get the fu'e, you must run away; and when the 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 895 

Wolves pursue you, throw the stone between you and the Wolves, 
and there shall be a large mountain; and when they come near again, 
thi-ow the comb behind you, and it will be transformed into thick 
bushes. When they get through the thick bushes, they will run after 
you again; and when they come near you, you must tlu-ow down the 
hair-oil, and it will turn into a large lake. Then you must run. 
You wiU see Periwinkle Shell (He^momo) on the road; to him you must 
give the fii'e, and then you must run to save your life. Now let me 
dress you up with soft cedar bark to catch the fire with." He took 
the soft cedar bark and tied a bunch of it on each of Deer's elbows, 
telling liim that he must stand up and dance around the fu'e during 
one song. He continued, "When that song is ended, ask them to 
open the smoke hole, because you need fresh air; and when they have 
opened the hole, we will sing the second song, and in the middle of 
it you must touch the &'e with your elbow and jump thi'ough the 
smoke hole. Now I wiU put these hard black stones on your feet, 
so that they will not be hurt by the sharp-pointed sticks on the floor 
of the cliief's house." Thus he said as he rubbed the stones on his 
feet. 

By the time the coimcil ended it was dark; and the people of 
the Mowa'tclath^ tribe saug as they were going toward the Wolves' 
dancing-house. Deer was dancuig in frimt of them. Before they 
came to the house door, Chief Woodpecker said to his people, "We 
will not let the Mowa'tclath^ in, for they might try to steal our 
fire." But his daughter said, "I want to see the dance, for I am 
told that Deer dances well; you never let me go out to see a dance." 
Then her father said, "Open the door, and let them come in; but 
keep close watch on Deer, and do not let him dance too near the fire. 
When they are inside, shut the door and put a bar across it, so that 
he can not run out." Thus the chief said to his people. 

They opened the door and called the people in. They entered 
singing; and after they were in, the chief warriors shut the door, put 
a bar across it, and stood in front of it. The Mowa'tclath" began to 
sing Deer's first dancing-song; and he began to dance around the fire 
weakly. After the first song ended, he said, "It is veiy hot m here. 
Will you please open the smoke hole to let the fresh air come in and 
cool me, for I am sweating?" Chief Woodpecker said, "He can not 
jump so high. Go and open the smoke hole, for it is hot in here." 
One of his people opened the smoke hole. Meanwhile the visitors 
kept quiet and gave Deer a good rest. 

After the smoke hole was Avide open, the song-leader of the visitors 
began to sing; and Deer began to dance around the fire. Sometimes 
he would go near the fire. 'WTienever the chief saw liim go near the 
fire, he would send one of his warriors to tell him to keep away. 



896 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

When the song was about half ended, Deer jumped up through the 
smoke hole, ran into the woods, and all the Wolves' warriors pur- 
sue<l him. When he came to the foot of a large mountain, he saw the 
Wolves close behind. Therefore he took the small stone, threw it 
behmd him, and it turned into a large mountain, which detained the 
Wolves. He ran a long way. Again the Wolves drew near, and he 
threw the comb backwartl. It turned into thorny bushes, and the 
Wolves were kept back on the other side of it. Tlius Deer gained 
another long lead over the Wolves. After a while they came through, 
ami ran after him agam. They saw Deer runnmg ahead; and when 
they drew near, he poured the silver-perch oil on the ground. All 
of a sudden there was a great lake between them, and Deer ran again, 
whUe the Wolves had to swim across. Now Deer came toward the 
beach; here he saw Periwinkle, and said to him, "Periwinkle, open 
your mouth, take this fire into it, and hide it from the Wolves, 
for I have stolen it from Chief Woodpecker's house. Do not tell 
them which way I went." Periwinkle took the fire in his mouth and 
hid it; and Deer ran on ahead. 

After a whUe the Wolves came and saw Periwinkle sitting down on 
the roadside. They asked him if he knew which way Deer had gone; 
but he could not answer, for he could not open his mouth. He onty 
said, with his mouth shut, "Ho, ho, ho!" pointing here and there; 
so the Wolves lost track of him and went home without catching 
hun. Ever since the fire has been spread all round the world. 

At the time when Chief Woodpecker was the guardian of the 
fire, he had a long pole standing outside of his great house; and when- 
ever he used his fire-drill, it squealed when it got hot. The people 
asked one another, "\Miat is it that squeals eveiy mornuig?" 
Anil Chief Woodpecker would say, "The eagle on top of my pole is 
screeching." He had put this eagle on the top of the pole for this 
purpose. 

When Chief Woodpecker knew that his fire was spreading all 
over the world, he said to his slave Kwa'tiyat", "Get some sand. 
We will make iron, and then make sea-otter spears ; and do not let 
the Mowa'tclath* see how we make iron, or where we get it." So 
Kwa'tiyat' went out of the house with a basket, took some of the 
sand, and carried it into the house. Then they made a fire, into 
which they put the sand, and made iron out of it, and afterward 
they hammered it into sea-otter spears. The chief used to make 
many tilings out of his iron. After they had finished the iron- 
making, they went out sea-otter spearing, and caught many. Then 
he made sea-otter-skin blankets. 

One fine day they went out to sea to spear sea otters; and Wood- 
pecker said to his slave Kwa'ttyat', "Let us go farther out to 
sea, for it is a fine day, and there is no wind!" And Kwa'tiyat' 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 897 

said, "Yes, let us go!" They went a long way out to sea. They 
did not notice that night was coming on. A thick fog arose in the 
night. Now they did not know where they were; they kept on 
drifting about day after day until the fog cleared away. Then they 
saw a strange land, and there were white people on it; and as soon 
as the white people saw Woodpecker and Kwa'tlyat', they called 
them into their house and fed them. After they had finished eating, 
Kwa'tlyat' went out of the house, and found sand just like the kind 
out of which he had made h-on at Yogwat. lie told his master. 
Woodpecker, about it, and the chief told Kwa'tlyat' to get some 
of the sand and make iron out of it, for fashioning sea-ott«r spears. 

All the time he was making the u'on the white men were watching 
him. Thus the white men learned how to make the first iron — 
from the first of the Mowa'tclath* tribe. After Woodpecker had 
staid there a long time, he was given two large dogs, who carried 
him home on their backs. He left Kwa'tlyat" with the white men. 

He staid with his people for a long time. Then he wanted to 
go up to heaven. He asked the Woodpecker to let him have his 
woodpecker mask and skm, and in the morning he put them on. 
He flew away toward the edge of the world; and when he came to it, 
he went up into heaven. 

There he met Q la'nexe^naxw, and he told him to come down and 
put everything to rights; that is, to tm-n into men birds that an- 
swered him kindly; and into animals those who spoke unkindly 
to him. After he had met Q !a'nexe^naxw there, he came down; 
and as soon as he came' home, the secret of Qla'nexe^naxw's coming 
became known; for Woodpecker must have told some one that 
Qla'nexe^na^w was coming down to this world to put everything 
to rights. 'Therefore the animals and birds, and even the difi'erent 
kinds of fishes, prepared theij' weapons to be ready to fight him 
whenever he should come. 

4. Raven and His Friend Sea Egg, the Small Eater 

Once upon a time there lived at Yogwat a man whose name was 
Raven, and his friend Sea Egg (Notsltnl^mlf). Raven had always 
liked this man best, because he never ate so much as others; for he 
had a very small mouth and it was difficult to find. Wlienever Sea 
Egg and Raven were at a feast, Raven woidd eat everything that was 
given to them while Sea Egg was finding his mouth, and that is why 
Sea Egg was liked by his friend Raven. All tlie men who hved at 
Yogwat were difi'erent kinds of animals and birds and fishes before 
some were turned into men by Q!a'nexe-naxw or Andaok"t. 

One day Raven and Sea Egg were very hungry, and they did not 
know to whom to go. Then Raven said to his friend, "Let us go to 
.">0633''— 31 ETH— 16 57 



898 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

1/ 

our friend the Red Cod (Llihopt'h^mlt'), for I think that he has lots 
of food! " So they went to Red Cod's house. As soon as Red Cod 
saw them coming, he took a new mat, spread it down at the rear of 
the house, and told Raven to sit down with his friend. As soon as 
Raven sat down, he caught sight of twelve virgins or young women 
sitting in one corner of the house. Tliey were all very pretty, and 
each was making a mat. Raven thought to himself, "I will ask 
their father for one of them in marriage." WliUe he was making 
up his mind about it, however, Red Cod took some stones and put 
them on the fire. After the stones were red-hot, Red Cod took a 
pair of tongs and lifted all the firewood and all the burning charcoal 
from the great heap of red-hot stones; and after that, he took some 
old mats from one corner of the house and put them alongside of the 
red-hot stones. Then he went out of the house, carrying a bucket 
in his hand. He had not been out long, when he came in with the 
bucket full of water; and he put it alongside of the red-hot stones. 

All the time he was doing this. Raven and his friend were saying to 
each other, "I wonder what he is going to feed us with?" for they were 
very hungry now. WhUe tliey were talking about this, they saw the 
man go toward the twelve young virgins. He called ten of them to 
come with him to where the red-hot stones were: and when they came 
and stood all round it, Red Cod took hold of the first one standing 
near him, and laid her on the red-hot stones. He kept on doing this 
until the ten young virgins were on the heap of red-hot stones. 
Then he threw the bucketful of water on them, and covered them up 
with the mats to keep the steam in. 

While he was doing this, Raven said to his friend Sea Egg, "What 
do you think of that man cooking those ten pretty young women in 
that way? I don't think I can eat them. I think that he ought to 
have given them to us in marriage instead of cooking them for us to 
eat. That I can not do — eat human beings! " He was just going to 
get up to go out, when Red Cod lifted the mats from the heap of 
cooked women; but when they were uncovered, he saw that they 
were all turned into red cod. 

Then he said to the friends, " WiU you come now and eat this fish? 
I want to see if you can eat them all." Then Raven and Sea Egg 
went and sat dowii alongside the lieap of cooked fish, and began to 
eat it; and Raven ate it nearly all, for his friend could not eat much. 
After they had finished eating. Red Cod picked up what bones and 
skin were left, and put them on an old mat. Then he took them 
down to the beach and threw them into the salt water; and they all 
came to life again — the ten young virgins. When Red Cod came into 
the house, the ten pretty young women came in after him, and they 
went and took the same seat in the corner of the house and began to 
work on their mats again; and while they were laughing and joking, 
Raven was watching them. 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 899 

Then Red Cod said, "Now, my friend Raven, you see what I 
have done for you — how I have fed you and our friend Sea Egg with 
my ten children, and how, after you had eaten them, they all came 
to life again; and there they are now, making mats. Now, you 
have children also. Wliy can't you do as I do ? Whenever I am 
hungry, I go and get one of them and cook her; and after I finish 
eating her, she comes to life agam. Tliey are everlasting things," 
said he. Raven never said a word, but he and Sea Egg went out of 
the house. 

As soon as Raven had gone out of the house. Red Cod said to his 
friends, "Now I think I laiow what Raven is going to do; for he has 
sixteen children, and I think he will try to cook them as I did my 
children." He was just puttmg away the mats, when Sea Egg came 
back into his house, and said, "Red Cod, I have come for my friend 
Raven to teU you that he wants you to come with me now." 

Then Red Cod took his skin bed-blanket and put it on, and he 
went with Sea Egg. When he entered Raven's house, he saw that 
his daughters were washed clean and their hair combed. As soon 
as Red Cod was seated on the new mat spread down at the rear of 
the house, he saw Raven go out of the house with a large basket in 
his hand. Very soon he came in again, bringing it full of stones. 
He put it down alongside the fire, which was built on purpose for the 
stones. Then he poured the stones out, and went out again and 
brought in a basketful. He put it down, as he had the first lot. 
This he kept on doing until he had brought in four basketfuls of 
stones. Tlien he put the stones on the fire, and went and got some 
old mats and put them alongside the fire. After that he took a 
large bucket from the corner of the house and went out. While he 
was gone. Red Cod looked at the j'oung women, and said to himself. 

Poor things! I bet Raven is going to cook them, as I did my 
children, but they will never come to Hfe again." 

Then Raven came in bringing a bucket of salt water, for he did 
everything that he saw Red Cod do; and he put that also alongside 
the fire. Then with a pair of tongs he took the fire from the red-hot 
stones. After that was done, he called twelve of his children and 
told them to stand round the red-hot stones. Then he took them 
one by one and threw them on the heap of red-hot stones, and threw 
the bucket of water on them. Then he took the mats up and covered 
them up to keep the steam in. Then he went and sat down for a 
little while. He seemed to be uneasy about it, and said, "They must 
be cooked by this time." He uncovered tbem; but he found that 
they had not turned into fishes, but were twelve dead women. As 
soon as he saw them, he began to cry over the loss of his twelve 
daughters. Then he asked Red Cod if he could bring them to life 
again. Red Cod said, "No, it is only my children that I can bring to 



a 



900 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etd. ann. 31 

life again; but I am sorry to say that your children will never come 
to life again." So Raven began to cry, and he pulled off all the hair 
from his head. Red Cod went home hungry. 
That ends the story. 

5. Raven and Black Bear 

Raven was one of the cliiefs of the Mowa'tclath* tribe. One day 
he met his friend Black Bear (Tci'mls). When they met, he said to 
Black Bear, '" Will you go out to fish for hahbut, for we have no food 
to eat?" 

Then Bear said, " Yes, I will go with you if you will promise to take 
good care of me." 

Raven said, "Why, what harm can I do to you? You are four 
times larger than I am. It is your place to take care of me, for you 
have greater strength than I have." 

Bear repUed, "That is so. Let us be going now! " 

Raven told him to get liis hahbut fishing-hne; and Bear went into 
his house, got liis haUbut fisliing-hne, and took it down to the beach. 
He had also a piece of octopus for bait, and he put it into Raven's 
canoe. Then he told liis friend Raven that he was ready; "for," 
said he, "my paddle and my hahbut fisliing-hne are in your canoe." 

Raven took liiS hahbut lislung-hne and his paddle from the corner of 
his house and went down to the beach, where his canoe was. Then 
Bear went to the bow, and Raven sat in the stern. They paddled 
out to the mouth of Ma'tclath* Inlet. 

Here Raven said to Bear, " We are far enough out; I will let go the 
anchor; we wUl stay here anchored wliile we are fishing;" ami he put 
the anchor overboard. After he had done tliis, he turned his face 
toward the stern of the canoe, away from the bow, for he did not 
want Bear to see him putting the bait on his hook. Bear took his 
hahbut hook, put a piece of octopus on it, and fastened the hook to 
liis Une. Then he put the two hooks on the spruce-twig crosspiece, 
tied the stone sinker to the middle of the crosspiece, and threw it over 
the side of the bow. Raven did tlie same to his hne, only Bear did 
not see what he put on liis hook for bait. 

As soon as Raven's hook reached bottom, he got a bite, and hauled 
up his line. There was a large hahbut on it. He took his hook out of 
the fish, and then threw the hook overboard again. Soon he had 
another bite, and he hauled his hne up with another large halibut 
on it. He kept on doing tliis until the canoe was half full of fish. All 
this time poor Bear did not catch a single fish. Then Black Bear 
said to Raven, " Friend, teU me how it is that I do not get a bite, and 
you have nearly fiUed the canoe with hahbut ? Will you not give me 
some of your bait to put on my hooks?" Raven laughed, saying, 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 901 

" friend ! the bait that I put on my hahbut hook I can not give away; 
for after I have finished using it for bait, I shall have to take it from 
my hooks and put it where it belongs. You have the same thing on 
you. Wliy don't you take yours off and put it on your hook for bait V 

Bear rephed, "What have yoii put on your hook for bait, that the 
hahbut bite it so much * " and Raven said to liim, " If I were to tell you 
what I have done to myself, you would not do as I did." But Bear 
said, "0 friend! I would do anytliing to myself lather than go home 
without getting one fisli, and be laughed at by our friends." 

Then Raven laughed, and said, " I will teU, I have used my privates 
for bait. Therefore I am getting all the hahbut to bite at my hook." 

Then Bear asked him how he could take off his privates ; and Raven 
said, "I cut them oft"." Bear replied, "Does it not hurt you when 
you cut them off?" but Raven said, " I think it would hurt me more 
if my people should come to the beach and laugh at me because I 
came without any hahbut. I think it best to stand the little pain 
of cutting off my privates rather than be laughed at by our people, 
for it would hurt my feelings enough to kill me." 

WMle they were talking, a man came paddling out to them in a 
canoe. It was Comorant (Altsets). He anchored close to where 
Raven was fishing, and he could hear eveiy word they were saying. 
After he had let down his anchor, he put some octopus bait on his 
hooks, and dropped the line overboard. Wliile he was waiting for a 
bite, he heard Bear say, "Come and cut my privates off; for I believe 
I could stand the pain for a short time better than being laughed at 
by our friends." Raven said, " Wby can't you cut them off yourself 
as well as I can?" Bear inquired, "After I have cut them off', how 
shall I put them on again?" Then Raven laughed whUe he was 
chemng gum, saying, "Why, of course, I can put them on; for you 
see that I always chew this gum, and after I finish using my privates 
for bait, I gum them on; and when I want to use them again, I pull 
them off without any pain." 

"Well," said Bear, "come and cut them off, for you know how 
to do it." Raven said, "I wiU give you a chance to get some halibut, 
for I don't want our people to laugh at you until they kill you; it is 
better to stand a little pain now than to be killed slowly by shame; " 
and he took his large mussel-sheU knife from the stern of his canoe, 
where Bear was sitting. Wlien he came up to him, he said, "Now, 
my friend, he on your back, with your two legs as wide apart as you 
can get them, so that I can make a clean cut." 

Then Bear lay on his back, as he was told; and just as Raven was 
taking hold of iiis friend's privates to cut them off, Bear asked if it 
wouldn't hurt when the cutting began. "Well," said Raven, "you 
must be foolish if you think that a cut from a knife doesn't hurt for 
a short time. Wlien I cut my privates off, it hurt me, I know, but 



902 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

it is better to stand pain for a short time than to be laughed at by 
our people until dead." 

"Well," said Bear, "cut away, then! " Then Raven took liold of 
his friend's privates and cut them off as quick as he cordd. After he 
had cut them off, he said to Bear, "Now go to sleep for a short time; 
then, when you wake up, you will feel well again;" and he went back 
to the stern of his canoe. He had not been sitting there long, when 
he saw Bear give two kicks, and stretch out his body. He was dead. 
Then Raven went to look at him, and found his friend dead. 

Then he said to himself, "Now I have my wish, for he was a fat 
man. I will go ashore and cook him and eat him before I go home." 
Then he looked round, and saw Cormorant close to where he had been. 
He had heard everything he was saying to Bear before he killed him. 
So he hauled up his anchor. After he got it up, he paddled to 
where Cormorant was, and said to him, "What are you doing here?" 
Cormorant said, "I am halibut fishing, but I can not get a bite of 
any kind of fish." 

AU the time they were speaking to each other. Raven was \\nshing 
in his own mind for Cormorant to ask him for some of liis ginii ; and 
they had not been speaking long, when Cormorant asked Raven what 
he was chewing. Cormorant said, "Will you give me some of your 
gum, for I have been here so long that I want to drink some water, 
and where we are I can not get any water to drink; your gum will 
moisten my mouth." Raven said to him, "I can not give you any 
gum unless you will let me take it from my mouth and put it on your 
tongue, for I am not allowed to put it into your hands," said he. 

Then Cormorant said, "Put some of it on my tongue!" and he 
put out his tongue as far as he could. Then Raven took some of 
the gum from his ovm mouth and put it on Cormorant's tongue. 
As soon as he had done so, however, he took hold of Cormorant's 
tongue, pulled it out, and tlu-ew it into the sea. 

Then Raven said, "Now, Friend Cormorant, speak!" Cormorant 
tried to speak, but he could not say a word. Then Raven said, 
"Now I have punished you for trying to come to spy on me. Go 
home; but now you can not tell our people what I have done to my 
friend Bear;" and he went toward the shore of a small bay. Then 
he went ashore and made a fire. He j^ut stones on it; and while 
the stones were getting red-hot, he went down to his canoe and took 
out his dead friend-, carried him up on the beach, and laid him along- 
side the fire. After he had tlone tliis, he saw that the stones were 
red-hot; he then took the fire away, went for grass and moss, and 
carried them to the heap of red-hot stones. He laid the grass on 
the red-hot stones, then put Bear on top of it. Then he took the 
moss and covered him up to keep the steam in. 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 903 

After this he went to his fisherman's box and took all his spare 
halibut hooks out. When it was empty, he filled it from a little 
stream of water, and poured the water on the moss which covered 
the dead Bear. It had not been cooking long, when he uncovered it 
and saw that it was done. Then he began to eat, and continued 
until he had eaten liis friend up. After he had fimshed eating, he 
picked up all the bones that were left and hid them in the woods. 
Then he went home in his canoe. 

When he drew near to the point of Yogwat, he turned the heads 
of six haUbut toward the stern of his canoe, as though they had been 
caught by Bear. These were the largest sLx he had in the canoe; 
for all Indians, whenever they catch halibut, always put them in 
their canoes with the tails away from them and the heads toward 
them. After he had done this, he paddled until he came round the 
point, where the people of the village could see him. Then he began 
to cry as loud as he could to make the people of the village hear him; 
and this is what he said while crying: "I lost my beloved friend 
Bear wliile I was fishing halibut with him. He had caught six large 
halibut, and was hauling up the seventh one, when his leg became 
entangled in the line. ^'Vliile he was tr\ing to club the fish, he missed 
his blow, and the large halibut went down and carried him down also, 
and I never saw him again." This he said as he was paddling. 

The ilowa'tc !ath'' went down to the beach to meet him. At first 
they did not believe him. Some said, "Oh, Raven killed our friend 
Bear, and has eaten him up!" and some said, "He has left him on 
some island to die." As soon, however, as they saw the sLx large 
halibut headed toward the stern of the canoe, they said to one 
another, "It must be true that he was pulled overboard by a large 
halibut, for we can see these six large halibut our poor friend Bear 
caught; and it is true that sometimes the line will get tangled round 
either our arms or legs and nearly puU us overboard." 

While they were talldng, Cormorant was trying to tell his friends 
the Mowa'tclath" that Raven had killed Bear; but they could 
not understand him, for his tongue had been taken out by Raven 
so that he might not tell his friends of what he saw; and Raven told 
some of liis friends to take their large hahbut and give them to Bear's 
friends. So some were given to his wife, and Raven kept the rest; 
and that is why there are ravens on Yogwat Island, but no bears. 

6. How Andaok^t First Came to This World 

Once there was a village of Indians at -'mo^wl'n^ls. The name of 
the tribe was Deer tribe (Mowa'tclath''). One day all the httlo boys 
of that tribe wanted to go up the river ^mo^wtn'^is; and among these 
Uttle boys were thi-ee noted ones. The fu-st was Dogfish (Yalakas) ; 
the second, Spirit Of The Dogfish (K!wets!kas); and the thiid, Small 



904 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Clam Boy (He'tcln'qas). These little boys went up the river; and 
they had not gone far, when they met a great woman chewing gum. 
She had a great basket on her back. She came to the little boys and 
blow at them with something that took all their strength away, so 
that they could not run away from her. The first one she got hold of 
was Dogfish, then Spirit Of The Dogfish, and last Small Clam Boy. 
Now, as soon as she got hold of them, slie took some of the gum from 
her mouth and put it into their eyes, and then threw them into her 
basket. All the other little boys were treated in the same way. 
The first tliree, however, went through the netting of the basket as 
soon as they were thrown in; for Dogfish, as soon as he found out 
that he had been thrown into the basket, stretched his body and 
went throaigh, and the other two did the same. All the other little 
children were carried away by the great Woman Of The Woods 
Malahas (in Kwakiutl Dzo'noqiwa). Dogfish, Spirit Of The Dogfish, 
and Small Clam Boy helpeil one another take the gum out of 
their eyes; and as soon as their eyes were clean, they went to their 
people and told the news. Woman Of The Woods, however, as soon 
as she went into her house, took a long round pole and a rope, and tied 
the children's legs to this pole; and after she had them tied on, she 
hung them over the fire alive, and smoked them to death. 

Now, one woman in the village of the Mowa'tclath", as soon as she 
fou!id out that her little boy was among those carried away by the 
great Woman Of The Woods, went back of her house and cried, and 
she kept on crving for four days. On the fourth day she blew her 
nose and threw the mucus on the ground. On the second day she 
saw the mucus begin to have a little head on it, and arms and legs. 
Then she began to shut her eyes, and she cried again. On the third 
morning she looked at it, and found that it was as long as her longest 
fuiger; and on the fourth day she heard the little boy begin to cry. 
Then she took a piece of her yellow-ce<lar-bark blanket and wi-apped 
it round the little baby boy, and she hid it under a tree. She thought 
then that she would better go and teU her husband about it; so she 
went and called her husband, and showed the little boy to him, and 
he told her to take him home. After that the boy began to gi-ow very 
fast, and in a short time he began to talk. Then he asked his mother to 
make a bow and two arrows for him, and they began to make a bow 
and two arrows; and after they were finished, he asked his mother 
what made her cry so much. She told him about losing the only little 
boy she had. The child wanted to know where he was lost. Then she 
said, "Don't go up the little stream ^mo^wiVts, for there is a great 
woman there who kdlled all the little children that went there to play; 
and one of them was my child, who was killed with all the rest.'' 
After he heard this, he told his mother that he wanted to go and 
see the woman. His mother told him not to go, but he insisted. 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 905 

One day his mother put abalone shells on his ears, and one on" 
his nose, and made her little son Andaok"t look very pretty with 
paint on his face. That same day Andaok"t disappeared, and his 
poor mother and father began to think that he had gone up the river 
^mo^wt'n^ts to see the Woman Of The Woods. 

Now, they were right in guessing tliat he had gone up that river. 
He had not gone far, when lie came to a well or spring near a large 
house; and alongside of the spring stood a tree. He said to himself, 
"This is the well where the gi-eat Woman Of The Woods comes to get 
water to drink: so I will climb up this tree and sit on the top of it, and 
wait until she comes for water." He climbed the tree to a fork on 
top of the tree ; and he had not staid there long, when he saw the great 
Woman Of The Woods come out of her house, carrying a large box to 
fetch water in. When she came under the tree, she saw the reflection 
of Andaok"t in the sprmg. Then she stopped and looked at the 
pretty shadow in the water, with al^alone shells on its ears and nose; 
and she said, "Oh! I did not know that I was so pretty as that, and I 
did not know, either, that I had abalone shells in my ears and nose." 
She was saying this while she was feeling of her ears and nose for the 
shells. After a long while Andaok"t took some moss (sate'wa) and 
threw it down on the great Woman Of The Woods. Then she looked 
up, but Andaok"t hid himself; and again the great Woman Of The 
Woods said, "Oh! it's my own reflection, only I never had a chance 
to see how pretty I look." Again Andaok"t took some moss and 
threw it do\vn at her, and again she looked up; but Andaok"t did the 
same thing as before, and she did not see him, for he hid himself in 
the fork of the tree. Once more the great woman looked upward to 
see who tlirew down the moss; but, as before, she did not see him; 
and she said to herself, "It is my own reflection that I see." A third 
timeAndaok"t took some moss and threw it down on her; and before 
she looked up he hid himself, and she did not see him this time; and 
again she said the same thing as before. The fom-th time he threw 
down the moss he did not hide, but he let her see him. When she 
saw him, she said, "All, come down and be my husband!" Then 
Andaok"t came down the tree; and the fii'st thing the great woman 
said to him was, "How pretty you are! What did your mother do to 
your face to make it look so pretty?" Then he said, "It's no good 
for me to tell you (for at one time I was very ugly) , for you could not 
stand being killed fu'st so as to make your face the shape of mine." 
Then the great woman said, "Now, tell me about it, for I can stand 
any pain to become as pretty as you are! " Then Andaok"t said, 
"My mother took a large flat stone to lay my head on; and she took 
another one and hammered my head with it, and kept on hammering 
until my skull was all pounded to pieces. After that she began to 
squeeze my head until I was made as pretty as I look now. Then I 



906 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

was made to come to life again. So here I am now! '' Then she said, 
"Shall I get a flat stone to lay my head on, and will you hammer 
my head as flat as your mother did yours?" Then Andaok"t said, 
"Well, if you want me to do it. Don't blame me, for I don't want 
to do tliis to you; but if you want me to make you pretty, get a 
good flat stone, and a stone big enough to hammer your head flat 
with." Then she went to find the two stones. It was not long before 
she brought two stones, and she sliowed them to Andaok"t. When 
he saw the two stones, he said, "These two stones are too small; the 
bigger tlie stones are, the prettier you will look." Then she said, "I 
will look for larger stones, for I want to be very pretty, as you are, 
for I mean to have you for my husband;" and she ran to find two 
larger stones. She had not staid away long, when she came back 
with a stone just as large as she could carry. Tlien she put it down 
close to where the young man was standing. She put it flat on the 
ground, and then she went after the other one for a hammer. She 
brought this also, and put it down. Then she said to Andaok"t, 
"Come along and hammer my head flat, and make me look as pretty 
as you are! " So Andaok"t told her to lay her head on the flat 
stone. Then she did as she was told, and Andaok"t took the stone 
to hammer her head with; but she jumped up, saying, "I don't think 
you can bring me to life again after you kill me!" Andaok"t said, 
"I thought you would do that. Now you had better remain ugly. 
But I will not marry you," said he, as he threw away the hammer. 
Then the great woman said, "Come and hammer my head flat, for I 
want to marry you!" This slie said as she went and laid lier liead on 
the flat stone; and before she could move, he hammered Jier head flat, 
and killed her. 

Then he went into her house; and as soon as he was inside the 
door, he heard some one caUing out loud, "Come, my master, for 
here is a man that has come into your house !" Andaok"t looked 
for the man that was calling out, and then he found that it was the 
chamber-pot of the great woman that was caUing. Then he took 
a stone and thi'ew it at it, and broke it to pieces; but this caused only 
more noise, for all the broken pieces began to cry out louder. Then 
he picked them up and thi'ew them into the fii'e; but they cried 
still louder. Then Andaok"t saw the great woman standing at the 
door dancing; and she said, "Ah, Andaok"t ! you thought you had 
killed me; but you are mistaken, for I shall never die. Even if 
you cut me to pieces, I shall come to life again, unless you shoot 
at my heart {tl'tcma') — that object you see hanging up there," 
said she, pointing to a black object hanging up in the corner of 
her house. And Andaok^t saw the gi'eat woman turn her head 
from him. Then ho took a good aim with his bow and arrow, atid 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 907 

shot at her heart; and as soon as his arrow struck it, the great woman 
fell down dead on the floor. Now she was really dead. 

Then Andaok"t saw all the dried children hanging up over the 
fire, and he took them all down and laid them in a row on the floor. 
After he had finished laying them down, he urinated on their bodies, 
and they all came to life again. Then he took them home to their 
parents, who were made happy again. 

Andaok"t then took a long rest; and after that, he told his mother 
to ask all his people to make a houseful of sharp-pointed arrows. 
Then all the Mowa'tclath*' tribe began to make sharp-pointed arrows, 
and it did not take them long to fill the house. One fine day An- 
daok"t took his large bow, went out of his father's house, and asked 
the Mow a' tc lath* if they could see the great log (t.'cgEp.'edgel) 
of the heavens; and not one said he could see it. Afterward Snail 
(AnanemttM said that he coukl see the gi-eat log that lay across the 
doorway of heaven; and then Thunderbhd (A^wade) said to Snail) 
■'Please let me have your eyes to see the great log up in heaven !" 
for Thunderbhd was blind at that time; and the foolish Snail took, 
his eyes out and gave them to him. Then Thunderbii-d put Snail's 
eyes on and looked up, and he saw the log. He kept Snail's eyes, 
and now he can see everything; but Snail has been blintl from that 
day until now, for he was foolish and lent his eyes to Thunderbird. 
Now, Andaok"t took his great yew bow and began to shoot at the 
log with the first arrow; and the second arrow he shot was at the 
nock of the first arrow; and so on until a chain of aiTows reached 
to the gi'ound from the gi'eat log of heaven. 

Then Andaok"t told his mother that he was going to see his father 
in heaven: so he began to climb on the long string of arrows, and it 
did not take him long to go up to heaven. As soon as he reached 
the great log, he went from that to the doorway; and as soon as 
he passed through to the upper world, he saw two blind women. 
They seemed to be very old; and Andaok"t went toward them and 
took up then- clover root, for they were digging it; and he stood 
near them for a while, to see what they would say about their brown 
clover root. Veiy soon one of them began feeling round for her 
clover root, but she could not find it. Then Andaok"t asked her 
if she was blind; and she said, "We are blind, Andaok"t, we can 
not see the face of the earth." Then he told them that he was going 
to see his father, and that he would tell him about all the things 
that needed to be put right all round the world, and that he might 
be sent down agam by his father to put the world right hereafter. 
"Then I will open your eyes," he said. Now, these two old blind 
women were the Mallard Ducks. Then they thanked him for what 
he had said to them; and they also said to him, "Andaok"t. which 



908 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

road will you take to go to youi- father's house? for there are two 
roads. One of them is a broad road, and there are many dangerous 
animals on it; but on the narrow road there is only one dangerous 
woman. Her name is HoksEmaqas. If she sees you, she will call 
you into her house, and she will feed you on brown clover root. 
Now, if she caUs you in to eat that clover root, do not eat it, but 
take some of om' clover root and hide it; and when she offers you 
her clover root, pretend to eat it, throw it away mthout her seeing 
you do so, and eat some of what I give you. Then, when you finish 
eating, walk out of her house and go toward your father's house. 
Then you will be safe." 

After the two old blind Duck Women had given instructions, he 
found and followed the narrow road. He had not gone far, when he 
saw a small house. A woman was standing at the door; and when he 
came near, the woman called him. When he was in, she told him to sit 
down on a mat. Then she took some brown clover root and put it on 
red-hot stones, and steamed it. After it was cooked, she placed it 
on a small mat, put it down in front of him, and said, "You had 
better eat it." Then she went out of the house. He ate the brown 
clover root that was given to him by the old women, but the clover 
root on the mat he threw into the corner of the house. After he had 
finished eating, he walked out of the house and went along the road. 
Then he saw a house a long way ahead. He walked up to it, and then 
went in. There he saw Ms father on a seat at the rear of the house. 
His father said to him, ' T am glad to see you. Come here, my son! 
for I see that there arc many things that need to be changed in the 
lower world. I see there are people there who look like men, but 
they are not men: they have the souls of animals. So I want you to 
go down again and put all of them to rights. Now and hereafter your 
name shall be Q!a'nexe^naxw. I want you to go down again; and 
now I will give you this blanket that carries the herring (Los^mit') and 
all the different kinds of salmon in it; and whenever you come to a 
river that you think should have some salmon in it, take two of the 
fishes only and put them into the river, one female and one male; and 
do likewise \vith the olachen. Now, that is all I can say at this;time. 
Put this blanket on and go down again." 

Then Qla'nexe^naxw came down to Dza'wade, on Knight's Inlet; 
and there he saw that Dza'wade was a good river for the olachen; 
so he took all the olachen from his blanket and put them into the 
river. He also took one pair of silver salmon and one pair of spring 
salmon, one pair of dog salmon and a pair of steelhead salmon, from 
his blanket, and he put them into the river; and that is why all kinds 
of salmon go up Dza'wade River. Now, he did not keep any olachen 
in his blanket for the other rivers, but he put them all into this river. 
That is why there is no olachen in any river except that of Dza'wade. 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 909 

After he had put all these different kinds of fish into the river, he 
went on. Then he saw a house on the right-hand side of the rivc^r, 
and at the door stood the daughter of the owner of the house. She 
seemed to be very pretty, and he was the same in her sight. As 
soon as she saw him, she called out to him to come to her, and he went. 
As soon as he came up to her, she said to liim, "Come in, and you shall 
be my husband!" for he was really a handsome man, and she was 
pretty. So he went into the house with her; and now he was married 
to the cMef 's daughter, and they hved together a long wlule and were 
very happy. The woman kept telling her husband to take care, for 
her father was always bad to whomever she had married before him; 
he always found some way of IdlUng them. And Q!a'uexe-naxw said, 
"Don't trouble about me, for he wiU never hurt me!" 

Next morning the chief said to liim, "My son-in-law, get ready and 
let ns go to spUt a log in two, for I am going to make a canoo!" and 
Q la'nexe^naxw said, "I shall be ready soon." Then he went into his 
bedroom with his wife, and she told him that that log liad been the 
death of her former husbands. "Now take care!" she said to him, 
"for he will throw his stone hammer into the crack of the log, and he 
wiU tell you to get it for liim; but when you go inside of the crack, 
he will take out the wedge and kill you, as he did my former hus- 
bands. Now, good-by, my husband!" He walked out of the bed- 
room and down to the canoe. He went aboard, as tlid the chief, and 
he paddled away toward a river. They went ashore in a cove. The 
old man led the way u p, and Q ia'nexe^naxw followed . Then they came 
to a large log with a crack in one end of it, antl the old man took his 
wedges and put them into the crack. Then he began to drive his 
wedges with a stone hammer; and when the crack was wnde enough 
for a man to enter, he threw the stone hammer into it. Then he said, 
"Ah, my son-in-law! my stone hammer fell in. Will you go in and 
get it for me ? I will pu t in a spreading-stick to keep the crack open 
while you are inside," and he took a round stick and put it across the 
crack of the great log. After he had finished , Q !a'nexe^naxw went into 
it. When he was inside, the old man struck off the spreading-stick, and 
the crack closed on Q!a'nexe^na.xw. As soon, however, as he saw 
his father-in-law strike off the spreading-stick, he turned himself into 
mucus, and it ran through the crack of the log. After the mucus 
had all i-un through, he turned himself into a man again; and he saw 
under the log many bones and skulls of men who had been kiUed in 
the same way as it was intended he should be killed. He also heard 
his father-in-law say, "Now I am glad that I killed you, for you have 
brought shame on me by marrying my daughter." He was saying 
tliis as he picked up his wedge and was leaving for home. As he 
neared his canoe, Q!a'nexe^naxw picked up the stone hammer and 
ran aftervliim, and said, "My father-in-law, how is it that you left me 



910 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. ann. 31 

behind when you sent me to get your stone hammer l Here it is ! " 
said he, as he gave it to him. The old man took it, and said, "I was 
going to get some help to get you out of the crack after the spreading- 
stick jumped out." Then Qla'nexe^naxw went ahead of the old man 
to the canoe; and on the way he picked up some pieces of wood and 
hid them under his armpits. Then he jumped into the bow of liis 
canoe and lay on his back, and began to carve the pieces of wood 
into dolpliins. He made four of them. Then the old man went into 
the stern of the canoe and paddled away. 

After they were halfway across the head of the inlet, Q la'nexe^naxw 
whispered to the carvetl dolphins, "When I throw you into the water, 
you must turn into dol])hins and go awaj'- for a wliile; then you must 
come and jump on my father-in-law, and keep on jumping until he is 
dead." This he said to the carved pieces of wood as he ])ut them 
secretly overboard As soon as he let them go, they all turned into 
fishes and began to jum]> away from the canoe. They went away for 
a while; then the^ came to where the canoe was, and began to jump 
close to the stern. Suddenly they all jumped at the old man and 
killed him. 

Then Q!a'nexe^naxw went home to his wife, who said to her hus- 
band, "Where is my father?" He answered, "Your father has gone 
to the place where he wanted to send me; for he tried to kill me with 
that log, and I made him die instead of me. I will go now and do 
what I have to do." 

So he left her; and the first man he saw was Land Otter (Waxnl- 
^mit'). He was hani at work sharpening his spear. Then Qla'ncxe- 
^naxw asked him what he was doing; and he said, "Who are you and 
where did you come from? You are the only one who doesn't seem 
to know that Q!a'nexe^naxw is coming to do mischief to the ])eople of 
the world. Now, all are getting their fighting-spears and knives 
ready to fight him with." And Q la'nexe^naxw said, "How will you 
fight him with that thing?" and he said, "I will spear him with it." 
And Q la'nexe^naxw said, "If I were you, I would put that spear behind 
me, and I would fall on him backward with my full weight." Then 
Land Otter said, "Take it and show me how you would put it on!" 
So Qla'nexe^naxw took the spear, and said, "Turn your rump this 
way!" and Land Otter turned his rump to him. Then Q la'nexe^naxw 
stuck the spear into it, and slapped on each side of it with each 
hand, and said, "Hereafter you shall be a land otter." Land Otter 
walked off for a httle way. Now and then he would look back at 
Q!a'nexe^naxw. Then he went into the woods, and Q!a'nexe^naxw 
walked ahead for a while. 

Then he saw Raccoon Man (La'plsim'), who was also sharpening 
his spear ; and Q la'nexe^naxw asked him what he was doing. Raccoon 
said, "I am sharpening my lighting-spear, to have it ready to fight 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 911 

Q!a'nexe^naxw when he comes to do miscliief to the world." This he 
said as he rubbed a painted round stick on a rough stone. Qla'nexe- 
^naxw said, "Let me see your spear!" and Raccoon gave the spear 
to him; and then he took it and said, "Turn your rump tliis way!" 
and the foohsh Raccoon turned his nmip toward him. "I will ])ut 
this spear on your rump, for it is always best to fight backward," 
said he, as he stuck the spear on Raccoon's rump, and slapped on 
each side of it, and said, "Now, you shall be a raccoon hereafter!" 
Raccoon walked away slowly, and went into the woods. 

Qla'nexe^naxw walked along, and he saw a man M-ith a big belly 
sharpening a broad flat stone. This man was Beaver Man (Adok"). 
QIa'nexe'naxw asked him what he was doing; and the man said, 
"How is it that you are the only one who does not know that Qla'ne- 
xe^naxw is come to do harm to the world ? I am sharpening this stone 
to fight him with it." Then Qla'nexe^naxw said, "Let me see your 
great spear, so that I may make one hke it!" Then Beaver gave 
the spear to him; and QIa'nexe-naxw took it and looked at it for a 
while. Then he looked at Beaver, and saw that he seemed to be 
foolish, and did not look as if he were ready to fight. Then Q la'nexe- 
^naxw walked behind him and put the great flat spear on his rump, 
and slapped on each side of it, and said, "I amQ!a'nexe-naxw, who 
came down to put eveiy thing right in the world. Hereafter you 
shall be a beaver." And Beaver walked away verj^ slowly. He 
would look back at QIa'nexe-naxw and stare at him. Then he went 
into the woods. 

Agaui Q !a'nexe'naxw walked on. He had not gone far, when he 
saw a small man sharpening his httle spear. This Httle man was 
Marten (Lii'Llihet'), and he seeq^ed to be very quick in liis move- 
ments. Q la'nexe'naxw asked him what he was doing; and Marten 
said to him, ' ' Where have you come from ? You must be a stranger, 
for you are the only man who does not know what I am sharpening 
my war-spear for. Don' t you know that Q !a'nexe^naxw is coming 
to this world to do harm to aU who are living in this place ? Now, 
I shall get my spear ready to defend myself against him whenever 
he comes," said Marten; and Q la'nexe^nsixw said to him, "Will \ou 
let me see your war-spear, so that I may make one just Uke it, and 
be ready to fight liim when he comes?" The httle man Marten 
looked at him for a long wlide. Then he gave his spear to him; and 
Q!a'nexe'naxw took the httle spear, and said, "Now I will look at 
it, and I wiUmake one to fight against QIa'nexeniaxwwhen becomes; 
but I shaU tiy to jjut it on you in the place I tliink best for it, that 
I may put mine there too. Now, turn your rump this way ! ' ' Marten 
obeyed him; and then he stuck the spear into liis nmip and slapped 
on each side of it, and said to him, " I am Q !a'nexe-'naxw. Hereafter 
you shall be a marten: so stay in the woods and hve on whatever 



912 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

food comes your way!" And poor Marten walked away slowly, 
and went into the woods. 

Then Q la'nexe^naxw walked on again; and he saw another man, 
veiy stout. He was sharpening something that looked hke a black 
stone, and his look was veiy angry. Qla'nexe^naxwwentup to him, 
and said, ' 'Man, what are you doing ?" and the angiy -faced man said, 
"Don't you know that there is a man coming, whose name is Qla'ne- 
xe^naxw, to do mischief to us all? The two stone hammers I am 
making are to fight him with." And Qla'nexe^naxwsaid, "Letmesee 
them, so that I myself may also make two of them." And the man 
gave the two black stone hammers to him; and then Qla'nexe^naxw 
took them and said, "Let me try them on your hands!" and he stuck 
them on the angry-faced man, and said to him, "Now hereafter you 
shall be a bear (fd'mis)." And the Black Bear walked away into 
the woods. 

Qia'nexe^naxwkept on doing this to all the other animals, until he 
came to Yogwat, the place where we are living. Then he saw Deer. 
He went up to him, and he saw that man also hard at work sharpen- 
ing two shell knives; and Q!a'nexe^naxw asked him what he was 
doing; and Deer said, "Where have you come from, that you do not 
know what is known all round the world? Don't you know that 
Qla'nexe^naxw is coming to do mischief to us all ? and these two war- 
knives are to fight him with." Then Qla'nexe^naxw said, "How 
will you fight him with those two knives?" and he replied, "I will 
cany one of these knives in each hand, and stab liim when he comes 
near me." And Q!a'nexe^naxw said, "Do you think you can fight 
him in that way? You ought at least to have one hand empty; but 
I think if you had both hands emp^, and had those two knives tied 
on the top of your head, you could fight him better by catching hold 
of him with both hands and butting at him with the two knives on 
your head." Then Deer looked at him, and asked him where he 
came from and who he was; and Q!a'nexe^naxw said, "I am only 
trying to find some one to make friends with;" for at that time Deer 
was thinking that it was Q!a'nexe^naxw who was speaking to him. 
Then he began to rub his two large mussel-shell knives on the sand- 
stone. Then Qla'nexe^naxw spoke to him, and said, "Deer, let me see 
your knives!" Deer, looking up, said in an angry wa)^, "I don't 
want you to have them, for I know that your name is Q la'nexe^naxw; " 
but Q!a'nexe^naxw only laughed, and said, "I just want to see your 
knives, so that I may make two of the same kind for myself to fight him 
with whenever he comes." And Deer looked at him once more. Then 
he handed liis knives to him; and as soon as Deer had given the two 
knives to hira, he lost his power. ThenQ!a'nexe^naxw said to him. 
Now, put your head down, and let me show you the right way to put 
on these two knives; then you can fight Q!a'nexe^naxw or anything 
whenever thej^ come to fight." This he said as he put the two mussel- 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 913 

shell knives on Deer's head; and he slapped him an each side. 
After they were on, he said, "Hereafter you shall be a deer!" Deer 
looked at him, shook his head, and walked away for a little distance; 
then he stopped and looked back and stared at Qla'nexe^naxw; then 
he walked into the wootls. 

Then Q la'nexe^naxw walked on southward ; and he had not gone far, 
when he saw Mink (l !1l !lh*i'^y6h*) sharpening a short spear; and he 
went up to him and asked him what he was doing, and Mink said, 
"Why, don't you know the news about Qla'nexe^naxw coming to do 
mischief to us all in this world ? I am making this spear to defend 
myself against him." Then Qla'nexe^naxwsaid, "Let me have your 
spear, for I want to see ho w i t is made ! ' ' Mink gave the spear to him ; 
and as soon as Q !a'nexe^na?w took the spear, he said, "Turn your 
rump this way, so that I maj^ fix it for you." And right awaj^ the 
foolish Mink obeyed, turning liis rump towards Q la'uoxe^uaxw. Then 
the latter stuck the spear on his rump, and it was made into a tail 
instead of a spear. Then Qla'nexe^naxw slapped on each side of it, 
and said to him, "I am Q!a'nexe^naxw. Turn into a mink for the 
generations to come!" And the little mink ran away into the woods 
without turning round to look at Q!a'nexe^naxw. 

Then Qla'nexe^naxw walked agam, and he saw a man and woman 
with their private parts on their foreheads; and he went up to them, 
and asked them if they could breed as they were. Then the man 
said, "I have tried to make her pregnant, but without success." 
Then Q!a'nexe^naxw said, "I know that the people in the world will 
be all gone if no change is made." So he put the man's privates 
iu the place where they are now, and he put the woman's secret parts 
also in the right place. After he had finished, he told the man to 
try to make his wife pregnant, and she immediately became so. 
Then QIa'uexe-naxw left them. 

Then he came to a place where he thought that he had better 
make man. He took from the beach a piece of wood and carved 
from it a man's and a woman's image. After he had finished cai-ving 
them, he spat on them, one man said, and another man said he 
breathed on them, and brought them to life. After he gave them 
life, he told them how to live, and then he went on southward. 
That is all that is said about him. 

This story ends now. 

7. Woodpecker was a Chief at the Time the Whole World 

WAS IN Darkness 

{Told by Ts.'axwi'sap, a Nootka Chief) 

Once upon a time there hved a tribe of Indians at Place Of Wind 
(Yogwat); and they had a chief whose name was Woodpecker, 
.and he had a pruicess. Woodpecker did not know how to get 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 58 



914 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ax.n. 31 

light into this world; so ho called all his speakers into his great 
house, Ha'^wllsats!tm", and also his wise men, and asked them if 
they could tell him how he could get light into the dark world. 
Alter a good deal of talkmg, one of his wise men said, "Will 
you, Woodpecker, try my plan, and let your princess go and sit 
on the roof of your house, and see if we can got the Chief of the 
Light to take her for his wife ? and if he does not come and take 
her away from the roof of your great house, then we Mall give up 
tr}Tng to get the light." And the chief said that it was a good 
plan to try. "For," said he, "my prmcess is very pretty, and 
every chief tries to get her for his wife." Then he called his princess 
to come to him; and when she came, he told her about his plan. 
She told her father that she was ready to go and sit on the roof, 
to get married to the Chief of Heaven, and to bring the light into 
the world. 

' Then they dressed her m a sea-otter-skm blanket and painted 
her face, and took her up to the roof of the great house. After 
she had been sittmg there a long time, her father sent four of his 
speakers to see if she were still there. When they came to the place, 
they found her still there. Then they went away for a while; and 
again the old chief was bothered in his mind about her, and he sent 
another four speakers to see if she were sitting there still ; and when 
they came to the place where she had been sitting, they could not 
find her anywhere. 

When these four speakers came and told Woodpecker that she 
was gone, and that they could not find her anywhere, the old chief 
knew that she had been taken up to heaven by the Chief of the 
Light. "Now," said Woodpecker, "we shall expect the world to 
get light soon, for I know that my daughter will not forget what I 
want her to get for me." 

At that time Woodpecker had Kwa'tlyat' as a slave, and it was 
dark all the time for about four years after that. One fine day 
Kwa'tlyat' came in, and said, "My master. Woodpecker, come out 
and listen to the song that I have heard sung up in heaven!" Then 
Woodpecker ran to the door of his great house and listened, and 
the fii"st thing he heard was the voices of children singing; and these 
were the words they sang^ 

"We are coming to our grandfather's house!" 

Woodpecker went on the roof of his great house; and when he 
reached there, he saw two little boys. Each of them had a long 
rope tied to his waist. They had been lowered from heaven by their 
parents with these ropes. The elder one had a box under his arm; 
and as soon as they stood on the roof of that great house Ha'^wtl- 
satsllm', he opened the box, and the light came into the world, and 
has remained ever since; and aU the world was happy after that. 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 915 

Now, these two boys gi-ew veiy fast, and before long they got mar- 
ried and had children. After these children gi-ew up, they mamed 
the daughtei-s of the chiefs of the different tribes; and that is why 
the Mowa'tclath^ tribe is the leading tribe of all the West Coast 
Indian tribes, and that is how the Mowa'tc!ath=' tribe knows that 
there are people iip in heaven, for these two little boys told them so. 

Now, Woodpecker had still another daughter living. One day 
Kwa'tiyat" asked the princess to go to the lake with him, and of course 
the young princess was ready to go. Then they walked to the lake 
behind the house of the Mowa'tc !ath=' tribe, at Place Of Wind (Yo- 
gwat); and as soon as they came to the lake, they got into a canoe, 
and Kwa'tiyat' paddled out for a short distance. He was tiying to 
spear sharks in this lake, for it was their home, but he could not 
see any at all. Then Kwa'tiyat' said to the princess, "Let me put 
you into the lake as bait!" and the young princess was ready to go 
in. Then Kwa'tiyat' took her and put her overboard ; and as soon 
as she was overboard, the sharlvs began to be plentiful. Kwa'tiyat' 
began to speak to them, and it did not take him long to fill the canoe. 
Kwa'tiyat' speared one large shark wliich came up, and this shark 
took his spear down, and it never came up agaui. 

Then he took the princess into the canoe and went home, and they 
went into the house. iVf ter they had been in the house a little while, 
the princess began to vomit a great deal of water, and Woodpecker 
asked her what was the matter with her. She said, "Your slave 
Kwa'tiyat' took me into the canoe at the lake, and tried to find some 
sharks to spear, but he did not see any; and then he told me to take 
my clothes off and go into the water as bait, to bring the shark up; 
so I took my clothes off, and he put me overboard with a rope round 
my waist: and I went down to the bottom. He did not pull me up 
until he had filled the canoe with shai'ks. Wlieu I came up and he 
had puUed me into the canoe, he told me that he had lost his spear 
after harpooning a large shark, and he begged me not to tell you what 
he had done to me." 

After she had finished speaking, her father, Woodpecker, called 
Kwa'tiyat"; and when his slave Kwa'tiyat' came, Woodpecker asked 
him what he had been doing to his princess; and Kwa'ti\'at' said, 
"I never did anything to her;" and Woodpecker told his princess 
to tell him all he had made her do at the lake. Then she repeated 
every word of what she had already told her father. 

After she had finished speaking. Woodpecker called some of his 
speakers; and they took a rope and tied Kwa'tiyat' 's Avrists behind 
him to a stake, and they whipped him -n-ith a stick until he was cut 
all over; even his face was all cut. After they finished whipping him, 
they untied him from the post ; and Woodpecker told his speakers 
to take him to Place To Eat (Ha-ogwaxs) , the lake in wliich Kwa'tiyat' 



916 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. an.n-. 31 

fished for sharks; and the chief Woodpecker said to his speakers, 
"Let the sharks eat him, as they did my princess! Before you throw 
him into the lake, take a rock and tie it on his feet, so that he 
wall go to the bottom of the lake quickly, and keep his hands tied 
together behind liim." After ho had finished speaking to them, they 
took poor Kwa'tiyat' away and led liim to the lake; and when they 
came to the lake, they found Kwa'ttyafs canoe there, and they put 
him into it and paddled out to the middle of the lake. There they 
threw him overboard mth the rock tied to his feet, and he went down 
very fast. 

Then the speakers went home; but Kwa'tiyat', when he reached 
the bottom of the lake, found that he had fallen on the roof of a house, 
and inside of the house he heard some one groaning with pain. 
Kwa'tiyat' had become a shaman. He untied his hands and took 
the rock off his feet; and after he was free, he cried out, "Tie, Tie, 
he!" like a shaman. Then the sick man in the house told his 
daughter to go and see what was on the house ; and when she came 
on the roof of her father's house, she saw an ugly old man sitting on it. 
Without saying a word, she went and told her father that there was 
a man on the roof; and as she was telling her father about the man 
on the roof, Kwa'tiyat' cried out, as before, "He, he, he!" as the sha- 
mans do. The sick old man said to liis daughter, "He is a shaman, 
so and call him in!" The voung woman went out of the house and 
called Kwa'tiyat' in, and he followed her into the house; and as he 
went into the house, he saw the sick man lie down on his side, close 
to the fire, with Kwa'tlyafs spear sticking tlu-ough his back; and he 
found out that this man was the great shark that he had speared 
the day he told Woodpecker's princess to go into the lake as bait. 
As he passed the sick man's back, he touched it with his feet, and 
the sick man groaned with pain. 

Now, Kwa'tiyat' found out that the Shark people could not see the 
spear; and then he saw that this man was a chief of the Sharks, and 
that he had very pretty women. Then Kwa'tiyat' began to say once 
more, "He, he, he!" as if he were a shaman; and he said, "Yes, I am 
the great shaman of the upper world, and while I was in my house this 
afternoon I saw that you were sick, and that is what made me come, 
to make you well, chief." Then he began to sing a shaman's song, 
and these are the words of his song : 
"I cure a sick man only when he gives me in payment his daughter to be my wife." 

As soon as the sick man heard the words of the song, he said to 
Kwa'tiyat', "I have two daughters: I will let 3'ou have both of them 
for your wives if you vnU only make me well again." Then Kwa'tiyat" 
pretended to suck the sickness out three times; and the fourth time 
he pulled out the spear, and the man got well at once. 



b 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 917 

Now, Kwa'tiyat' was a very ugly man, and his face was covered with 
scars. The cliief who had been sick told his two daughters to put 
him into hot water in one corner of his house, to wash liim, and 
make a new man out of him. Then the two sisters called him; and 
he went to where they stood, alongside of the hot water. As soon as 
he came to them, they pushed liim into it; and very soon the flesh 
left his bones, for the water was boiling into which he was thrown, and 
he was cooked. After the flesh was off the bones, they took the 
bones out of the hot water with a pan- of tongs and put them on a new 
mat. They put the skull down fii-st, and next to that they put the 
backbone, and next the arms and legs and the small joints belonging 
to the fingers. All of these were put together. After this was done, 
they took water of life and sprinkled it on the bones. Then the flesh 
came on the bones, but there was no life yet. Then they began to prass 
the face of the new Kwa'tiyat' into a shape they thought would make 
him look handsome. When they had done so, they sprinkled more 
water of life on his body, and he came to life again. After the two 
pretty women had made him as handsome as they wished him to be, 
the elder daughter married him; and then he staid with the Shark 
people a long time. 

One day Kwa'tiyat' was lying on his back, and seemed to l)c think- 
ing. Then his father-in-law asked his daughter whether her hus- 
band wanted to go home; and when she asked her husband if he 
wanted to go home, he said, "Yes!" The old man Shark said, 
"Tonight you shall go; and now I will dress you up in my cliief 
dress." Then he went into a secret room; and he came out of it with 
ear-drops of abalone shell, also nose abalone shells, and a blanket 
made out of sea-otter skin; and he put them on Kwa'tiyat', and he 
also put a head-ring made of pea-otter skin on his head. "And now," 
said the Shark man to Kwa'tiyat', "now, tonight you shall go home, 
and you shall also have a house that I will give you as dowry of 
my two princesses; and you have only to say where the house shall 
be put by my people:" for Kwa'tiyat told the Shark people 
that he was the first chief of the Mowa'tc !ath=- tribe; that is why he 
was treated in that way. Then, when evening came, Kwa'tiyat' 
said to hLs wife that he would like the house to be built on the west 
corner of the Mowa'tclath*' village, or at Place Of Wind, and she 
told her father about it. 

In the night Kwa'tiyat' went to bed with his two wives, and in the 
morning he heard many people making a loud noise. They said, 
"Here is a large, strange house! It must belong to a great chief, for 
see the painting on the front ! and the door also is the mouth of a 
moaster fish!" Kwa'tiyat' did not know how the front of his house 
looked, for he had never seen it before. 



918 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Then some of the people said, "Let us go and ask our cliief, Wood- 
pecker, to send his speakere to invite the chief that owns tliis house, 
whoever he may be!" Before Woodpecker sent his speaker to call 
the stranger, he sent for the Clam (He'tcin'qas) to come to his house. 
When the Clam had entered, he said, "Now, Clam, I am gomg to send 
for the owner of that painted house; and when he comes, I want to 
find out who he is, and what power he has in the way of magic. So I 
am going to ask him to play some kind of game before I feed him ; and 
before he plays, I will call you by name to come out and show him 
your trick, that is, to squirt water through a stone, as you always do; 
and after you have done it, I will give the stranger another stone. 
He shall try and force water thi-oughit, as you do. Of course, if he 
can not do it, we havenotliing to be afraid of; but if he can do it like 
you, then he may be able to kill us b}^ squirting water on us. Then 
we shall have to kill him. Now, that is all I want of you," said 
Woodpecker to the Clam. After he had finished speaking, he called 
four of his speakers, saying, "I want you to go and invite the 
stranger who fives in that new house to come and eat in my house." 

Then the four speakers went out of their chief's house, and walked 
off to the front of the stranger's house, and began to call out loudly 
from outside of the house, saying, "Wc come to invite you, chief of 
this house! for our chief. Woodpecker, who is over all our tribe, 
said so; and we are to wait for you to come along with us now." 
And Kwa'tiyat' caUed liis two wives, sayiug, " Now, Chief Woodpecker 
calls us to go to his house; and he told his speakers to wait for 
us and bring us along with them." Then thoy got ready, and aU 
three came out of the monster fish's mouth. WhcnKwa'ttyat' came 
out, he looked very handsome; he looked like a great chief; he even 
looked greater than Woodpecker, his master; and the four speakere 
led the way. Kwa'tiyaf's two wives walked ahead of him; and 
when they went into the house. Chief Woodpecker told his speaker 
to take them to the rear of the house, and they sat on a new mat 
that was spread there for them. After they had sat down, Wood- 
pecker said to his chief speaker, "Wifi you teU this chief that 
I want to know his name, and also where he came from?" Then 
the speaker asked Kwa'tiyat' aU that tlie chief wanted to know; 
but Kwa'tiyat' only kept quiet. 

[One thing I have forgotten; that is, that Kwa'tiyat' said to the 
four speakers, "I wiU not go to your chief's house unless he lays 
roof boards on the ground from your chief's house door to my house 
door, for me to walk on, for I don't walk on the gi'oimd of the place 
where I come fi-om." The four speakei-s went back to Cliief Wood- 
pecker's house and told him what had been said by Kwa'tiyat". 
Then Chief Woodpecker was half afraid of him, and said, "Get 
all my people to get one board from their house roof and lay it on the 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 919 

ground." After this had been done, the same speakers went and 
told Kwa'tiyat' that the boards were all hiid on the ground, and 
then he came.] 

Then the chief said to Kwa'ttyat', "Before we begin to eat, we 
will play a game; for that is alwaj^s the custom with my people." 
Then he called Clam (He'tcin'qas) and one of his friends, and 
told them to play some kind of game; and they both came. 
One of them carried a black flat stone. Then they showed it to 
Kwa'tiyat'; and after he had a good look at it. Clam took it and 
squirted some water against the flat side of the hard black flat stone, 
and the water made a hole clear through it. After he had done 
this, he gave it to his friend; and he also squirted water at it and 
made a hole through it. After he had done his work, he walked 
up to Kwa'tiyat' and gave it to him, and said, "Will you also do 
as we did to this stone? Now, see whether you can make a hole 
through it as easily as we have !" Then Kwa'tiyat' took the 
stone; and he took into his mouth water from a bucket, and 
held the stone in front of his mouth and began to force the water 
between his lips, and he also made a hole thi-ough the stone. Then 
he threw the stone down. Woodpecker looked as though he were 
afraid of him, and said, "This man has strong magic m liim." 
Kwa'tiyat' heard him saying aU these tlihigs, and he began to laugh 
loud, and said, "Wlaat is the matter with you, my master Wood- 
pecker? for you do not seem to know your own slave Kwa'tiyat'." 
As soon as he said these words, his two wives disappeared, and the 
house also was gone; and Kwa'tiyat" got back his old ugly face, just 
as he was before he got married to the Sharks' two princesses; and 
after Woodpecker found out who he was, he took a stick and beat 
him until he was dead. That ends the story. 

8. How Ya l6^\ Went To Get Married to the Salmon Princess 

Once upon a time there lived two chiefs — one in Yogwat, whose 
name was Ya'lo^a', the head chief; and his rival, a chief whose name 
was Hekwatses. Those two chiefs were all the time gambling by 
throwing eagle-wmg feathers {^e'ltd^naV) at a target; and Hekwatses, 
the second chief, was always on the losing side. For a long time he 
tried to beat his rival by playing this game; so he said to himself, 
"Now, I will go to the lake to wash my body every night with hem- 
lock branches and water, so as to beat my rival in that game I 
am playuig with him." So in the night Hekwatses left his wife 
alone in bed; and before he left her he told her that he was going to 
stay at the lake (or Lli'tsW) all night to wash his body with luuulock 
branches for good luck against his rival. 

After he had finished telliug this, he went out of his bedroom. 
There was a verv old man Iving down near the fire. Hekwatses asked 



920 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY. (eth. ann. 31 

him what he should do mth himself in the lake to get good luck; 
"for," said he, "whenever I play a game with Ya'lo^a', I lose con- 
tinually, and now I want you to tell me what to do to myself in the 
lake." 

The old man said, "In the first place, you have to tell your wife not 
to move about in your bed, and not to roll about ; but she must he 
on her right side all night, until you come home in the morning. Now, 
when you reach the lake, wet some hemlock branches and rub them 
on your body. First, you must make four bunches of them — two 
bunches for the right side of your body, and two for the left side. 
You will have to keep nibbing them on your body until you get warm 
with the pain they will make. Then you must go into the water and 
get cooled down. Then keep on rubbing imtil the blood comes 
through your skill; and after you have done this, dive into the water 
and stay under just as long as your breath will let you. Now, you 
must do this four times, and just beforfe daylight you will do so again. 
Then he cooled himself; for he was very warm from the rubbing he 
had with the four bimches of hemlock branches. 

After he had finished, he sat under a tree alongside of the lake, and 
just before daylight he went through all that he had done in the night. 
When he had finished, he came home, and lay down in one corner of 
the house. 

Now, as soon as Hekwatsos had gone out of his house, the old man 
thought he saw a man enter, who seemed to go into Ilekwatses's 
bedroom. Then he thought he heard Helcwatses's wife laugh with a 
man; but the old man said to himself, "I will sit close to the door, 
and see him go out in the morning;" and he sat alongside of the 
door, where no one could see him. Just past midnight he saw the 
man come out of the bedroom of Hekwatses. lie passed close to 
the old man, as he was sitting there; and the old man thought that 
this man was Chief Ya'lo^a'. Then the man went out of the door, and 
the old man lay down in his bed. He thought to himself, "I mil not 
say anything to my chief, Helrwatses, about it, for it is only one night 
she will do that against her husband." 

As soon as night came on, Helavatses went out of the house without 
saying a word to any one; he did not even speak a word to his wife. 
Then he went to the lake again, and began to take another four 
branches of hemlock trees; and he tied them in four bmiches, and 
began to go tlirough what he had done the first night. After he had 
finished, he went out and sat under the tree where he had sat the 
fijst night. Just before daylight he took another bath, as he had 
done before; and when he had finished, he went home and lay dowr, 
ui the corner again. 

Tlie old man, however, saw the man come into the liouse and go 
uito the bedroom of Hekwatses; and he heard them play together 



BOAS] APPENDIX I JTOOTKA TALES 921 

and laugh. Tliat made the old man angry ; and he said to himseK, 
"I will tell my chief all about this now, for his wife is helpmg his 
rival." As soon as the chief came to him, he said, "Sit do'wiv here 
close to me, for I have something important to teU you!" This was 
before Hekwatscs's vrife woke up hi the morning. The old man said, 
"I did not want to tell you about this matter, but I could not liclp 
it, for I am sorry for you. Now, these two nights, while you went 
to bathe to get good luck against your rival, iaistead of your wife 
trying to help you, she let your rival Ya'lo^a' come and sleep with 
her." 

Then Hekwatses said to the old man, "Don't tell any man what 
you have told me about this matter, for I will let him know that I 
know somethmg about it tonight." This ho said as he went and lay 
down in the corner of his house. 

After a while his wife came out of the bedroom and sat dowm along- 
side of the fire. She began to get something ready to eat for herself. 
Tlien she began to eat; and after she had finished eating, she went 
uito her bedroom agaui and went to sleep, for she had not had any 
sleep m the night. All the time she was eating, however, her hus- 
band had been watching her movements; and she looked as if she 
were sleepy. 

When night came again, Holavatses got up from the corner and went 
to his little huntmg-box and took something out of it. Then he went 
out of the house, and all tlie people of the house went to bed earlier 
than they usually did. Then Ya'lo^a', the head chief, came hito the 
house as soon as he saw that they had all gone to bed; and he went 
uito the bedroom of Hekwatses and his wife. As soon as Hclnvatses 
saw Ya'lo^a' go into his house and uito his bedroom (for tliis time he 
did not go to the lake; he merely staid outside of his house to see the 
chief go in), he went to the rear of his house and listened to his \vife 
laughing with Ya'lo^a', his rival; and for a long time they were 
playing together. After a while he heard them go off to sleep. Very 
soon they were snoruig. Then he said to himself, "Now, I wiU go 
ui and see them." Tlien he went into his house, for the doors of the 
first people never used to be shut at night. He went into the bed- 
room, and there he saw that his wife had her naked arm round the 
neck of Ya'l5^a". Tlien Hekwatses touched his wife's arm, but she 
did not move. He had in his hand a sea-otter spear {akicuih); and 
with this he poked into Ya'lo^a"s right eye, and dug it out of its 
socket; he took hold of it and pulled it out. Tlien Hek^vatscs ran 
out with the ball of Ya'lo^a"s eye ia his hand; and Ya'io^i' also ran 
out, for he was screaming with pain. He went into his house and 
staid uiside for four days. He was ashamed to go out, for he had 
been a handsome man, but now he had only one eye. .Uter he had 
been four days in the house, he sent for a wise man, whose name was 



922 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann.31 

Inventor (Genayo) . When Inventor entered the bedroom of Ya'lo^a', 
the head chief, he saw that he had only one eye. Then Inventor 
asked him how he had lost his right eye; and Ya'lo^a" said, "I lost my 
ej^e while going through the woods to bathe in the lake, for gambling 
against Hekwatses; a stick poked my right eye, and that is why 
I sent for 3"0u to come and tA\ me what to do to put it right again." 
Then Inventor told Ya'lo^a' that he could not give him any answer 
that day. "But," said he, "tonight I will see what I can do for 
you." Then Inventor left the chief, and the chief told him not to 
tell any one about his losing one of his ej^es. 

At night Inventor found out what to do, and in the morning he 
went back to Ya'l6^a"s house. He told him that he had found out a 
way; that was for Ya'lo'a' to go round the world and get married to 
some chief's daughter who had supernatural power. Then Ya'lo^a', 
the chief, said, "How shall I go round the world ?" and InA^entor said, 
"I will make for you a garment iyahd'V) out of a swan's skin, and 
you wUl have to put it on, for everybody likes to get a swan's skin; 
and when people see you sitting on the salt water in front of the 
village, you must look for a pretty princess for your wife. They will 
go out in canoes to catch you. All the time you are sitting on the 
water you will see the people come out of their houses to look at you 
Then you can pick out a pretty woman who pleases you." 

Inventor had a bundle under his arm, which he pulled out — it was 
a swan's skin; so he stretched it until it was big enough to cover 
Chief Ya'l6^a"s body. When it was finished, Inventor asked the 
chief if he had a pillow of eagle's down (m<ilhap!et) ; and the chief 
said, "Yes, I have." Then he said, "Have ten small baskets made, 
and fill them from the pillow of eagle's down. You will have to take 
also food and water with you," said he. It did not take the women 
long to get ten small baskets made. Then Inventor filled them with 
the eagle's down, and he said to the chief, "The place from which you 
are going to get yom* wife will look like eagle's down." Then he put 
the swan's skin on the chief, and he put the ten small baskets of 
eagle's down inside of the skin, and also some food and water; then 
he said, "Now, you are ready to go." The chief asked, "IIow 
shall I get out of the house?" and Inventor said, "I will go on the 
roof and take some of the boards off to make an open place for you to 
fly through." Then he went and moved two roof boards and made 
an opening. Then he came down, and said, "Now, fly up! " and the 
Swan flew up from the floor, and went through to the roof late at 
night. 

In the morning early he went and sat in front of the Haskweyat 
vfllage. One man of that tribe got up early and went out of his 
house; and the first thing he saw was a great white swan sitting on 
the salt water in front of the village. Then the man went into the 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 923 

house and called his brother secretly, and said, "Get up and let us 
go and catch a pretty white swan sitting on the salt water in front of 
us!" and each took a paddle, and they went out in a canoe. They 
tried to catch the bud, but it kept out of their way; and when they 
saw that they could not catch it, they called for help, and all the 
men and women came out of their houses. Then Ya'lo^a' could see 
all the women. Many canoes went out to him, and they paddled all 
round him; for they wanted to catch him alive. As he saw no 
pretty women there, however, he said, "I will fly away, for there is 
no woman here good-looking enough for me." Then he flew over the 
canoes, and it took him until night to go to Ahousat. Then he sat 
on the salt water veiy close to the village beach. Early in the morn- 
ing one of the old men of that tribe went out to pass water; and as 
soon as he opened the door he saw the great white swan sitting on 
the salt water close to the beach. Then he called out loudly, and 
told all the people to come out and look at it. 

Very soon all the men and chikhen came out of theu houses, and 
all the spearmen took then canoes and spears and went out to spear it. 
Then Ya'lo^a" the bird said to himseU, "There are no pretty women 
here; I will go fai'ther on," and he flew over all the canoes. 

In the night he came to another village, the Clayoquot village, 
and he stopped there and waited for daylight. WTien daylight came, 
he went close inshore to the beach of the village. Early in the 
morning a young man came out of his house, and the fu'st tlung liis 
eye fell on was the white swan sitting on the salt water. Then he 
went in and called his brother up from sleep, and said to him, "Get 
up! for there is a white swan sitting on the salt water very close to 
shore;" and they took their paddles and went out of their houses. 
They went into a canoe and paddled after the bird, but it was too 
quick for them. 

After these two men got tired paddhng, they called the people of 
the tribe to try and catch the white swan. Very soon all the men 
and women came out of their houses, and Ya'lo'a' the swan looked 
for a pretty woman among them all; but there was none, so he flew 
away before all the canoes were ready to come out to him. He kept 
on going until night, and late that same night lie came to a village. 
That village belonged to the Ucluelet tribe. So he sat on the 
salt water, as he alwaj^s did, close to the beach of the village; and 
early in the morning a woman came out of her house, and she saw 
the white swan sitting on the water. Then she called her husband 
out and told him to go and try to catch it. This man took four men 
in a canoe with him to catch the swan, and tlie swan was too quick 
for him also. Wlien they got tired, they called out to their people 
to come too, and all the people of the tribe came out to see the bird 
as it was sittmg on the water. Tlien Ya'lo'"a' looked to see if there 



924 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. r,i 

was a pretty woman among them; but there was none, so ho flew 
away again until night came on. 

Then he came to a village belonging to the Seshart (Ts .'ica'^ath") 
tribe; and he went and sat on the water close to the beach of the 
village. As soon as dayhght came, he saw a young man come out of 
his house. Now, this j'oung man had been to see his sweetheart in 
the night, and that is why he got up early that morning. As soon 
as he saw the great swan, he called out for everybody to get up; and 
as soon as he called out, all the men and women came out of their 
houses; and the first thing they did was to go to the beach and push 
their canoes down to the salt water and paddle after him. Then 
Ya'lo^a" looked to see if there was a pretty young woman among 
them, and this time he saw a very pretty one. While he was being 
chased bj- the people, he was maMng up his muid whether he had 
better lot them catch him or not. Then he said, "I am all right as 
I am, for I can come back again if I do not find a prettier woman 
farther on." Then he flow away again. 

Late in the night he came to the village of the Oiaht (Ho^a'i'ath*) 
tribe, and there also he went and sat close to the beach of the houses. 
In the morning he saw a man come out of lois house, and he also began 
to call out to the people to get up and see a strange-looking bird sit- 
ting on the salt water. Very soon all the women and men came out 
of their houses. Before they went down to their canoes, he saw 
there were no pretty women there, so he flew away until night came. 

Then he saw another large village, belonging to the Niti'na^ath* 
tribe; and he went close inshore and sat on the salt water. In the 
morning two men came out of their houses. Each of them was 
carrying a paddle (^oxwa'p), and they went down to the beach and 
pushed a canoe into the water. They both went aboard; and as 
soon as they paddled, one of them saw the swan close to them, and 
they paddled after it. The bird was too quick for them; and whde 
these two men were cliasing it, more canoes came out, untU there 
were more than a hundred canoes chasing it. Ya'Io^a' let them chase 
him until all the women of the village came out of their houses; and 
when he saw that there was none good-looking enough for him, he 
flew away. 

Late in the night he came to the village belonging to the Makah 
(Lla'^os'ath*) tribe, and went close to the beach of that vUlage and 
sat on the water. In the mornmg a man came out of his house; and 
when he came out of the door, his eye fell on the white bird. Then 
he called out to all the people of that tribe to come and see it, and 
veiy soon all the people came out of theh houses; then all the people 
said, "Let us try to catch it!" but as soon as Ya'lo'^a" saw there was 
no woman pretty enough for him, he flew away until night. 

Again he came to a village belonging to the Konyotlath* (proba- 
bly Qmlleyute), and here also he stopped close to the village; early 



BOAS] APPENDIX I — NOOTKA TALES 925 

in the morning an old man came out of his house, and he saw the 
swan first. He began to pray to the gi-eat biacl to give him long life. 
He was saying liis prayer aloud, and some of tlie people heard him. 
They came out to see what he was praying to; and then they saw 
the great white swan sitting close inshore. Each took a paddle and 
went down to a canoe itc.'a'pats), and they went out to tiy to catch 
the bird. The old man called out loudly to them not to try to catch 
it, for he knew that the swan was something more than a common 
swan. He told them that ho had dreamed of a swan that had a man 
inside of it, who was going round the world to tiy to find a pretty 
young woman for his wife. 

The people of the village heard him saying this; and in a vejy short 
time every man and woman of that village came out, and there 
Ya'lo^a' saw a veiy pretty woman. He thought at first that he had 
better let them catch him; but he said, "No, if I don't see any (pretty 
women) farther on, I can come to this place again and let them catch 
me, for I am veiy comfortable here;" and now many canoes came 
out to try to catch him, but he flew over them and went on westwai'd. 

Now and then he went across the great sea, and then he thought 
he had better go northward. It was nearly daylight when he came 
to a villi^e, and he stopped veiy close to the beach. This village 
beloi^ed to the Etslogwat. There he saw an old woman come out 
of a house; and the first thing her eye fell on was the gi-eat white 
swan sitting on the salt water, very close inshore. She also cried 
out to the people to come out of their houses to look at the biid, 
and very soon all the people came out. In this place he did not see 
any pretty young women; so, before the people went down to their 
canoes, he flew away, and kept his course northwai-d. 

It was late in the night when he came to a village that belonged to 
the Dzodedet. Again he saw a man come out with a paddle in his 
hand, and a spear; and as soon as he came out of his house, he 
stopped when he saw the great white swan sitting very close to where 
he was standing. Then he called to the people to come out and 
look at the great white swan sittiug on the salt water, and soon all 
the men and women came out of their houses. Ya'lo^a' did not see 
any woman pretty^ enough for him; but all the men had three streaks 
down their chins and one on each side of their faces, just under their 
eyes. After they had all come out, he did not see any pretty girl 
there, and he flew away agahi. 

Now he came to a strange coxmtry; and he kept on flying until 
just before daylight, when he came to a village that belonged to the 
Sardhies (?)(Amenal). Now, itseemed to him that these people never 
went to sleep, for he heard them pla^-hig a long while before he came 
to their village. They are very small, the tallest bemg only two 
spans and a half higli, and there were many of them; but he did not 
see any women pretty enough for him. 



926 ■ TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Then he flew away northward again, and he kept on flying until 
night. He heard many children playing ahead of him. He went 
on in the direction the sound came from, and m a very short time 
came to the village of a happy people. They were playmg all night. 
He went and sat very close to the beach on the salt water. Now, 
this village belonged to the Herring (Lu'smit'). They were a little 
bigger people than the Sardmes, and they were spawnuig at the time 
Ya'lo^a' came to then' village. He staid there until dayhght, and 
t hoy were playing all that time. In the morning he saw them running 
in at the front door of a great long house and out at the back door, and 
then back through the front door again. They were going round all 
the time, and they seemed to be blind. It was late in the day when 
some one stopped and looked outward; and as soon as he caught sight 
of the great white swan, he called out to his friends and told them about 
what he had seen. All the people rushed out of the long house, and 
then they said that they would go and try to catch him; but Ya'lo^a' 
said, "I don't see any pretty yoimg women here, I will leave them." 
So he flew away before any of them came down to their canoes. He 
kept on gomg northward, and m the night he came to a village that 
belonged to the Cohoes Salmon (Tso'^wtt'). These people are of the same 
size as we are, and there was a largo village which belonged to them. 
In the morning he saw many men come out of a largo house; and they 
saw the swan sitting on the salt water very close to the beach of their 
village. The first thing they did was to go and get a paddle each, 
and their spears; and they went do^vn to their canoes and tried to 
catch the swan. After all the people had come out of their houses, he 
saw many women with light-colored hair; and they were very pretty. 
Now, he was going to let them catch him; but he said, "I am all right, 
for I still have much food and water. I can come back to this 
place again, so I will go on a little farther to see the world;" and he 
flew away again. For two days he was flying. 

Then he came to a village. It was a very large one. The houses 
were large, and the people were stout and heavy. It was m the night 
that he came there and sat on the salt water in front of the village. 
Early in the morning a young man came out of a house to pass water ; 
and as he came out of the house, he saw the swan sitting on the water 
in front of the village. Then he began to call out to the people of the 
tribe to come out to see the swan. Very soon all the men and women 
came out to see him. Now, this village belonged to the Spring 
Salmon (Sa'tslop') tribe; and when thoy had all come out of their 
houses, the chief, Ya'lS^a", said that he had never seen any uglier 
people than they were. Then they also tried to catch him in their 
canoes; but he flew away from them, and he flew all day long north- 
ward. 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 927 

Late in the night he came to a double viUage, or one that looked 
as if there were two villages; for there was one village on one side 
of a sinaU bay, and there was another on the other side. Then he 
sat on the salt water, just in the middle of the bay. Now, one 
of these villages belonged to the Dog Salmon (Neklawas), and the 
other belonged to the Humpbacked Fish (Dzabe). As soon as it 
was dayUght, a Dog Salmon man came out of his house; one of 
the Humpbacked Fish men also came out of his house; and these 
two men saw the swan at the same time. They began to call to 
their people to go out in their canoes to try to catch the bird. The 
Humpbacked Fish went out in their canoes firet; then the Dog 
Salmon people came out after them in their canoes; and that is 
why the Dog Salmon tribe always come before the Humpbacked 
Fish to the rivers. Then all the canoes chased him, an<l all the 
men and women came out of their houses. All the time they were 
chasing the swan, he was looking at a very pretty woman stan(Ung 
at the door of a great house. Then he said to himself, "I wiU let 
the chief, Fast Swimmer (Hln'k!o"as), catch me." Of course, the 
chief was allowed by his people to go fii-st, and the bird began to 
go very slowly. Then the chief caught him and brought him to 
shore. 

The first thing his daughter said was, "Father, now you have 
caught that pretty white swan, will you give it to me for my 
pet?" and her father said, "Yes, for I love you. I will give it 
to you." 

After they had finished talking, they spread on the floor a new 
mat for the swan to sit on. After it was seated there, everybody 
went out of the house except the chief. Fast Swimmer; and Ya'lo^a' 
said to Irimself, "Now I wiU show myself to the chief." Then he 
put his hands out from the bird's wings, and took hold of its beak 
and lifted it off his head, and said, "O Chief Fast Swimmer! I am 
a man, and I have come to marry your princess." \Vlien the chief 
saw him and heard him speak, he laughed, and said, "That was just 
what I expected. Now, I will let 3'ou marry my princess; and I will 
call all my people in, and you shall get married to her before them 
all." But Ya'lo^a" said to the chief, "Could you ciu-e my eye 
before you call all your people in?" and Chief Fast Swimmer said, 
"Yes, I will call one of my men, who will set it right." 

He called an old man, and the chief told him what he wanted 
Mm to do. The man went out, and it was not long before he came 
back. He carried a piece of alder (qa'qmapt) in his hand, and he 
took four stones and put them into the fire. After that he took 
the alder wood and cut it into a ball just big enough to fit into Ya'- 
l6^a"s eye; and after he had finished it, he took a small steaming- 
box and put a httle water into it. Then he took the red-hot stones 



928 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. ann. 31 

ami put them into the box of water. When the water was boiling, 
he put the ball of alder wood into it; and in a short time he took 
it out and put it into Ya'lo^a"s ej^e-socket. He worked it about 
until it was turned into a living eyeball; and he also pressed Ya'lo^a"s 
face and made him look Mke a very handsome man. 

After he had finished it, he went out of the house. Then Ya'lo^a' 
said to the chief, "Now I want to teU you something before you 
call your people in. I have brought ten basketfuls of eagle's down 
{malhap.'ei). I think you will want to give one basketful away to 
your people, and you yourself may take nine basketfuls for my 
marriage-gift to your princess." The cliief was much pleased at 
this, for all that the salmon come to the rivers for is to get the eagle's 
down that drifts on the waters. 

So after he had fuiished speaking, the chief called his speakers. 
There were four of them; and when they came, he told them to go 
and call all the people into his house, for his princess was going to be 
married to a stranger. Then the four speakers went out of the 
chief's house and called aloud to the people to come into the chief's 
house to see the marriage of the princess to a stranger. Then, of 
course, everybody wanted to see what he meant; for they did not 
know that Ya'i5^a' and the swan were one. 

Everybody went into the chief's house; and after they were all in, 
the chief himself spoke and told his people about the great white swan 
that he had caught; that he was the chief Ya'lo^a' whom they had 
heard talked about; and that he came to take his chxughter for his 
wife; and also that he had given him something that he knew they 
would aU like to have, and that was eagle's down. 

"And now," said he, "I am going to call him and his wife out of 
their room to come and sit down there," pointing his forefinger at a 
mat that was spread at the rear of the house. As soon as he called 
to them to come, the princess came ahead of Ya'lo^a', and they went 
and sat on the mat. Now, it is said that Ya'ld^a' looked very hand- 
some; for he had his face painted, and he had abalone shells on his 
ears and a small one on his nose; he also had eagle's down on his hair, 
and he had put down on his wife also. 

When they came in, all the Dog Salmon people said, "There's a 
chief! See, he has much valuable property on him!" (They meant 
the eagle's down.) As soon as they sat down on the mat, all the 
speakers got up and told the people that they were husband and wife 
now, and that the chief would bring out the small basket of eagle's 
down. Then it was brought out by one of the chief's men; and they 
opened it and gave each chief four pieces of eagle's down, and every 
one of the common men got one piece of it. They were much pleased 
with it, and thanked Ya'Io^a' for bringing it to them. He was treated 
well by all the people. Whenever he was hungry, they would send a 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 929 

little boy to the salt water; and as soon as he went into the water, 
he would turn into a salmon. Then they would catch him and cut 
him open, and either roast him or boil him in the steaming-box with 
red-hot stones. After Ya'lo'a' finished eatmg it, they woukl pickup 
all the bones and skuis and put them all back into the salt water. 
Then the boy would come to life agam. 

Now, Ya'lo^a' was very happy with his wife, for now he was treatetl 
as a chief by all the Salmon people. Very soon his wife was preg- 
nant, and she delivered a baby-boy. Then the chief of the Dog 
Salmon one day saw Ya'lo^a' look as though he were downhearted, and 
he told his daughter to ask him what was the matter. When she 
asked him about it, he said, "Nothing; I am only thinkbig about my 
poor parents." vShe told this to her father; and he then said to his 
daughter, "Tell your husband that I will send four of my men to go 
and see how they are getting on; and when they come back and tell 
us how they are, then we shall know what to do about your husband." 
Then he called the Fast Swimmers, and told them to go and see his 
son-in-law's father and mother and find out whether they were well 
or not. Then these four men said that they would go m the morning 
very early, so as to be home in four days' time. 

Early in the morning they started; and after four days they came 
home and told their chief that they had found Ya'l6^a"s father and 
mother livmg in a small house down close to the beach, and that they 
had their hah- cut short on account of the death of their son Ya'lo^a' 
and that the people did not treat them as they do a chief. 

After these four men finished telling this to their chief, he called 
Ya'lo^a' and his wife and told them the news. Then he asked Y'a'lo^a' 
if he wanted to go homo; and Y'a'lo^a' said, "I don't know how to go 
home. I should like to go and see my parents if I knew the way." 

Then the chief told the four speakers to call his people into his 
house; and the fom* speakers went and stood outside of the house 
and called out to the people and told them that the chief wanted 
them to come into his house. It did not take them long to come in; 
and when they were all inside, the chief spoke, telling the people that 
his son-in-law wanted to go home to see his parents. "Now," said 
he, "I want you to make ten large canoes for us all to go with him, 
his wife and his two children. I want these ten large canoes to be 
ready in three days' time, so that we may start on the fourth day." 

All the people were pleased to hear him say this, for they had heard 
so much about this part of the world that they wanted to go and 
see it. In tlu-ee days' time the canoe was ready; and the chief called 
his people into his house again, and asked them if they requested 
anythmg of Ya'lo^a' before he was taken home; and the wise man of 
the Dog Salmon said, "We had better tell Ya'lo^a' what we want 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 59 



930 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

his people to do for us, and what we should like them to put on the 
water for us to get. Now, the first thing wo always like to get from 
them is eagle's down; and mussel-shells {L.'o'tdiin^), the large ones; 
and the Juip.'dtci'm^ — these three things we always like to have. We 
also do not want them to use bhmt-pointed spears on us, for it hurts; 
and whenever they make salmon traps to catch us %\ath, let them 
shave the sticks well and put a good sharp point on them. Also, 
whenever they cook salmon in any way, and whenever they finish 
eating it, let them pick up all the bones and pieces of skin and tlu-ow 
them into the salt water. Then we can come home agam. If they 
do not do that, we can not come to life agam." 

After the wise man had finished speaking. Chief Fast Swimmer 
spoke again, saying, "Now, I want one of you, my speakers, to give 
my son-in-law a blanket to wear when we come to his home;" and 
the head speaker got up and said, ' ' I will give your son-in-law my 
four-times-jumper blanket ; and whenever he wears it, he can jump 
out of the water four times." 

Then the people said, "Let us go and see him try the blanket on!" 
and they gave Ya'16%' the salmon-skin blanket, yet it looked to him 
like a fm* blanket. Then he put it on, and he was taken down to the 
beach and told to go into the salt water; and as soon as he went into 
the salt water, he was turned into a dog salmon. Then he jumped 
out of the water fom* times, but he did not jimip the right way. After 
he had jumped out of the water four times, he came out and was 
tm'ned into a man again. 

When he came out of the water, his father-in-law said to his people, 
"I do not like the way that blanket jumps, for four times is not 
enough for him. I will give him my ten-times-jumper blanket : and 
I will try and get it now," said he, as he ran up the beach. 

He went iato his house; and very soon he came out carrying his 
blanket in his hand; and when he came up to where Ya'lo^a' was 
standing, he told him to take the four-timos-jumper blanket off and 
to put the ten-times-jumper blanket on. Then Ya'lo^a' took off the 
blanket and put the new one on. Then he was told to go and try 
that one in the salt water; and as soon as he went into the water, 
he turned into a pretty dog salmon, and began to jump ten times 
without anything going AVTong with him. Then he came out of the 
water and was turned into a man again. 

After they had finished, the chief of the Dog Salmon told his people 
not to forget to take the boils, or "sickness of swelling," for a 
bottom board of the ten canoes. The people got their canoes ready; 
and when everything was in readiness, in the evening the chief of the 
Dog Salmon sent his four speakers to call the men, women, and chil- 
dren into his house. In a very short time all came in. Then ho 
took the remaining nine baskets of eagle's down, and gave them to 



BOAS] APPENDIX I XOOTKA TALES 931 

his people. Mier he had hnished, he told them to get up early in 
the morning to take his son-in-law home. After he had stopped 
speaking, the people came out of the house; and early in the morn- 
ing the chief speaker went out and called to all the people to get up 
and start away. Very soon everybody got up and went out and 
down to their canoes. Ya'lo^a' and his wife and two children also 
got into their canoe. Then they started, and it took them four days 
to get to Place Of False River (Wakat !a). 

In the night all the canoes stopped there, just outside of Yogsvat; 
and then Ya'hya' was told to go and tell his father and all his people 
to get up early and go to T!aci" River, make an open salmon trap 
{nizi's) there, and put it into the river when it rained, and not to 
club the four salmon after thej^ groaned ; and after they got these 
four salmon, to take them home and cut them open, roast them, 
and eat them, and to pick up every little piece of bone and skin 
and flesh and throw them into the water. 

"Now, go!" said the chief to his son-in-law. Ya'lo^a' all the time 
had the ten-times-jumper blanket on. Then ho went overboard, and 
jumped just ten times when he landed at Rocky Point (Ti'lol), on 
the east point of Friendly Cove. Then he walked over to the village, 
and there he found a very small house on the beach. He went iiito 
it, and he saw a little fire in the middle of the little house, and he 
rearranged the fire. 

Then his father spoke angrily, saying, "Who are you that comes 
to our house? You know very well that our son is dead, and that 
we do not want any one to come and make fun of us." 
. After the old man had finished speaking, Ya'Io^a' spoke, and said, 
"I am your son Ya'lo^a". I have come home •w-ith my wife and two 
sons ; and now I come to tell you to go to T !aci" early in the morniag 
with all j'our people." Then he told his father all about what his 
father-in-law had told him to say to him; and after he had done so, he 
went away again into the salt water, and he jumped ten times and 
came up to the canoes and went into his own. 

Then the chief, Ya'lo^a"s father-in-law, told all the people which 
river to go to; so they all went to the difl'erent streams. But one 
canoe went to T!aci" River: that was Ya'l5^a"s canoe. Their chief 
also told them to come home in the month of November, not later. 
Then they aU parted, and Ya'lo^a"'s canoe arrived at Tlaci" early 
the next mornmg. 

When morning came, Ya'lo^a"s father called everybody, and told 
them to go to T!aci", and said that they would find his son Ya'lo^a' 
there; but everybody said, "How are we going to find him, for he is 
dead?" But he was very happy, and said, "Get your canoes ready 
and let us go!" Then they said, "We will go anywhere to find him;" 
and they all went to T!aci". 



932 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

The first thing the old man did was to make a salmon traj) (niLis) ; 
and as soon as it was finished, it rained a little. Then he put it into 
the river, and the next morning he went to see it. When he came to 
it, ho found four pretty dog salmon in it, and he took a small stick to 
club them. Tlien he took the largest one out and began clubbing 
it until it groaned. Then he stopped. He did the same thing to the 
others. Then he took them home and told his wife to cut them open 
and to cook them at once, and his wife cut them up and cooked 
them all. 

After the salmon had been cooked, they called some of their friends 
to come and help them oat it; and when they had finished eating, the 
old man picked up every piece of bone and skin and flesh, for he had 
faith in what his son had said to him. 

He called all the people to come out of the house to see what he 
was going to do. Then they came out; and the old man went down 
to the beach, carryuig the box of bones. He threw the box into the 
salt water. As soon as it went under the water, they saw Ya'io^a' and 
his wife and the two boys come out of the salt water; and they wont 
into their house. 

Now all the people were happy to see their cliief home again, and 
they began to call him and his family to a feast to make sure that 
it was he; for they thought if it really were Ya'lo^a', he would not eat 
anything. He ate whatever was given to him, however. Then 
he told them all about what he was told to tell the people, and what 
the salmon like; and that whenever the women are cutting any kind 
of salmon, theyshould keep their legs -wide open, and should not use any 
other knife than a large mussel-shell for cuttmg the salmon open, so 
that they can get the broken pieces; and that the men should not use a 
blunt-pointed spear-head on the salmon, for they say it hurts them 
more than a sharp one. That is all, only that Ya'lo^a' is the head 
chief of his tribe now, and that is how the Indians know that the 
Salmon are men, as we are. 

That ends the story. 

9. How Raven Committed Rape on the Octopus Woman 

(A Mdwa'tc.'ath'^ Story) 

Once upon a time there lived in the village at Yogwat a man wliose 
name was Raven (Qo'^cln'^mlf), and he was a chief of that tribe. He 
was always taking a walk to different places. One day he thought 
he would go to ^mo^wt'n^ls River; and when he came up to the little 
river, he thought he would better go to Running Tide Place (Ts !ats !e). 
The tide was very low, and there was a long rock on the beach. 
Alongside of it he saw an object moving that looked somewhat like a 
woman, and he went into the woods so that this thing could not see 



BOAS] APPENDIX I — NOOTKA TALES 93S 

him. When he came out to look at her, he went behind the rock and 
walked down tow^ard it, and the woman was on the other side. When 
he came up to the rock, he looked over it, and there he saw a pretty 
woman digging for clams. She w^as so pretty that he could not stop 
himself: he sprang on her and committed rape. As soon as he 
came up to her, however, she turned into an octopus (tl'lop), which 
held him until the tide came in and drowned him. Then she let him 
go, and he was washed up to the beach. A canoe came along and 
found him lying on the beach dead; and the people said, "Oh, hero 
is our chief dead!" But as soon as they had said this, he awoke, 
and said that he had been sleeping there instead of being dead. So 
he came home and had a good'time with his people again. 
That ends the storj-. 

10. How Raven was in the Woods for a Lokwa'na" Dance 

AT YOGWAT 

Once upon a time there lived a man whose name was Raven 
(Qo'-'cln'^mlf), of a tribe belonging to the Ts la^wtn'^ath", one of the 
brother tribes of the Mowa'tclath'^ at Yogwat. Raven had a wife 
whose name was Sea Egg (Pa'chak'). It was in the -winter-time, and 
the Mowa'tclath'^ tribe were talking about having a winter-dance, or 
Lokwa'na' dance. After they had stopped talking about the Lokwa'na' 
dance — how they would appear in the village — a number of young 
men went at night into the woods to liowl like wolves, to give notice 
to the people that the winter-dance, or Lokwa'na', was coming to 
bring the dance to the people. Now, this notice has to be howled, 
as wolves howl, three difl'erent nights, so as to get everybody ready 
for the fourth night ; for the wolves come to the door of the Lokwa'na' 
dancing-house and throw in the ball of Lokwa'na', or dance-giver, or, 
in Kwakiutl, "ball of quartz." This ball is said to strike whatever 
girl (or boy) is going to dance the LSkw-a'na'. Then she pretends to 
be dead until all the people come to sing their secret songs. Then 
she comes to life again. 

As soon as Raven heard the wolves howl the first notice of the 
dance, however, he disappeared; and his people did not like it, for 
he was always doing something that did not please them; and of 
course his disappearance on the first notice of the winter-dance made 
them feel very bad. Then all the people were called into a house, 
and also one of the speakers of Chief Woodpecker. After all the peo- 
ple had come in, he said, "We are not pleased with what Raven has 
done in breaking the rules of om- old custom regarding the Lokwa'na' 
dance, for he disappeared before the fourth night of the wolves' 
howling, and he ought also to have given notice to all the chief men of 



934 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 31 

what he has done. Now, wo shall leave this village, and go to Deep 
Bay (Gobdc) to have our Lokwa'na' dance." 

All the people were pleased A^ith what their chief said. The first 
thing they did was to push their canoes (tela' pats) into the salt water, 
and to take whatever things they wanted. Then they all left the 
village and went to Deep Bav; and then they had to give the second 
notice of the Lokwa'na' dance on coming there. 

On the fourth day Raven thought that he had been m the woods 
long enoiigh; so he came out at the west corner of Yogwat, and 
begaJi to suig this song: 

" AU you, my friends, listen to me! for I will call you all to come and get me out of 
the woods. I have seen enough of the Lokwa'na* dance, and I am truly hungry." 

While he was singing, he was standing on a rock, naked. The only 
thmg he had on was a ^Teath of hemlock branches roujid his neck 
and head. He had a piece of ice about two feet long and a foot 
wide. This piece of ice was supposed to be quartz. 

"NMaen his wife heard him singing, she went out of the house and 
said to him, "Don't sing any more! You had better come home, 
for there is no one iii the village to go and bring you out of the 
woods. They have all gone to Deep Bay to have their Lokwa'na' 
dance there." 

After she had finished speaking, he started home; and the first thing 
he said to his wife was that he was hungry. Tlien she fed him ; and 
when he had finished eatmg, he said to his wife, "Don't you thiiik it 
is best for us to go to Deep Bay and join our friends?" His wife, 
however, said, ' ' No, for it was you who made them leave this place, 
because you disappeared before the fourth notice was given by the 
wolves, and that is why Chief Woodpecker called oiu" people uito 
his house and told them to go and leave you here." Raven said, 
"You may say whatever you like, and you can stay here, but I 
am gomg to Deep Bay and jom my friends;" and he picked up a 
paddle and went out of the house, down to the beach, where his 
canoe was. Then he pushed the canoe do^vn to the salt water; and 
when he got it uito the water. Sea Egg. saw that her husband meant 
to go where his friends were; so she took what things she thought 
she would want, and went downi to the canoe to her husband. In a 
ver}^ short time they arrived at Deep Bay, for it is not far from 
Yogw^at. 

After Raven had arrived at Deep Bay, a man went to all the houses 
to caU every man by name to go mto his house to eat steamed 
salmon (sd'ha"); but Raven's name was not called, and it made 
bun feel very bad. He said to himself, "I will say that I am a 
great shaman;" and when all the people had gone uito the feasting- 
house, he took hemlock branches and made one wreath for his head, 



BOAS] APPENDIX I NOOTKA TALES 935 

and one for his neck. Then he put them on and began to smg his 
shaman's secret song; and these arc the words of it: 

"I am a shaman now, to heal the sick people, instead of Lokwa'na', or Wolf Dancer; 
and whenever I dance, I can go under the floor, where no one can go, and I will 
show it to you all." 

He left his house, singing, as he went to the feast ing-house; and of 
course all the people became frightened, for they believed that he 
was really a shaman and could kill anj" one whenever he liked. 

As soon as they heard him coming towards the f easting-house, each 
took a baton to beat time, for now they were waiting for the salmon to 
get cooked on the red-hot stones in the middle of the house, and it was 
all covered with mats to keep the steam in. Just before it was un- 
covered, Raven came into the house singing, and all the people began 
to beat time. 

Just before he went round the heap of cooking salmon, he cUsap- 
peared and went through the floor. He had not been down long, 
when he appeared on one side of the heap of cooking salmon. In a 
short time he went down a second time, and again came up and went 
round the heap once more. He then disappeared the thhd time; 
and again he came up, but onl}' showed lumself. He went down the 
fourth time. This time he staid down longer than usual; and when 
he came up, he was singing. Then he went out of the house ; and after 
he went out, all the feasting people said, "Let us uncover the mats, 
for the salmon is cooked now!" When they uncovered the mats, 
they found that all the salmon had been eaten by Eaven, and that 
he had put many sticks to keep the mats up in tlie shape of tlie cook- 
ing salmon; and all the people were ver}- angrj' with Raven, for he 
had gotten the best of them once raore. All the people had to go out 
of theh' feastiug-house hungry. 

That ends the story. 



APPENDIX II— SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 

].' Origin of Raven. 

I. Woman pretends to die, receives lover in coffin, is Idlled by her hus- 
band, who adopts her cliild (p. 634) Ts, N, Ne. Rationalibtic variarts 
(p. 781) Tl, Kai. 
II a. Cliild marries daughter of Sky chief, his child becomes Raven (p. 635) 

Ts, N, Ne. ■ 
II h. The child is burnt (pp. 635, 781) Ts. 

' Raven is made voracious by being fed on (p. 636) — 
a. Scabs Ta, N, Tl, J[, Sk. 
/). Bullhead Ne. 

1.1. Origin of daymght. 

I a. Raven assumes shape of a leaf or similar object, is swallowed by a girl 
and reborn (p. 641) Ts, N, Tl, Tit, Kai, M, Sk, H, BC, Ri, Nu, Car, Chil, 
Alaska Esk, Kodiak, Ten'a. 
As hicident: Girl gives birth after swallowing leaf (p. 646) Nu. 
I a'. Raven hides in log; when girl carries it, he enters her body Ne; lie enters 
girl's body (p. 646) Ne. 
As incident: Sun or light is kept in a round receptacle or in a bundle or 
bag, stress being laid on the roiuidness of the receptacle Ts, N, Tl, Sk, 
H, BC, Chil, Car, Ahxska Esk. 
II a, a'. The child cries until allowed to play with the sun, then he steals it 
(pp. 641, 646) Ts, N, Tl, Tit, Kai, M, Sk, H, BC, Ri, Ne, Nu, Car, 
Chil, Alaska Esk, Kodiak, Ten'a. 

I a". Identification of Raven and woman's child missing- (p. 647), Loucheux. 
II a". The child cries until allowed to play with the sun, then Raven steals it 

(p. 647), Loucheux. - 

I b. Raven causes spine to enter foot of light-owner (p. 647) Na, Squ, Lil. 

II b. Owner is induced to open light-receptacle so that Raven can remove the 

thorn; the light escapes (p. 047) Na, Squ, Lil. 

I b'. Raven accompanies light-owner in canoe (p. 647) Cow, ChehaUs. 
II ;/. 'When he opens box to have light while hunting. Raven steals it (p. 647), 
Chehalio, Cow. 

I c. The house of the light-owner is entered by force or invitation and tlie 
Ught stolen. Various forms, (p. 648.) Alaska Esk, Asiatic Esk, 
Chukchee. 

1.2. Raven threatens to let out the daylight (p. 649). When daylight appears, 

fishermen who refuse to give fish to Raven are punished. 

a. They are transformed into stone Ts. 

b. They are frogs who have to live in darkness (?) Ts. 
r. They are ghosts, and become dead bodies N. 

rf. They arc transformed irto animals Tl, H. 
(. No transformation M, Sk. 

/. The animals buy the sun of Kaven, who shows the kind of food he will 
eat Nu. 

1 Introduction. 

' I presume this story conforms more strictly with I a, II a, than the recorded form Indicates. 

936 



BOAsJ APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 937 

1.3. Raven breaks up the moon and puts it in the sky (p. 651) Tl, M, Sk. 

1.4. Raven obtains fresh water (p. 651). 

I a. He puts the owner of water to sleep Tl, Kai, Nu. 
II a. He makes Mm believe that he soiled his bed N, Tl, Ne, K, Nu. 
I h. He makes his tongue look dry, makes the owner of water bt.lieve that he 
has drunk little only H, Ri, Ne, K. 
II a, b. He pours the water into a receptacle instead of drinking N, H, Ne, K. 

III. When escaping with the water, he is held in the smoke and blackened Tl. 

IV. He lets water drip down, and creates rivers N, Tl, Kai, M, Sk, H, lU, 

Ne, K. Nu. 
V. Why the tides turn N. 
I c. Water is obtained from the sap of the roots of trees Ts, Sk, N, Ri, K, N>i. 

1.5. Raven obtains the olachen. 
(a) Origin of the olachen (p. 653). 

I a. Gull swallows an olachen. Raven quarrels with him or causes some one 
else to quaiTol with him. Gull is made to vomit the fish by being 
struck on the stomach. Raven takes it Ts, N, Tl, Sk, H, Ne. 
I b. Raven pulls out Cormorant's tongue and transforms it into an olachen 

(e\'idently a mistake) Sk. 
II. He smears his canoe with the scales of the fish, makes the owner believe 
that he. Raven, has caught olachen, whereupon the owner releases the 
fish Ts, N, Tl, Sk, Ne [rationalized in Tl 4, where the story is told of a 
wealthy chief]. 
As incident: The owners of the herrings are made to believe that an icicle 
is a herring, whereupon they liberate the fish (p. 655) Till. 
(6) The sinews of the tomtit (p. 655). 

1. Salmon, olachen, sea food, etc., exist in a house far out at sea. It is pulled 
in by a magical cane or with a rope made of sinews of the tomtit, and the 
fish are released Ts, Tl, Kai, M. 
As incident: The sinews of the tomtit are stronger than any other kiud of 
fiber Ts, Tl, M, Sk. 
1.0. The origin of tides (p. 656). 

a. Raven makes the master of the tides believe that he has gathered sea eggs. 

Then he lets the tide fall Ts, Tl, M, Sk. 
h. Mink fights with the master of the tides and vanquishes him Ri. 

c. Mink obtains the tides by cutting off the Wolf's tail and keeping it until 

the Wolf promises to give the tides Ne, K. 

d. Raven obtains the tides as a man-iage present from the East Wind, Nu. 
1.7. Raven makes war on the South Wind (p. 658). 

I. The animals travel to the Wind's home Ts, M, Sk, Ne, K, Nu. 
As incident: Bluejay wants to go along. His head is pulled long JI. 
I a. They go in the canoe of Killer Whale Ts. 
I h. They go in Raven's folding canoe Ne. 
I c. They try various kinds of wood for making a canoe .Sk. 
I d. Four animals go, Nu. 

II. The halibut lies down in front of the door Ts, M, Sk, Ne, K, Nu. 
III. Futile attempts of various animals Ts, Ne, Nu. 
IV a. Fire made in body of Wind Ne; rationalized in Ts, fire made in house. 
IV h. Wind comes out when attacked M, Nu. 
IV c. Four animals attack the Wind, Nu. 

V. The Wind slips on the halibut and is captured Ts, M, Ne, K, Nu. 
VI. The Wind promises good weather. 

Note. — Thewarl^etween Master Carpenter and Southeast Wind (Skc32) 
does not belong here. 



11 
> takes fire away m beak, which is burnt short. 



938 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

1.8. Origin of fire (p. 660). 

I. Animals try in vain to carry away fire in mouth Ri, Ne. 
II a. Raven in form of Deer Ts, N, Sk, BC'i goes to get the fire and ignites 
II a' or Deer Tl, H, Ri, Xe, K, Nu, Co, Car/ wood which he has tied — 

II aa to his tail, which is burat short Ts, N, Tl, Sk, H, Ri, Nu; 

II o'o' to his head Ne, K, Co, Car: 
\\a"a" to his leg Nu. 

II fc. Chicken Hawk Til 
II V Raven Tl, Hai 
II c, a'a'. Raven ignites wood that is tied to his head Chil. 
II rf. Raven is giveil fire in a stone tray M. 

III n. Deer has been unsuccessful; the dancers steal the fire-drill, which is car- 

ried away Nu. 
Ill 6. Caribou has been unsuccessful; the Muskrat takes the fire Car. 

I 6. Mink 1 steals the child of the owner of the fire and returns it in exchange 
I v. Raven] for the fire (p. 662, see p. 657) K, Na, Sts. 
I 66. The owner of rain is substituted for the owner of fire Squ. 
As incidents: 

Magic flight (p. 661) Nu, (p. 6S2) Ne. 
Wliy rabbits' feet are black (p. 662) Chil. 

1.9. Stone and Elderberry Bush (p. 663). 

a. Stone and Elderberry Bu.«h give birth, the latter first. Therefore man 

dies like leaves Ts, N. 
a'. Raven tries to make man of rock and leaves; he succeeds in making him 

of leaves Tl, Kai, M. 
6. Wren wishes to live under graves, therefore man is made mortal Kai, Ri. 

c. Discussions leading to origin of death Ntl, Lil, Quin, Wish, Coos, Takelma. 

d. Man dies because a person tried too early to take hold of his dead son, who 

was dancing with the ghosts K. 

1.10. Raven paints the birds (p. 664). 

a. The birds are painted Sk, BC, Ne. 
6. The birds dress themselves Tl. 

c. He makes the nostrils of birds Sk. 

d. When the birds are painted, Raven is dissatisfied with his colors and ia 

blackened Chippewayan BC, Ne, Co. 
d'. Bluejay brags of his gay colors, which are then taken from h>m by Clam 

Chin, Quin. 
d". Birds that Raven refuses to paint are matle beautiful by Master Car- 
penter Sk. 

e. Transformers transform men into birds and paint them, Chilliwack. 

1.11. T.xa'msem and Laoobola' (p. 666). 

I a. Raven and his rival quarrel about the nobility of their respective 

families Tl, Kai, Co. 
I 6. Txa'msEm and Lagobola' are out hunting Ts, N. 
II. Raven's rival takes off his hat. Fog is produced. Raven accepts his 

rival's claim Ts, N, Tl, Kai, Co. 

III a. The fog is sent out into the world Tl. 

IV. When the fog disappears, Raven does not recognize his son (see p. 708) 
Co. 
As incident: Quarrel about the nobUity of families (p. 704). See BC, 
Ri, K, Nu, Co. 



BOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 939 

1.12. Raven carves salmon out of various kinds of wood (p, ()66) BC, Ri, Ne. 

1.13. Raven marries the dead twin (p. 667) Ri, Ne, K. 

1.14. TxX'msem and the S.a.lmon Woman (p. 668). 

I a. Raven marries a Cloud Woman, who controls the salmon (p. 6C8) Ts, 

Tl, Sk. 
I b. Raven makes a woman named Suwa's his sister (p. 668) M, Sk. 

^ *"■ !!:^7°r-^*']' marries a salmon (p. 668). 
Mmk K ) 

I d. He abducts the daughter of the Salmon chief (p. 668) BC. 

I e. He marries the dead twin (i). 667) Ri, Ne, K. 

II a. The woman makes salmon for all the people exceptiu;^ her husband 

(p. 668) M, K. 

II b. She makes salmon by putting her foot, hand, or hair into water (p. 66!)) 

Ts, Tl, Ri, Ne, K. " 

11 c. She makes salmon by cooking something M; by cooking pickings from 

her teeth (p. 669) K. 

II d. Salmon appear (p. 669) Sk, BC. 

II e. Fern leaves thrown into water become salmon K. 

III. Salmon Woman makes her husband beautiful by combing him (p. 669) 

Ts, BC, Ri. 

As incident: (see p. 767) Ts, Sk. 

IV a. Raven offends his wife by scolding the drying salmon that catch in his 

hail- (pp. 670, 671) Ts, N, M, Sk, BC, Ri, No, K. 

IV a'. Raven scolds the salmon because they catch in his hair (p. 671) Chil, Sh. 

IV b. He beats his wife (p. 670) Tl. 

IV y. He looks at another woman (p. 671) BC. 

IV b". He has bad luck in gambling and accuses her of faithlessness Ts, Tl. 

V. Woman and salmon disappear (p. 671) Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ri, Ne, 

K, Chil, Sh. 

1.15. Raven abducts the daughter of the Salmon chief (p. 671). 

a. He steals the chief's daiighter and throws her into the water BC, Ri. 

b. He reaches the home of Killer Whale chief, the father of Salmon Woman 

with the help of the wood-cutting slave (see p. 843), and marries the girl. 
He is subjected to the spine-seat test (p. 799) and to the heat test (see 
p. 806). He induces the chief to have his stomach cut out in order to 
reduce his stoutness (see p. 762). Then he carries away the Salmon 
Woman Ne, K. 

c. In both forms occm's the incident of tlie bathing children who are trans- 

formed into salmon (see pp. 698, 773) Ri, Ne, K. 

1.16. Raven gets the soil (p. 674) Ne. 

1.17. Origin of the months (see No. 8, p. 728). 

1.18. Raven is made voracious (see p. 636). 

1.19. Raven and the steelhead salmon. 

(a) Raven catches the steelhead salmon (p. 674). lie calls the salmon, who 
jumps into a hole prepared by Raven, and is killed. The hole is not 
always mentioned Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, Ne, K, Co, Lil, Nez Perce. 

(i) The stump ents the salmon by rolling over it (p. 675) N, M, H. (Related to 
1.19 e.) 

(c) Raven blackens the croivs (p. 675) Ts, Tl, Sk. 



940 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

(rf) Raven's/east (p. 676) Tl, N, Nu. 

(e) The salmon is stolen (p. 676) K, Co, Lil, Nez Perc^. (See 1.19 b.) 

1.20. 20«. Why crow and haven are black (see 1.19 c). (p. 677.) 

a. Gulls are thrown into the firepla<-e because they have eaten Raven'3 

olachen. The tijis of their wings are blackened N. 

b. Crows steal Raven's salmon and are blackened (p. 676) Ts, Tl, Sk. 

c. Raven is caught in the smoke hole and is blackened N, Tl, also Quin. 
c'. He is covered with gum and is smoked Tl. 

c". Eagle strikes Crow with a salmon-gill and thus blackens him, \Vi.sh. 

1.21. Txa'msem and Cormoraxt (p. 678). 

a. Raven pretends to put a louse on Cormorant's tongue, pulls out the t(nigue, 

and makes him dumb Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ne, K, Xu. 

b. An ogre pretends to put a louse on a girl's tongue, pulls out her tongue 

and thus kills her (p. 680), Gold, Amm- River. 

c. Raven's tongue is tied with sinews (p. 680), Chukchee, Korj'ak. 

1.22. Txa'msem kills Grizzly Bear (p. 680). 

I a. Raven pretends to cut off his testicles and to use them as bait. He 
induces Bear to do the same and thtis to kill himself (pp. 680, 682) Ts, 
N, Tl, M, Ne, Nu. 
I 6. The same story told of a fat sea lion (p. 683) Sk. 

II. Raven kills the Bear's ivives by letting them swallow red-hot stones 
(p. 681) Ts, N, Tl, M. 
As incident: (p. 682) Sk, Co, Quin, Wish, Kath, Kutenai. 

1.23. Txa'msem kills Little Pitch by exposing him to the siin (p. 688) Ts, N, Tl, 

M, Ri, Xe, K, Co. 

1.24. Fishermen break off Txa'msem's jaw (ji. 684) Ts, N, Tl, Kai, M, Sk, Ne, 

Loucheux. 

1.25. The origix of the bullhead (p. 685). 

a. Raven makes a movement as thotigh taking hold of the Inillhead. This 

makes his tail thin (p. 685) Ts, X, Tl. 

b. The Transformer throws a shaman into the water and draws otit his hind 

end. He becomes a fish (p. 686) Ne, Co. 

1.26. Txa'msem and the childken (p. 686). 

a. Children play ball with blubber. He induces them to throw it at him, 

and he eats it Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, Co. 
5. He induces the animals to pelt him with sea eggs, which he eats Sk, M. 
As incident: Porpoise understands what others can not hear N, Kai, Sk. 

1.27. 28. Txa'msem frightens away the people who have found a whale. 
(a) Whale svmUows Raven (p. 687). 

I. The 'V\Tiale is induced to swallow him Tl, M, Sk, Xe, Xu, Co, Cow, Esk. 
As incident: The swallowing monster (see pp. 611, 687, 718, 868). 
As incident: He cuts off his grandmother's vulva for bait (see p. 585, 
No. 18). 
II a. He lives on the Whale's food Tl, Co. 
II b. He lives on the '^'hale's body Sk (?), Xe, Cow, Esk. 

As incident: He makes a fire in the '^Tiale's stomach Tl, Co, Esk (?). 
III. He kills the 'Whale by cutting his heart, stomach, or throat. It strands, 
is flensed, and he comes out Tl, M, Sk, Xe, Xu, Co, Cow, Esk. 
As incident: He loses his hah- in the hot stomach Xu, Co, Cow. 



BCAs] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 941 

1.27, 28. Txa'msem frightens away the people who have found a whale. 
(6) Raven steals the whale (p. 688) Ts, Tl, Sk, Ne, Esk. 

Plot: Raven frightens away people who are in possession of food in 1.24; 
Tl, M (p. 684); 1.29c Ts, Tl (p. 690); 1.37 BC, Ri, Ne, Nu, Co, Lil 
(p. 705); Sk, BC (p. 689); Tl (p. 720). 

1.29. Txa'msem and his slave. 

(a) Raven creates a slave who disobeys him (p. 689). 

a. Raven creates a slave, who, instead of saying that Raven is a chief, gives 

him a low name Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk. 

b. Mink makes a slave of excrement or of his miisk-bag. The slave is to say 

that he is the son of a vanquished enemy K, U. 
(6) The slave eats food offered to Raven (p. 690) Ts, N, Tl, M. 

(c) Raven pretends tv die. He is tied up in a box. The people are frightened 

away, and the slave eats all the food (p. 690) Ts, Tl. 

(d) Raven Hlls his slave. He causes him to fall off a bridge that leads across 

a canyon (p. 691). 

a. Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk (p. 691). 

b. The same told of Deer Tl. 

1.30. Txa'msem and Eacle g.a.ther red and black cod (p. 692). 

I. Raven's fish is dry, Eagle's fat Tl, Sk, II. 
II. Raven comes to steal the fish, assuming the form of a log. Eagle strikes 
him with red-hot stones Sk. 

1.31. Txa'msem .\nd the hunter (p. 692). 

I. Raven assumes the form of a woman, transforms a stone or an animal into 
a child; marries a chief Ts, Tl, M, Sk. 
II a. He loses his laljret in a box of grease, and pretends that the labret always 

flies away Tl, M, Sk. 
II b. He steals the hunter's game Ts. 
Ill a. Raven kills the chief whom he married, and eats his body Tl. 
Ill 6. It is seen that the supposed woman has a tail, and Raven is recognized Ts 
(?), M, Sk. 
As incident: Raven kills and eats Seal (see No. 33, p. 702: No. 39, j). 706 ». 

1.32. The bungling host. 

(a) The host lets oil drip out of his hands (p. 695) Ts, N, M, Sk, BC, Ne, K, 
Nu, Co, Se, Ntl, Sh. 
As incident: (p. 696) Tl, (p. 706) Se. 

(6) Birds produce food by their song (p. 696) Ts, N, BC, K, Chil, Quin, 
LkungEn, Squ. 
As incident: K, Nu, Co, Sts; M; Co. 

(c) Birds produce salmon eggs by striking the ankle (p. 696) Ts, X, Sk, BC, Ne, K, 

Co, Chil. 

(d) An animal cuts its hands or feet (p. 697). 

a. Tl, Quin, Chin, Wish, Cherokee, Yuchi, Natchez, Hitchiti, Alabama, 

Micmac, Pa%vnee, Apache. 
6. Variations of this theme: Sh, Lil, Crow, Ojibwa, Hopi, Cora. 
As incident: Tl, Takelma. 

(e) Animals stab or shoot themselves (p. 697). 

a. Wasco, Ute, Hopi, Apache, Crow, Navaho, Shoshoni, Pawnee, Ponca. 
6. Variations of this theme: Shoshoni, Ute, Apache, Caddo. 

c. Food pulled out of anus (H), Ne, Co, Chil. 



942 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth.ann.31 

1.32. The bungling host — Continued. 

(/) Wood transformed into meat (p. 698) Quiii, Chin, Sh, Ute, Shoshoni, Pawnee, 
Apache, Mescalero Apache, Navaho, Crow, Arapaho. 

(3) The host obtains food by killiny his children (p. 698) Nu, Quin, Chin, 
Shoshoni, Fox, Kickapoo, Ponca. 
As incident: Ts, Tl, Kai, Sk, H, Ri, Ne, K, Nu, Sts, Squ, Quin, Chil. 

(h) Divimj for fish (p. 699) Ne, K, Quin, Wasco, Lil, Ntl, Sh, Kutenai, Shoshoni, 
Apache, Fox, Kickapoo, Ponca, Arapaho, Micmac, Penobscot. 

(i) MiscellaneoiLS tricks (p. 699). 
a. Deer caught in net Ntl, TJ. 

As incident: U. ' - ' 

6. Magpie picks up fish egg Quin, Chin. 

c. Excrement turns into rice, Ponca, Fox, Ojibwa. 

d. Ice turns into potatoes, Ojibwa. 

e. Woodpecker pecks food out of tree, Fox, Ojibwa, Penobscot, Micmac. 
/. Food animals are called, Shoshoni, Arapaho, Fox, Ojibwa. 

g. Water Ousel kills Buffalo with his leg, Arapaho. 

h. Fish Hawk spears fi.sh with a string attached to his head, Wichita. 

i. Woodpecker produces light, Apache, Caddo. 

j. Fruit shaken down from tree, Apache, Caddo, Cora. 

h. Cock presses eggs out of skin, Cora. 

I. Lion jumps on horse, Caddo. 

1.33. Raven marries H.ur-Sbal Woman, and eats her son (p. 702) Sk, Co. 

1.34. Txa'msem visits Chief Echo, steals his food, and is beaten by the invisible 

people (p. 702). 

a. He steals the food of invisible people and is beaten Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, 

BC, Chin, Till. 
6. He steals food in the house of Salmon Spear, who fights with him, Takelma 
(also Sh). 

1.35. TxX'msem kills Deer. , 

(a) lie kills Deer v/ith a hammer while chopping wood (p. 703) Ts, N, M, H. 

(6) He pushes Deer over a precipice (p. 704). 

o. He mourns with Deer close to a precipice; when Deer brags of his family, 
he pushes him down (p. 704) BC, Ri, K, Nu, Co. 

b. He causes him to fall off a bridge leading across a canyon Tl. 
As incidents: 

Quarrel over the greatness of two families (see p. 666) Tl, Kai, K, Co. 
He asks Deer when he is fattest Sk, BC, H, Ri, Co, Ntl. See also Chin 
119. 

1.36. Raven steals salmon egos (p. 705). He pretends to be sick, is placed next 

to a box with salmon roe, and is covered with a mat M, Sk. 

1.37. Raven steals his .sisters' berrie.s (p. 705). He causes his excrements to cry 

"Enemies are coming!" Wliile his sisters hide, he eats their berries 
BC, Ri, Ne, Nu, Co, Lil. See al.so 1.27. 

1.38. Raven's gizzard i.s torn out (p. 706). A person's gizzard, musk-bag, anus, ia 

torn out and u.'sed as shinny-ball Tl, K, Co, Kath, Takelma. 



BOAS] APPENDIX 11 SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 943 

1.39. Raven kills the seals by clubbing them when they can not see (p. 706) 

TI, Se, Squ. See also 1.33. 
-4s incident: Oil drips out of Seal's hands Se. See 1.32, a. 

1.40. Raven pretends to be dead (p. 706). 

a. Raven [Mink] is buried. When his wife takes another husband, he 

goes back home K, Co, Sts. 

b. After being buried he steals sea eggs K. 

c. He pretends to be dead, comes back to marry a girl that was refused to 

him Chil. 

1.41. Raven burns his sister's groins. 

(o) Raven and the girl (p. 707). Raven [Mink] covets a girl. He causes sparks 
to burn her groins, and says she may be cured by sitting on a certain 
plant M, Sk, H, BC, Ri, Ne, K, Nu, Co, Chil. 

(6) The Thunderhird abducts Raven's son (p. 70S). 

I. The boy that originates from a secretion of his Iiody tries to jump and is 
abducted by the Thunderbird Sk, H, Ri, Ne, K." 
n. The boy reappears, but he does not recognize him and refuses to accept 
him Sk, H, Ri. 
As incident: Lost boy not recognized K, Co. 
III. For this reason the dead do not return H, Ri. 

1.42. Raven deserts Master Fisherman on a lonely island, assumes his shape, 

marries his wife, and is killed by Master Fisherman, who has returned 
(p. 710) Kai, M, Sk. 

1.43. War with the Thunderbird. 

(a) Raven goes to take revenge for the death of his son (p. 712) H, Ri, Ne, K. 

(6) Thunderbird steals the wife of another bird (p. 712). 
I. The birds have a game of hoops Ne, K, Nu, Co. 

II. After the game, Thrush Woman produces berries by her song K, Nu, 
Co, Sts. 
.4s incident: (See p. 690) Ts, N, M, BC, K, Nu, Chil, C^uin, LkuiigEn, Squ. 

III. Thunderbird abducts the woman Ne, K, Nu, Co, Sts. 

IV. The birds try to regain her, assuming the form of fish. These are caught, 

their bones are thrown into the water, revive, and take the woman 
along Ne, K, Nu, Co, Sts. 

V a. The woman is abducted again Ne. 

V b. The animals decide to take revenge K, Nu, Co. 

(c) The animals make ah artificial whale and kill Thunderbird (p. 714) H, Ri, 
Ne, K, Nu, Co. 
As incident: The killing of Pitch in order to calk the whale (see p. US3) 
Ri, Ne, K. 

1.44. Txa'msem and Chief Grouse (p. 716). A supernatural being claims a 

hunter's arrows as his own. He punishes the arrogant who deny his 
claims, and rewards the meek who accept the claim Ts, BC, Nu, Cow, 
Chil, Nez Perc^, Ojibwa. 

1.45. Raven invites the monsters (p. 718). 

a. Raven invites the monsters, which become rocks Ts, Tl, M. 

b. A chief invites the monsters, who promise to become less dangerous Ts. 

c. A chief invites a sea monster and induces it to restore people whom it has 

killed Tl. 

d. Raven invites the monsters and shows himself stronger than they Ne. 



944 TSIMSHIAN MYIHOLOGV [eth. ANN. 31 

1.46. Wren kills the be.\r (p. 718). 

a. Wren flies into a bear, and kills him by tearini,' him up Tl, Lil, Ntl, Chin, 
Quin. 

b. Wren kills bear by starting a fire in his stomach (p. 719) N, Sk, BC, H, Ri. 
SimilaT incidents: pp. 611, 659, 687, 718, 868. 

1.47. Raven pulls off the arm of a chief and it is put back {p. 719) Sk, Co, Chili 

Loucheux, Waaco (?) 

1.48. Raven i.s set adrift in a box, which he easily unties Tl. 

,4s incident of setting youth adrift, see p. 796. 

1.186. Raven pretends to huild a canoe in order to be fed by the people for whom 

he builds it (p. 720) Ts. 

1.187, 18S. T,xa'msem and the Wolves. He pretends to be a good hunter, but 

steals the Wolves' game and is driven away by them (p. 720) Ts. 

1.190. Raven is drowned by the Spider Crab or Devilfish, with whom he 
tries to play (p. 721) Ts, Sk, Ne. 

1.211. TxX'msem and Laoobola' have a shooti.vg-match (p. 721). They stake 

Nass against Skeena River Ts, N. 
.'Is incident: Birds are used as arrows N, Tl. 

1.212. TxX'msem believes that he has found a beautiful blanket, which 

proves to consist of moss and lichens (p. 722) Ts, N. 

1.216. Txa'msem makes the princess sick and cures her (p. 722). Raven [Deer, 
Coyote] wishes to get possession of a woman. He causes her to bo 
sick, pretends to be a shaman, and has intercourse with her while he 
pretends to cure her Ts, K, Sts, Ntl, Sh, Wish, Till. 

1. — . The further history of Txa'msem. 

I. Txa'msEm appears in a chief's house, looks in, and is shot at (see p. 820) 
(p. 723) Ts. 

II. A young man visits Txa'msEm, who lives in a deep valley and has 
hunting-dogs. 
As incidents: 
The deep valley (see p. 456) Ts. 
Pups become large hunting-dogs when put down (see pp. 742, 793). 

2. The meeting op the wild animals (p. 723; see p. 728, No. 8 b). 

3. The porcupine hunter. A man kills too many porcupines, and is punished by 

the Porcupine chief until he pronounces the name of the latter 
(p. 723) Ts. 

4. The story of Grizzly Bear and Beaver. Beaver makes a swamp, mocks 

Cirizzly Bear, who jumps in and is drowned (p. 723) Ts, Kai. 

5. .Story of the Porcupine. Bear maltreats Porcupine, who takes revenge by 

calling the cold (p. 724) Ts. 

6. Beaver and Porcupine (p. 724). 

I. Porcupine carries Beaver up a tree, and he can not climb down. 

1". Coyote carries Beaver inland. 

II. Beaver carries Porcupine to an island, and he can not swim back. 
II'. Porcupine is found on an island Tsta. 
III. Porcupine calls the cold. The water freezes, and he can go back. 



BOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 945 

6. Beavek and Porcupine — Continued. 

11". Beaver carries Coyote to an island, Apache. 

A. Beaver invites Porcupine. 

A'. Porcupine protects Beaver against the Bear Tl. 
A". Porcupine steals Beaver's food Sk. 

B. Porcupine invites Beaver. 

B". Porcupine holds a council to decide ho-n- to puni.-ih Beaver Pk. 

C. Squirrel helps Beaver down Tl. 

D. Beaver and Porcupine assign to each other their respective dwelling-places. 
II'". Beaver is carried to an i.-jland. 

III'. Beaver calls the cold. 

The versions differ particularly in the order of these incidents. 



Ill 



Ts 


I, 


11, 


III 


N 


A II, 


(III), 


I 


Tla 


A' I, 


c. 


II, 


T16 


n, 


III, 


I. 


Tsts 


II, 


III, 


D. 


Sk 


A" II, 


III, 


B, 


Sh 


A" D. 






ache 


II, 


I" 




M 


II'" 


, III' 





Beaver and Porcupine are separated l)y a river. Hare Indians. 

7. The Deluge (p. 727). A deluge originates because the people maltreat a trout. 

They are scattered Ts. 

8. Sun and Moon. 

(a) Origin of the Sun (p. 727). 

a. Two brothers turn into Sun and Moon Ts. 

6. Various animals are tested, and one is finally selected to act as Sun U, 

Sh, Okanagon, Kutenai, Wish, Wasco, 
c The sons of Pitch make war on the Sun and become Sun and Moon Co. 

(6) Origin of the seasons (p. 728). 

a. A council of the animals or a single animal determines how long each 
season is to last Ts, Sh, Tl, Shoshoni, Hare Indians, Assiniboin, Fox. 
Ojihwa. 
6. Raven ordains the length of the seasons according to Dog's advice Sk. 
As incident: The Dog claims to be the most clever animal. lie is over- 
come by Porcupine Ts [by Raven Tl]. 

9. Am'ala'. («) An'ala' acquires supernatural strength (p. 729). 

A. A youth acquires strength in order to recover his lost relatives Sk, M, Tl. 
I. A youth bathes at night in cold water to acquire strength Ts, Tl, Kai, M, 
Sk (probably also Nj. 
II n. He meets the spirit of strength and is able to twist and tear out trees Ts, 

Tl, Kai, Sk. 
II 6. He bathes in a stone box and breaks its sides Sk. 
Ill a. He vanquishes liis uncle's rivals, animals and supernatural beings Ts. 
Ill 6. He goes into the sea and catches large animals, and has contests with 

supernatural beings Sk, M. 
Ill c. He becomes a great sea-lion hunter Tl, Kai. 
Ill d. The hero is the mucus child who vanquishes the Wolf people Tl 194. 

50G33"— 31 ETH— 16 60 



946 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. axn. 31 

9. Am'ala' — Continued. 

(b) Am'ala' becomes the supporter of the world (p. 731). 

I. The youth shoots ducks and gathers their fat Ts, Sk. 

II. He is called to take the place of the one who supports the pole r>n 
which the world rests Ts, Sk. 
As incident: The pole supporting the world, Ts, Tl, Sk, Hare Indians. 

10. The Four Great Chiefs of the Winds (p. 732). 

a. The Cold Wind marries the daughter of the Warm Wind. Their child 

(with Cold Wind's sister) is a lump of ice. She is rescued Ts, M, Lil, Ntl. 

b. A man marries the Wind's daughters Tl. 

a'. North marries a gill. Her brothers go to visit her and die. The youngest 
overcomes North and revives his brothers Sk. 
As incident; North's ornaments are icicles Tl, M, Sk. 

11. The Story of Naiq.' 

(a) How a feather carried the people of avillage up into the shy (p. 734). 

a. Children play. A feather appears and pulls them up, each person taking 

hold of the feet of the preceding one Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk. 

b. An eagle carries away the people in the same way Tl, Sk. 

c. Eagles are pulled into the water in the same way M, Sk. 

.4s incident: A strange child appears, joins the children, and ia struck by 
them M. 

(6) The magical origin of children of the survivor (p 734). 

a. Children originate from the tears of the surviving girl Ts, N, Sk. 
As incidents: 

Children originate from tears Kai, K, Nu, Co, LkungEn. 
Children originate from a boil Tl, K. 
Children originate from the thigh Sk. 

Children originate from secretion of the vagina Ri, Ne, K, (Sk, H?). 
Children originate from various objects Sts, Chin, Lil, Till, Coos. 
6. Children originate from root-sap swallowed by the suniving girl Tl, M. 

(c) The children obtain possession of the plume (p. 735). 

The children bom by magical means cut off the plume as it reappears Ts, 
N, M, Sk, Tl. 

(rf) Further adventures (p. 736). 

I. A bUnd cannibal catches people in a bag net Ts. 

II. They kill Raccoon's grandchild, are threatened with death )iy heat in 

Raccoon's house, and re\-ive the child Ts, Sk. 

III. A witch tries to kill them by catching their breath. They exchange it 

for hers, and she kills herself Ts, N, Sk. 
.4s incident: Tl, Sk 258. 

IV. They pass a cave that opens and closes (p. 737) Ts, Sk. 
V. The children marry the Winds Ts. 

VI. One of the children becomes a mountain N. 

VII. An obstructing mountain is melted down by the plume (p. 738) N. 
VIII. Children are killed by the fall of a large object Sk. 
IX. Children are killed by jumping over a dog Sk. 
X. Local snowfall. 

Independent story No. 38 (see p. 829). 
XI. They meet the spirit of sleep N. 
Independent story (see p. 871). 



BOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 947 

* 

12. The feast of the Jlountain Goats (p. 738). 

a. The people who do not treat the Goata with respect are invited to their 
house. The dance of the Goats produces a rock-slide, in which all are 
killed except one man who treated the Goats properly Ts. 

6. A man witnesses the shamanistic performance of the Goat.s Ts, K. 
As incident: The house of the Goats occurs in Tl, K, Lil, V, Sh. 

13. The giaxt devilfish (p. 739). Eagle makes war on De\'ilfifih Ts. 

14. The hunter's wipe who became a beaver (p. 739). A woman is offended 

by her husband, bathes, and becomes a beaver Ts. 

15. The winter hunters and the Mosquito (p. 740). 

I a. Hunters reach the Mosquito x-illage Ts. 
I b. A \'isitor comes to a house Kai, BC. 
.4s incident: Visiting monster Chin. 
II a. A woman [the ^'isitor] sucks out the brains of a child through his ear 

Ts, Kai. 
II b. The \-isitor sucks out the brains of the sleepers BC. 
As incident: K. 
Ill a. The hunters escape, but are killed by the Mosquito chief, except one 

woman Ts [one boy Kai]. 
Ill b. The \dsitor is killed, but re\-ives BO. 
IV. The sur^dvor escapes on a tree overhanging a lake. The Mosquito sees the 
reflection in the water, and jumps in, thinking the \'ictim is there. The 
water freezes, and he is killed. The body is burnt and turns into mos- 
quitoes Ts, Kai, BC. 
Origin of mosquitoes: See p. 741. 

As incident: Reflection of a person in water (see p. 741) Sk, BC, K. Nu, 
Co, Sh, Ojibwa. 

16. The hunters. 

(a) Tsimshian version (p. 741). 

I. Hunters make a mistake by killing a porcupine and hanging it up Ts, 
Chin. 
II. They meet a Bear woman, kill her, and are killed in the Bear vil- 
lage Ts. 
III. The youngest does not touch the porcupine, and is helped by the Bear 
Woman, whose belly he touches Ts. 
.4s incidents: 
Tiny powerful dogs (p. 742) Ts, N, K, Chil. 

Weak weapons substituted for good ones (p. 742) Ts, Tl, BC, Chil, Oka- 
nagon, U, Wasco. 

(b) Tht man who married the Bear (p. 742). 

In. .V hunter shoots a female bear, touches her belly, and she becomes a woman, 

who helps him Ts. 
I b. X hunter is pulled into the den of a female bear, falls against her vulva 

and becomes her husband N, Tl, M, Sk. 
II. She kills her Bear husband Tl, Sk. 

III. They have children. The man goes home X, Tl, M, Sk. 
IV 0. The Bear woman accompanies him, and the people are afraid of her. 
Thev offend her N. 



948 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

IG. The hunters, (6) The man who married the Bear — Continued. 

IV b. He takes food to his Bear wife. When he looks at his former wife, the 
Bear woman is offended N. 
V. She kills him Tl, M, Sk. 

IV c. He goes home with the Bear woman and is killed by a witch. The Bear 
returns Ts. 

17. The hunter and nis wooden wipe (p. 744). 

a. A man carves a wooden figure, calls it his wife, and places it in front of 
a loom. Girls arrive and bum it. He marries one of them Ts, BC, Ne, 
K, Nu, Cow. 
As incident: K. 
Elaborated in Nu 5.112. 
6. The carved figure of a deceased woman becomes alive Tl. 
c. Coyote's wooden wives (see p. 609V 

18. Plucking Out Eyes (p. 746). A youth marries a lake-woman. Their child is 

stolen and gouges out the eyes of people. The youth and his sister are 
saved and become the Givers Of Wealth Ts, Tl. 
As incident: Gouging out eyes M, Sk. 

19-22, 20. Stories op animal.s or supernatural beings who marry girls. 
(a"i The girl who is not allowed or refuses to marry (p. 749) Ts, M, Kai. 

(6) Thf offended animal (p. 749). 

a. A snail Ts, Tl. 

6. A girl scolds the dung of a bear (see p. 836) Ts, Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ri. 

c. Various forms Tl. 
(c) Helpful animals (p. 750) Ts. 
((f) Other marriages of uomen to animals or supernatural beings (p. 751). 

a. Land Otter Ts, Kai; MinkTs; Mouse Ts: Grouse N; Frog M; Grizzly Bear 
M: De^nlfish Kai. M. 

6. Spruce tree Tl. 

c. A supernatural being of the sea Ts; of the sky Ts, Sk. 
(e) The Mouse Woman as adviser (p. 752) Ts, N, Tl. 
(/) Adventures among the animals (p. 752). 

a. The girl lives with the animals. 

(1) The snails maltreat the girl Ts, Tl. 
(1') The halibut maltreat.? her Tl. 

(2) She is turned out of the house, and gives birth to a young otter Ts. 

(3) She lives with Mink Ts; with the Frogs Tl. 

(4) The bear taboos are described Ts. 

(5) She makes fire with dry wood, which does not burn (see p. 837) Ts, 
Tl, Kai, M, Sk, Ri; also Lil. 

(r.) She receives gift-s for her daughter from the supernatural beings Ts. 

b. The animal lives with the girl's parents. 

(1) A fish marries her, is offended, and causes a flood to destroy the houses, 

except that of his father-in-law Tl. 

(2) The identity of the husband is unknown until his child crawls up to 

him Tl. 

(3) A woman marries a skull, which disappears again Tl, M. 



EOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 949 

19-22, 26. Stories of animals or .supernatural beings who marry girls — 
Continued. 
{g) The escape from the animals {p. 754). 

a. She runs away from the snails and is pursued Ts. 

a'. Her brothers carr\' her away on an artificial bird. They are pursued Ts,TI. 
As incident: The artificial animal made of various kinds of wood (see p. 823) 
Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, Ne. Co, LkungEn, NLsqually, Quin. 
6. She kills the otters; her son carries her home (p. 755) Ts, Kai. 
6'. Her brothers kill the bear and take her home Ts. 

c. She runs away, after tjdng the women who watch her (see p. 83S) Ts, M. 

d. Her brothers kill the halibut that have abducte<l her (p. 756) Tl. 
As incident: The head of a lover is cut off (see p. 847). 

e. The Frog lake in which the woman lives is drained Tl, M. 

/. She "is rescued from the Fire, that has abducted her, by putting out all 

fires Tl. 
g. The girl's father makes friends with the Bears among whom she lives M. 
h. The woman's children visit their grandfather Tl, Kai, M, N". 

23. The mink who married the princess ip. 762). 

I. A girl is abducted by a Mink, who marries her Ts. 

II. Mink wishes to be made beautiful, and she kills him by pretending that 
she wants to perforate his ears Ts. 
As incident: M, Sk, BC, K, Nu, Se, Lil, U, Wish, Kath, Kutenai, Ponca, 
Osage, Malecite, Maidu, Yana, Esk, Loucheux (for Old- World analogues 
see p. 766). 

24. Stories of men who marry animals or supern.^tural beings (p. 759); also 

Nos. 16, 18, 28, 35, 53. A plot underlying miscellaneous stories. 

25. The princess who rejected her cousin. 
(a) Northern versions (p. 767'i. 

I. A girl induces a youth to disfigure himself, and then rejects him Ts, Tl, 
M, Sk. 
II a. He is made beautiful in the house of Chief Pestilence Ts. 
II a' . He climbs to the sky by moans of an arrow-chain, and is made beautiful 
by the Moon Sk. 
As incident: The arrow-chain (see p. 864). 
II 6. He is made beautiful by Loon, who dives with him Tl. 

As incident: Loon restores eyesight of a bUnd person (see p. 825). 
II c. He enters a sea-lion skin and has various ad/s'entures M. 

(h) Southern versions. 

I a. A girl induces a youth to disfigiu'e himself Sts, LkungEn. 
I 6. A squint-eyed woman disfigures her husband Lil. 
II. He goes into the woods and meets blind people Sts. 

As incident: See Nos. 24, 25, p. 594; p. 842. 
III. He obtains a new head from the Face Maker Sts, LkuiigEn, Lil. 
IV a. His adventures on the ocean and in the sky Sts. 
IV b. On his way back he is swallowed by a witch, LkungEn. 
IV c. On his way back he marries birds. 

V. The woman goes to get a new head, but is given an ugly one Sts, LkuiigEn (?), 
Lil. 

26. (See under Nos. 19-22). 



950 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

27. The prince who was taken away by the Spring Salmon (p. 770). (See 

detailed statement on p. 771.) 
As incidents of wider distribution, that appear in this tale: 
Vagina dentata (see p. 809, No. 11). 
Children thrown into the water become animals, that are eaten (see 

pp. 098, 773). 
What are believed to be berries proves to be dung (see p. 773) Ts, Chin. 
The dance of the Herrings produces spawn (see p. 774) Ts, Tl, Sk, Kai. 
A transformed person is recognized by ornaments found under the skin 

(see p. 776) Ts, Tl, Tsts, Kai, Sk. 
Spirits faint when they are touched by a person (see p. 777; Ts, M, 

Kai, Sk. 

28. The town of Chief Peace (p. 779). Young man visits Chief Peace and marries 

his daughter Ts, Tl. 
As incidents: 
Feather dipped into bucket of water as test of faithfulness of husband. 
■ftTienheisnottrue.the water is slimy (p. 780)Ts, Tl, M, Sk, BC,Chil, Se. 
The woman walks home over the surface of the sea (p. 780) Ts, Tl, Sk, 
K, Se, Till. 

29. Sucking Intestines (p. 781). Woman feigns death in order to meet her lover 

(see p. G34) Ts, N, Tl, Kai, Sk, Ne. 

30. Burning Leggings and Burning Snowshoes (p. 781). 

I. A chief has two wives. The elder one is jealous, and accuses the brothers of 
the younger one of having tried to seduce her. The chief kills them 
Ts, Sk. 
II 0. A supernatural being tells the young woman that lightning which is to 

proceed from leggings will destroy the people Ts. 
II b. A boy emerges from the young woman's thigh. He gives to his sister 

copper ornaments, from which fire is.sues Sk. 
III. One person disbelieves the account of the lightning, and all are killed Ts. 
As incident: The disbeliever Sk. 
(A garbled version K). 

31. HakIula'q. a sea monster's child is drifting on the water. It is killed. The 

monster causes an island to roll over. The monster is killed (p. 783) Ts, 
Tl, M, Sk. 
As incidents: 
Canoes built of various kinds of wood (see p. 822). 
A man seduces his sister, who becomes a sawbill duck Ts. 

32. The prince who is deserted (p. 783). (See detailed statement on p. 784). 

I a. A boy who feeds an eagle is deserted Ts, N, M, Sk, H. 

I h. A lazy or greedy child, or one who has won in a contest, is deserted N, Tl, 

Sk,'Ne, Cow,"Squ, Sts. 
I c. A girl who married a dog, or whose husband is unknown, is deserted BC, 
K, Nu, Co, Quin, Chil, Chin. 
As incidents: 
A bird carries food to the deserted child '.s relative who had pity on him 

Ts, Sk, Ne, K, Nu, Cow, Squ, Sts. 
A slave's child is fed secretly, and chokes. In this way the wealth of 

the deserted child is discovered Ts, N, M, Sk, Tl, BC, Chin. 
An old person who has visited the deserted child is discovered eating 

secretly the food given to him Ne, K, Cow, Squ. 
A whale kills the j^eople Tl, Cow. 
Desertion as an introduction (p. 783) N, Sk, Wish. 



BOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPAKISONS 951 

33. The princess and the mouse (p. 791). A Mouse marries a princess. She is set 

adrift, lands among the Haida, marries tliere. Her cliildren return. 
Her Mice children originate the mouse dance. 
As incidents: 
Children offend their grandmother by falling against her back Ts. 
An offending youth is set adrift, Kodiak, Tl, Sk, K, (Ri). 

34. The young chief who married his cousin (p. 792). The chief's wife is jealous 

when he takes a second wife. She marries a supernatural being Ts. 

35. 36. Asdi-wa'l (p. 792). 

I. The meeting on the ice. Two starving women are helped by a super- 
natural being, who marries the younger one (p. 792) Ts, N. 
II a. His son is induced by a AMiite Bear to pursue him, and is led to the sky 

(p. 793) Ts, N. 
II b. The Sky chief tests his son-in-law (p. 794). 
As incidents: 

(1) The jealous uncle, (p. 796) Kodiak, TI, Sk, BC, K. 

(la) A father-in-law tries«to kill his son-in-law (p. 797) Ts, N, Sk.Tsts, 
BC, Ne, K, Co, Nu, Squ, U, Ntl, Lil, Sts, Kath, Quin, Chin, 
Wish, Till. 

(2) The snapping door (p. 797) N, Ri, H, BC, Ne, K, Nu, Co, Squ, 

Till. 
(2a) The closing cave (p. 798) Ts, Tl, M, Sk. 
(2b) Dangerous animals watch the door (p. 798) Nu, Sts, U, Ntl, Chin. 

(3) The spine seat (p. 799) N, Tl, Ne, K, Nu, Co, Sts, Squ. 

(4) Falling tree (p. 800) Ts, Tl, Sk, BC, K, Co, Kath, Coos. 

(4a) Wedge test (p. 801), Kodiak, N, Tl, Sk, Ne, K, Nu, Co, Sts, 

Squ, U, Ntl, Lil, Quin, Chin, 
(46) Hammer thrown into water. The youth dives for it. The water 

freezes (p. 802j BC, Chil, Coos (see also Nu). 

(5) Precipice (p. 803) Ts, Kodiak, Tl, Sk, BC, Ne, Chil, Lil. 

(6) Drowning (p. 804) N, Tl, BC, Co, Squ, Ntl, U, Lil, Kath (see 

also 46). 

(7) The De\dlfish (p. 804) Tl, Sk. 

(7a) The Clam (p. 805), Kodiak, Tl, Sk, Ne. 
{7b-d) Sea Lion, Seal, and Eagle (p. 805) Sk. 
(7e) Dogs (p. 805) Ne. 

(7/) Woodpecker, Bear, Grizzly Bear, Raccoon, Panther (p. 806) 
BC, K, Co, Sts, Quin, Chin, Kath, Wish (see also No. 14, p. 952). 

(8) Berries in winter (p. 806) K, Co, Squ. 

As incident: See p. 696. 

(9) The heat test (p. 806). 

The youth pushed into burning bark (p. 806) Sk. 

Thrown into a boiUng kettle (p. 807) N, Tl, Sk. 

Roasted in an oven (p. 807) Ts, Tsts, (p. 808) U, Ntl. 

Tied close to the fire in the house (p. 807) BC, K, Nu. 

The over-heated sweat-house (p. 807) BC, Chil, Quin, Chin, U, 

Wish, Till, (Lil). 
Trails stop the fire (p. 808) U, Ntl, Kutenai. 
(9a) Smoke test (p. 808) Ntl, Chin, Wish. 
(96) Burning-food test (p. 809) Sk. 
(9c) Swallowing red-hot stones (p. 809) Sk, Co. 

As incident: (See p. 682.) 
(10) Poisonous food (p. 809) Sk, K. 

As incident: (p. 809) H, Ri, Nu, K, Co. 



952 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

35,36. Asm-wS'L — Continued. 

II 6. The Sky chief tests his son-in-law. Incidents — Continued. 

(11) The murderous woman (vagina dentata) (p. 809) M, BC, Chil, Ne, K, 

Co, Sta, U, Ntl, Shoshoni, Dakota, Arapaho, Pawnee, Maidu, Wichita, 
Jicarilla Apache, Chukchee, Koryak, Ainu. 

(12) The youth is .sot adrift (p. 810) Kodiak, Tl, M, Sk, JS^e, Se, Lil. 

(13) The Flood (p. 810) Tl, U, Ntl. 

(14) The revenge of the animals (p. 810) Tl, BC, K, Co, Sts (see also 

No. 7/). 

(15) Fish kill the father-in-law (p. 811) Ne, K, Nu, Co, Squ. 

(16) Berries grow out of the father-in-law's body (p. 811) Ne, K, Co, Sts, 

Squ. 

(17) The youth takes away his father-in-law's canoe (p. 811) Ne, K, Co. 

(18) Firewood threatens to burn the house (p. 812) K. 

(19) Di\'ing-match (p. 812) Co, Quin, Chin, Kutenai. 

(20) Climbing-match (p. 812) Sh, Quin, Chin, Wi.sh, Coos 

(21) Shooting-match (p. 812) Tl, Nu, Chin, Kath. 

(22) Gambling-match (p. 812) Ckin, Quin, Till, Wish. 

As incident: (see p. 712) Ne, K, Nu, Co. 

(23) Waking-match (p. 813) Kath, Quin. 

(24) Whaling (p. 813) Chin, Till. 

(25) Wrestling in the air (p. 813) Wish. 

As incident: Kath, U, Ntl, Lil. 
II c. The \'isit to the Mountain Goats (p. 817; see p. 738). 

II d. Asdi-wa'l's return from heaven (p. 817). 

As incident: The test of his faithfulness (see p. 780). 
Ill a. Asdi-wa'l's marriages. He is deserted by his brothers-in-law (p. 817). 
Ill b. He marries anwng the Git-qxa'la (p. 817) Ts, N. 
Ill e. The sea-lion rock Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, Ri. Asdi-wa'l is deserted on the rock 

and rescued by the help of his father. He is called into the house of 

the Sea Lions, and is eventually sent home (p. 818). 
Ill d. Animals are sick, and can not see what ails them. He pulls out the arrows 

(p. 820) Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk, BC, H, Ne, K, Nu, Co, Sts, Coos (see also 

p. 723). 

III e. Asdi-wa'l makes killer whales of wood (p. 822), that are to take revenge 

for him by drowning his brothers-in-law, who had deserted him (p. 822) 

Ts, N, Sk, M, Tl. 
As incidents: 

Ts, N, Tl, Sk, Ne, Co, LkuiigEn, Nisqually, Quin (see al.«o pp. 732, 764). 

Animals drag a person across the sea Wish. 
III/. Asdi-wa'l goes back to Skeena River. He is lost on a mountain and 

becomes stone (p. 825) Ts. 
-4s incident: His wife misunderstands an order and is transformed into flint 

Ts, Sk, K. 

37. The blind G-it-q!a'°da (p. 825). 

I. A man loses his eyesight and is starved by his wife [or mother] Ts, Kai, 
M, Ri, K, Chil, Car, Loucheux, Hare, Esk, Assiniboin, Arapaho, 
(Osage, blindness implied). 
II o. He regains his eyesight with the help of a loon, who dives with him Ri, 
Kai, M, Chil, Car, Loucheux, Hare, Assiniboin, Central and Smith 
Sound Esk. 
II b. ^Tio takes rubbish out of his eyes Ts. 

.4s incident: Rubbish removed from eyes (p. 829) M 677. 
II c. The Owl gives back his eyes, Arapaho. 



BOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 953 

37. The blind Git-q!a'°da — Continued. 

II d. Geese restore his eyesigiit by brushing against his eyes with their wings, 
Esk Greenland. 
Ill a. The man kills the woman Ri, Chil, Car, Lourheux, Hare, Assiniboin, 

Arapaho. 
Ill h. The woman is not allowed to enter the house, freezes to death, and 

becomes an owl Ts. 
Ill c. The woman is transformed into stone, then a deer, then a woud-spirit K. 

As incident: ()rigin of flint (see p. 82.5). 
Ill (/. The woman is transformed into a narwhal Esk. 

III r. He wishes a bear's head, that the woman is cooking, to bite her. She 

dies Kai, M. 

IV a. The man travels. He is deserted on a sea-lion rock (see p. 818) Ri. 

IV h. A Cormorant appears and gives fish to the people. They do not share 

with Raven, who transforms them into stone M. 
IV c. The man meets his brother Thunderbird K. 
IV d. The man marries again, and a war storj' follows, Assiniboin. 
IV e. The children of the couple are deserted, and helped by Wolves, Arapaho. 
IV /. The man and his sister tra'S'el and meet fabulous people Esk. 

38. Local winter in Ci-iT-Ql.l'ODA (p. 829). 

I. A person commits an offense. The country is covered with snow. A 
bird holding a berry appears and shows that it is summer elsewhere Ts, 
Tl, Sk, M, Chil, Sh, Kath, Wish. 
II. The survivors go to a lake and marry the children of a duck Ts. 

39. The drifting log (p. 831). 

I. After a war between two ^^llages, one group escapes and settles on Xass 
River Ts, N. 
II a. The girls play in a hollow log, drift away to Queen Charlotte Islands, 
where they marry. The children of the married princess return and 
take revenge on their grandparents' enemies Ts. 
As incident: Children of a princess married in a foreign country are re- 
proached with their unknown origin (see p. 446). 
II h. The children play in a hollow log and drift away. They are rescued near 
a whirlpool by supernatural Ijeings N. 
As incidents: 

Persons consisting of right or left half of the body N, Tl, Sk, BC, Chip- 

pewayan . 
The whirlpool at the edge of the world (p. 831) N, Tl, Tsts, Co. 
The self-mo^-ing canoe (p. 832) Ts, N, Tl, Sk, H, Ne, K. 

40. The story of Asdi'Id.a, and Omen (p. 832). 

I. Fishermen scold and offend a supernatural being. They Ijurn a frog Ts, 
Kai, Sk. 
II. It is predicted that they will die, the last one after telling hia story Ts, 
Kai, Sk. 
As incident: Tl, Kai, Sk. 
III. The town is liurnt; only one girl is saved. Djila'qons appears singing 
mourning-songs. The girl receives crests Ts, Kai, Sk. 
IV a. A ("loose takes the girl up to the sky Kai. 

IV h. The girl is taken to the Tsimshian countrj'. Some of her descendants 
return Ts, Sk. 

41. ExFLAN.\TioM OF THE BEAVER H.vr (p. 834). An Eagle family fieeing from Alaska 

obtains crests Ts. 



954 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

42. The water-being who married the princess (p. 834). A girl is taken by a 

water-being. She has children and receives gifts Ts. 

43. The story of Part Summer (p. 834) (see p. 835). 

I. A girl offends the Bears and is taken by them. She marries a Bear Ta. 
II. The Bear taboos are described Ts. 

44. Explanation op the abalone bow (p. 835). A chief finds the abalone bow Ts. 

45. Story of Gunaxnesemoa'd (p. 835). 

(a) The girl who is taken by the Bear (p. 836). 

I. A girl offends a Bear by scolding hia dimg. She is taken by him, and 
marries the Bear chief's son Ts, Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ri. 
11. She makes the Bear believe that her copper or dentalia ornaments are 
her excrement Ta, Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ri. 
Ill a. When gathering fuel, she takes dry wood, which is extinguished by 
water shaken from the Bears' blankets. She is instructed to use wet 
wood (p. 837) Ts, Tl, M, Sk, Ri. 
As incident: Kai 255, Lil 310. 
Ill b. She brings the wrong kind of branches for bedding (p. 838) BO. 
IV. By a ruse she ties up her watchers and escapes Ts, M. 

V a. She detains the pursuers by obstacles Tl, M, Sk. 

V 6. Animals help the Bears in her pursuit M, Sk. 

II b. The Bears are killed Ts (see p. 834) (p. 838)T8, Tl, Sk, M. 
II c. The woman returns with her Bear children Ri. 
II d. The woman becomes a Bear, who destroys tlie people (p. 837) BC. 
In other connections: (p. 837) Cliil, Sh, Ntl. 

(5) Marriage of the girl with the lake-being (p. 838). 

I. She meets a person who is in a canoe on a lake. She promises to marry 
liim Ts, Tl, M. Sk. 
As incident: A girl being pursued offers to marry her rescuer Ntl, Lil, U, 
Sh, Wish; also Chin. 
II. He takes her aboard. The canoe Ts, Sk [the man's club Ts, Tl, M] kills 
the Bears. 
Ill 0. The man's first wife is a great eater. 'Wlien the yoxmg woman sees her 
eating, the first wife kills her. Her husband restores her and kills his first 
wife (p. 839) Ts, Tl, M, Sk. 
Ill b. The first wife is a cannibal. She is thrown down to aTsimsliian town. 
This is the origin of the Tsimsliian cannibals (p. 839) Tl. 
IV. The woman returns ivith her son. He seems poor and dirty, but proves 
to be a great successful hunter Ts, Tl, JI, Sk. 
V. The story of Tsauda (see p. 855) Ts. 

(c) The woman carried away by the Killer Whale (p. 840). 
I a. A woman who washes a skin is carried away by the Killer Whale. Her 

husband pursues her Ts, Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ri, Na, Se. 
I 5. A man and his ■wiie suri^rise a Killer 'Wliale camp. The woman is carried 

away. Her husband pursues her (p. 841) Tl. 
II. He climbs down to the bottom of the sea — 
a. Along the anchor-line Ts; or a rope (p. 841) Tl, M, BC, Na. 
6. Along a two-headed kelp Sk. 

c. He dives Tl, M, Se. 

d. He lifts the edge of the water and goes down Tl, Ri. 



BOAS] APPENDIX 11 SUMMARY OF COMPAEISONS 955 

45. Story of GunaxxEsemg'a'd — Continued. 

(e) The woman carried away by the Killer Whale — Continued. 
III. Animals obstructLng the vrav are assisted by liim and help him along 
(p. 842). 

(1) Blind geese Ts, M, Sk. Na, Se. 
As inciflent: See p. 593. 

(2) The beaver Ts. 

(3) The clam Ts. 

(4) The codfish Ts, Ri. 

(5) The hahbut Ts. 

(6) The mouse M. 

(7) The red cod.Tl. 

(8) The halibut Tl, Ri. 

(9o) Crane [Heron] Woman, who lives at end of Killer Whale town Ts, 

M, Sk. Na, Se. 
(96) Crane Woman, who is mending her canoe Sk. 
(9c) The fort of the sharks Tl. 
IV. He meets the wood-splitting slave, breaks off the points of his wedges, 
and mends them. The slave pours water into the fire, and in the 
darkness and steam thus produced he carries away his wife (p. 843) Ts, 
Tl, M, Sk, BC, Ri, Na, Se. 
As inddmt: (p. 845) N, Sk, BC, Ne, K. 
V. The slave swells up in the doorway, so that nobody can pass (p. 843) Ts, 
M, Sk, Ri, Se. 
As incident: (p. 845) N, BC 
Via. On the way back the animals help the fugitives (p. 845). 
VI 6. The obstacle tale (p. 845) M. 

Vll. The man gives a feastisee p. 71S) Ts. 

46. Story of the Gaxha'da. A man sees a sea raven (p. 846). 

47. G'it-na-gun'-a'ks (p. 846"). Hunters maltreat a fish, are taken down into the 

house of a suijematiu'al being, and receive gifts Ts, Tl, M, H. 

48. The four chiefs and Chief Grizzly' Bear (p. 847). A young man who takes 

pity on a stranger receives gifts Ts. 

49. Gau'o. 

(a) The faithless wife (p. 847). A young chief is the lover of the wife of another 

chief in a neighboring village. He is discovered; his head is cut off; a 
war ensues, in which the \'illage of the people who killed the young piince 
are exterminated, except one woman and her daughter Ts, N, Sk. 

Parallel stories: 
A man cuts off the head of his wife's lover, and is attacked by the tribe of 
the murdered man H, BC, RL, K, Chil, Chippewayan; also Sk, BC, 
Lil, and Ts Wolf stor>- (p. 317). See also U, Till, Coos. 
A man cuts off the head of his sister's husband, who had killed his 
wife K, Nu, Co, Sts, Lil, U, Ntl, Quin. 

(b) The revenge of the heavenly children (p. 850). 

A. (The magical arrow of the Wolf Clan [see p. 857] Tl.) 
I. The woman calls upon the animals to marry her daughter. She asks what 
they can do, and finally accepts a messenger from heaven, who takes 
thcmupTs, N,T1, M, S'k. 
II II. Gau'o opens her eyes, and is put into a tree, where she causes the creaking 
of trees Ts, N, Sk [the echo Tl]. 



956 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. ann. 31 

49. Gau'o— Continued. 

(6) The revenge of the heavenly children — Continued. 

II 6. The girl is taken u]) in a basket; the old woman remains below and is 
provided with food (p. 851) M. 

III. The young woman has a number of sons, who are given crests, houses, 

and supernatural gifts for vanquishing their enemies (p. 852) Ts, N, 
Tl, M, Sk. 

IV. Their houses are let down in a fog. The people of their enemy's village 

see them. A battle ensues on the ice, and the enemy are killed. 
They become too warlike, and are destroyed or taken tip by the Chief 
in Heaven (p. 853) Ts, N, Tl, M, Sk. 

V a. Origin of the exogamic groups (p. 854) Ts, N. 

V b. One of the boys learns to dive. He shoots copper off from a mountain 

(p. 855) Sk (see p. 856). 

V c. Establishment of taboos of a well (p. 855) M. 

50. Story of the Gispawadwe'da (p. 855). A man meets a bear and receives gifts 

Ts. 

51. TSAUDA AND Halus (p. 855) Ts. 

A. (GunaxnesEmga'd story, see p. 839.) 

I. A girl has a heavenly lover, Tsauda. By mistake she marries Tsauda's 
slave, Halus. Tsauda marries her lame sister, whom he cures. 
II. Tests of strength between Tsauda and Halus. 

(1) Tsauda gathers well-burning fuel Ts. 

(2) Tsauda, by means of his sling-stones, opens a passage through a i)rom- 

ontory Ts. 

(3) Tsauda, by means of his sling-stone, throws cojjper down froui a 

mountain Ts. 
As incident: Sk. 

(4) Tsauda is successful in catcliing olachen. 

(5) Halus and hLs wife are transformed into fish. 

III. Tsauda's daughter's husband learns the copper taboos Ts. 

52. Story of the Wolf Clan (p. 857). 

I. After a war, one man Ls rescued and obtains a magical arrow. He learns 
from an old man how to shoot, and kills his enemies. ^Tien he kills the 
relatives of the old man, the latter kills him. The sister of the warrior 
continues the battle, and eventually escapes Ts, Tl. 
As incident: Disguising of male children Ts, K, LkuSgEu, Kath. 
II. Here follows the Gau'o story (No. 496, p. 849j Tl. 

53. The prince and Prince Wolf (p. 858). A woman is seduced by the Wolf, who 

is killed (see p. 848). The Wolves attack the stockade built by the 
people. The woman's husband marries a Wolf girl and receives gifts Ts. 
As incident: Animals attack a stockade (p. 859) M. 

54. The ghost who fought with the great shaman (p. 859). Essentially an 

account of the country of the ghosts Ts. 

55. CtREAT Shaman (p. 859). A man obtains supernatural power in a pit. He is 

called by a supernatural being, whom he cures Ts. 
As incident: The invisible arrow (see p. 820). 

56. Story op the ghost (p. 860). War between the shajmans and ghosts Ts. 

57. The Man Who Bound Up His Wrinkles At The Back Of His Head (p. 860). 

A man ties up his wrinkles so that he looks young, and takes away 
chief's daughters, whom he uses as bait for birds. A young woman 
succeeds in killing him Ts (also Co). 
As incident: A person ties up his wrinkles so as to look young Sts, Lil, U. 



BOAS] APPENDIX II SUMMARY OF COMPARISONS 957 

58, 59. The brothers who visited the sky; the six hunters (p. 861). Hunters 
who disregard certain taboos find themselves either at the bottom of a 
pit or on a high rock Ts, M_, Sk, Ilare Indians. 

60. The Land Otters (p. 862). A story based on the belief that dro-svned people 

are taken by Land Otters, who assume the shape of their relati\-es. If 
they accept their food, they also become land otters Ts, Tl, Kai, U, 
Sk, K. 

61. The Deluge (p. 862). 

I. A deluge is brought about by the attempt of two brothers to obtain super- 
natural powers from a lake Ts. 
IL One of them leads the Tsimshian from the upper course of Skecna Ei\-er to 
the sea, and teaches them the use of sea food Ts. 

62. The Cannibal (p. 863). Initiation of a cannibal Ts. 

63. Origi.v of the Cannibals (p. 863). A hunter sees the four dance societies in 

a mountain, and leams their secrets Ts. 

64. Story of the Wolf Clan (p. 863). Escape of a Wolf family after a war in 

the Tahltan country Ts. 

The Wolves and the Deer (p. 863). The Wolves see that the Deer have no 
teeth and devour them N . 

The Stars (p. 863). 

I. The Stars [the Moon] take a child up that makes fun of them N, Tl, M. 
II. His rescuer climbs to the sky by means of a chain of arrows N, Tl. 

Asincident: The arrow-chain (p. 864) Tl, Sk, BC, H, Ri, Ne, K, Nu, Co, Sts, 
Squ, Ntl, U, Lil, Sh, Kutenai, Okanagon, Quin, Kath, Wish, Wa,sco, 
Till, Coos [a rope shot to the sky, AchomawiJ. 

III. A figure carved in the shape of a child is placed near the fire and cries 

N, M (a spruce cone Tl]. 
As incident: Figures of men or animals can-ed out of various kinds of wood. 
The last attempt is successful (see p. 822). 

IV. Paint and other objects are thrown back, which detain the pursuing Stars. 

The child is taken home N, M Tl. 

War betwee-v the dw.^rfs .4nd the birds. 

I. Several men are towed across the ocean by a magical seal. One of them 
meets a dwarf, who dives for halibut. He steals a halibut and is killed 
by the dwarfs N. Ne, Co, Nisqually, Wish. 
II a. The others are spared. Birds attack the dwarfs, and the men fight for 

them N, Co, Nisqually. 
II b. Coyote finds that the people ha^'e no mouths, and cuts mouths for them 
Wish. 

Ts'ak- (p. 868). 

I. A boy kills a grizzly bear by starting a fire in his stomach (see pp. 611, 

659, 687, 718). 
II. His grandmother disbelieves liim N, Chin. 

III. The Wolves steal Ts'ak's bear meat N. 

IV. He cuts off part of his grandmother's vulva and lets her eat it (see No. 18, 

p. 585). 
V. He cures the sick daughter of the Wolves N (see p. 820, the invisible arrow '. 
VI. Ts'ak- \-isits the sky. He is showii the way by the Mouse Women. 
VII. He marries the chiefs daughter (see pp. 794 et seq., Test theme). 



958 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Growing Up Like One Who Has A Grandmother (p. 869). 

I. A boy is deserted because he is poor, and nevertheless -vrins a contest for 
the chief's daughter N. 
As incident: Deserted children (see p. 784). 
II. The boy catches a giant frog in a trap N. 

As incident: Capture of a water monster in a trap M, Sk. 

III. He goes hunting in the skin of the animal N. 

As incident: The skin-shifter (see No. 66, p. 606) Tl, Kai, M, Sk. 

IV. He is unable to take off the skin, and turns into a sea-being N. 

She Who Has A Labret On One Side (p. 870). A scabby girl marries a prince. 
She proves to be a noble chieftainess. Her husband offends lier, and 
she makes his awkward brother rich and marries him N. 
As incident: An awkward or lame person made beautiful (see p. 855) Ts. 

The SQtriRREL (p. 870). A youth receives shamanistic power from the Squirrels N. 

Tsegu'ksk^' (p. 870). Feats of a shaman N. 

As incident: Transformation of a shaman into an owl Ts, N. 

The Spirit Op Sleep (p. 871) N, Tl, M. 

The Owi. (p. 871) N. 

The Boys Who Became Supernatural Beings (p. 871) N. 



APPENDIX III— LIST OF TSBISHIAN PROPER NMIES AND 

PLuiCE N.iilES 



[**« Words marked with an asterisk are the most plausible phonetic rendering of ilr. Tate's spelling, but 

of uncertain phonetic character. 

A'aiya'muxk* man's name. 

Ayagamh* man's name. 

Am'ala', man's name (=dirty [?], smoke hole). 

Am-dzl'osl, man's name. 

Adina'lc', man's name. 

Asagulyami* man's name. 

Asi'wa, man's name (=Asdi-wa'l). 

Asi-hwi'l (Nass), man's name (=Asdi-wa'l). 

Asdi-ud'l, man's name. 

Asdilda* man's name. 

Asloe'ne, name. 

Anmivilc* man's name. 

Andeguale' , name of town. 

Aksh,* man's name. 

Ax-t'Ein-hwilhwVlg'it (Nass), man's name (=headle.ss). 

Ala'lEin lax-ha', man's name (=Ala'l of heaven). 

AW St, man's name (=lazy). 

Alidal* woman's name. 

Algusauxs* place name. 

ZTks-yd'l g'amk, man's name (=went out to sun). 

O'lala, a secret society. 

YiumMkaxl, man's name (=dirty face [?]) (ts.'ax, nose: d:al, face'). 

Y!aga-u-atJ:da ua-mEdi-a'ks, man 's name ( =going down like a grizzly bear of the water). 

Y.'aga-ldimc'osJ:, man's name. 

Y/aga-gunu'sk* (or Y.'aga-gunu'hs'!}, man's name. 

YehiLTlane* man's name. 

Ydas* man's name. 

Yoiheth, man's name. 

Younans, man's name. 

Ydol* woman's name. 

Wa-m.Edi-a''hs, man's name (see Y.'aga-ualhla v:a-m.Edi-a'h). 

Wa-magu-atl-* man's name (= without?) 

Wa-di-ddx* man's name. 

Wds, a monster. 

Wa-ts! Em-mo' , man's name (= without ears). 

Wa-nagd* woman's name. 

Wa-n-l6'oti, man's name (= without nest). 

Wa'g'ixs, woman's name. 

JVaxayd'ol-* man's name. 

Wdls, man's name. 

959 



960 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. SI 

W%-alas-ldik-gtd-n!exl-al-yo* woman's name (=killer wliales are ready to go up). 

Wi-hd'o, man's name (=big air ['?]). 

W'l-halai'd, a secret society (=great shaman's dance). 

Wi-hd'07n, man's name (=great beautiful one [?]). 

Wi-bo', woman's name (=great noise [of killer whales]). 

Wj'nanal, a secret society. 

Wi-n!e'ox (or Wl-yifeOq"?), woman's name (=great fin). 

Wisuqdns* man's name. 

Wi-spE-nExnd'x, place name (=great place of supernatural being). 

Wi-g-a'il, man's name (=giaul) 

Wi-gwina'ot, man's name. 

Wiluddl* man's name. 

Wil-n-lEhd'l-g'alsdhs* man's name (=where [drift-logs] drift against something). 

Hwit-nks-g-i-d'u' Sqawo' {^ass), place name (= where Sqawo' sat down near the water). 

Hiinl-d'ak-s-ls'ax (Nass), place name (=where club was forgotten). 

Wil-g-amk-ga-a'ks, man's name (=where hot waters). 

Wil-g-ig-a'mk, man's name (= where they are hot). 

W'd-g-ilBks-txal-t!a'm.tk, place name (=where self on written). 

Hwil-le-nE-hwa'da (Nass), place name (= where on they meet). 

Wotm'lh, man's name. 

Wdth, man's name. 

Waux* man's name. 

Wdx-ha-Ui-sa' * man's name. 

Wul!E-an'6'n, man's name (=big hands). 

Wul'.E-da'u, man's name (=big [pieces of] ice [floating at Kuwii'k]). 

Wutsda', the Bellabella tribe. 

WutslEn-d'luk, a village and tribe. 

Haialilaqs, spirit of pestilence. 

Haiwas, Rain Wind. 

Haimas* man's name. 

Hdis* man's name. 

Hail* man's name (=many in beaver's house [?]). 

Hapka'bEks a na-ga-tshiwan-sgam'st, man's name (=[clouds] falling on mountain-top). 

Uadagnsa* man's name. 

IJadagEin HI', man's name (=bad feather). 

Hatsiena's, name of a supernatural being. 

Hats'.Eks-nle'ox, man's name (=dreadful fin). 

Handtana* man's name. 

Hak.'uld'q, a sea monster. 

Haliis* man's name. 

nU-hgi-yd'6nth (Nass), man's name. 

Hoo (Nass Houx), name of a supernatural being. 

Hdsdii* man's name (=craving food [?]). 

Holdamia* man's name. 

BElha', man's name (=abalone shell). 

BElham nfe'ox, woman's name (=abalone fin). 

Bdyuk, woman's name (said to be contracted from Sio'p k-.'ibd'yuk=f\ying in front of 

house early in the morning). 
Baboudina* man's name. 

Bagvs* name of supernatural being (from Kwakiutl bsklu's, man of the woods). 
Bax-gwan* man's name. 
Bidal* woman's name. 



BOAS] APPENDIX III PEOPER NAMES AND PLACE NAMES 961 

Bi' ItsEgum ganla'q, man's name (=red morning clouds). 
Bi'ltsEgum lawugumks* man's name (=red evening clouds). 

Pdd'lEin ha'yetsk, woman's name (= copper). 

Man-ks-gd'gum lax-ha', man's name (=who was the first to go up to heaven). 

MaxlE-qm'la, place name, Metlakahtla. 

Md'ksgum ts.'uwa'nql, place name (=white point). 

Mdxs* woman's name. 

Mala* man's name (=mo\-ing quickly [?]). 

Me'ola, a secret society. 

DEm-de-md'ksk, woman's name (=will be white). 

Daul* woman's name. 

Da-huk-dza'n, man's name. 

Dioks* woman's name. 

Ditepii,* man's name (=boiling words [?]). 

TiEin-nunx* man's name. 

T.'Etn-ndq* man's name. 

T.'Em-tax-d'm, name of village (=Prairie Town). 

Todu't place name. 

Txam-a'x* man's name. 

Txa-dzi'okik* man's name. 

Txa-gaxs* man's name. 

Txa-g'oxsEm lax-ha', man's name (=heaven body). 

Txa-la'ksgum lax-ha', man's name (=all the lights of heaven). 

Txa'msEm, mythical name of Raven. 

Txal-ks-gd'gum lax-ha', man's name (=first of heaven). 

S Em' d' g'idETii hand'x, woman's name (=chief woman). 

SEm'd'g'id lax-ha', name of deity (=chief of sky). 

SEm-halai'd, a secret society (=the real shaman's dance). 

SEm-nExn6'x, man's name (=great supernatural being). 

Sandxat,* man's name. 

Sa^abin,* woman's name. 

Sa-g-ibd'yuk, man's name (=flying off). 

Sdoks, man's name. 

Sagait-gagd'i, woman's name (,=ha\-ing wings of the same color). 

Sagapgid,* woman's name. 

Saga-gwait,* man's name. 

Saxsd'oxt, man's name. 

Su-dd'ol, girl's name (=new darling). 

SEsa'ksgum sdo tgi-yd'osat,* man's name (=evening clouds coming down). 

SisgEgo'osk,* man's name. 

SpE-sE-TE'dst, place name (=where olachen are caught). 

Spagait-an-d'tk, man's name (=in darkness). 

Sdl'lda,* Haida chief's name (see Asdilda). 

Sqaw6' (Nass), woman's name ( = Gau'd). 

Dzagum-dx,* man's name. 

Dzaga-di-ld'°, name of a lake-being (=staying across on the water). 

Dzagam-txa-n! e'ox, woman's name (=all along fins). 

Dzagam-sa'gisk, man's name (=dragging along [shore]). 

Dzeba'sa* (Ts.'eba'sa [?]), man's name 

Dzl'ek,* woman's name. 

Dzl'gwa, the Haida town Dji'gwa. 

Dzild'ogdns, name of the Haida ancestress Djila'quns. 

50633°— 31 ETH— IG 61 



962 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

TsF.gu'kskii, shaman's name. 

Tsauda* man's name. 

Tsowatz* woman's name. 

Tsluwa/nxlEm gal-ts!a'p, town name (=cape town). 

TslEm-a'hs, a sea monster, personification of snag, in form of a raven (=iu water). 

Ts.'Em-sia'n, the Tsimshian (=in the K-sian; i. e., in the Skeena River). 

Ts'ak' (Nass), man's name. 

Ts.'Ets.'d'ut, name of the Athapascan tribe of Portland Canal. 

Ts'Enk'wa'ts (Nass), name of bird. 

Nahlngan* a monster, name of man. 

Na-bo', woman's name (=maklng noise at each other). 

Na-gun-a'ks, an ocean-being (=looking like [?] water). 

Nalq, man's name (=mucus). 

Nes-awatk* man's name (=gTandfather — [?]). 

Nes-y.'aga-ne't, man's name (=grandfather looking down). 

Nes-yu-ld'ops, man's name (=grandfather having stones). 

Nes-tua-ye'oik, shaman's name (=grandfather without — [?]). 

Nes-wa-max* man's name (=grandfather without — [?]). 

Nes-wa-mA'k, man's name (=grandfather without — [?]). 

Nes-wa-na'o* man's name (=grandfather -without — [?]). 

Nes-wdis, man's name (=grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-wa-ksi-nd'olk, man's name (=grandfather without breath). 

Nes-wi-ba'sk, man's name (=grandfather great wind). 

Nes-hd'ot, man's name (=grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-balas* man's name (=grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-pctt'oks* woman's name. 

Nes-ddux* man's name (=grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-dzakdgul* man's name (=grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-nawa* man's name ( =grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-qailam bslha', man's name (=grand father abalone on heart [of grizzly bear]). 

Nes-lo'os, man's name ( =grandfather — [?]). 

Nes-laguniis* man's name (=grandfather Lagunus). 

Nes-lgu-nak* man's name (=grandfather little — [?]). 

Nisqa'^, name of Nass River tribe. 

No'lEm., a secret society. 

Ndze^dz-yu-na-xsd'nlk, woman's name (=grandmother having no gambling-sticks). 

Ndzefdz-ha'utk, woman's name (=grandmother crying). 

Ndz(fidz-t!a'loks* woman's name (=grandmother — [?]). 

Ndzifdz-gwifdz* woman's name (=grandmother — [?]). 

NdziPdz-l'e'Hki, woman's name (=grandmother watching). 

Nlaks* man's name. 

N-lgo'lgul gaimk, man's name. 

G'a'dsm vA'gai, man's name. 

G'at-a'us, place name (=sand people). 

G'augun* man's name. 

G'idEsdzu', tribe of China Hat. 

G'it-aiks (Kit-aix, Dorsey), name of village. 

G'it-uninkse'lk, name of tribe. 

G'it-wungd' (Kit-win-gach, Dorsey), name of tribe. 

G'it-wiinlko'l, name of tribe. 

G'it-wul-nak' ! e'l, name of tribe. 

G'id-vml-g'd'dz, name of tribe. 



BOAS] APPENDIX III PEOPER NAMES AND PLACE NAMES 963 

G'id-wul-g'ig'd'mk^, name of tribe (=people of warm place). 

G'id-tvul-ksE-bd'° , name of tribe. 

G'it-dzl'os, name of tribe. 

G'it-na-gun-a'ks, name of a tribal division. 

G'it-g-inio'x, name of tribe. 

G'it-g'ig'c'm.r , name of tribe. 

G"it-h'staql, name of supernatural being. 

G'it-ksE-dzd', name of tribe. 

G'it-ksa'n, name of tribe of upper Skeena River. 

G'it-q!a'°da, name of tribe. 

G'id-gadfi* name of tribe. 

G'it-gawd'ylks, name of tribe. 

G'id-gane'dz, name of tribe, the Tlingit tribe of Wrangell. 

G'it-qxd'la, name of tribe. 

G'it-xadi'r, name of tribe. 

G'id-x'q!ad6'q, name of tribe. 

G'it-xade'n, place name. 

G'it-xd'n* man's name. 

G'it-xtsfd'xl, name of tribe. 

G'it-ld'n, name of tribe. 

G'it-lttx-a'us {Kit-lak-aoiii, Dorsey), name of tribe. 

G'il-lax-vn.-yl'a, name of tribal di\'ision. 

G'it-lax-dd'miks, name of tribe. 

G'il-ld'op, name of the G'imanoi'tx of Gardner Channel. 

G'it-lHgmn* name of tribe. 

G'iHEm-lax-d'm, name of tribe of T!F,m-lax-a'm. 

G'itfama't, tribe of Douglas Charmel. 

G'it-an-md'k's (Kit-an-mmksh, Dorsey), name of tribe. 

G'it.'andd', name of tribe. 

G'ispa-y6'ks (Kkli-pi-yeoux, Dorsey), name of tribe. 

G'ispawadwE' da (G'ispawutwa'da), name of an exogamic division. 

G'i-spa-x'd'I, name of tribe. 

G'i-spa-x-ld'ots, name of tribe (=people where elderberries are eaten). 

G'hg'ahd'sl, name of tribe (=grass people). 

G'isgaplEnd'x, name of tribe. 

G'isgagas* (Kish-ga-gms, Dorsey). 

G'idzig ii'kla (Kitze-giikla, Dorsey), name of tribe. 

G'idzExlu'oI, name of tribe. 

G'itilEmgd'lon, name of tribe. 

G'ilslEmuwelgit* (Kis-themu-u-clgit , Dorsey), name of tribe. 

G'itslald'sEr, name of tribe (=canyon people). 

G'its.'d'oq, subdivision of a tribe. 

G'its.'6'x, name of tribe. 

G'inadd'oxs, name of tribe. 

G'inax'ang'i'ok, name of tribe. 

O'in-go'li (Nass G'in-go'Ux-), place name (=scalp place). 

G'i-lax-ts.'d'ks, name of tribe. 

G'i-lu-dzd'r, name of tribe. 

Gik* man's name. 

G'ik-lu-dd'olk, name of infant girl (=anofher darling). 

G'ix' sals' d' ntx' (Nass), slave's name, same as G'ilks-als.'d'ntk, T.simshian dialect. 

Gilhak-gdsk* {G'ilEks-gd'sk?), man's name (=going behind [the mountains]). 

G'Ug'ina'mgan ( =dwarfs) . 

G'ilks-atsld'ntk, slave's name (see Gix'sats'd'ntx). 



964 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Gaind* man's name. 

Gau'6, woman's name. 

Qayaa* man's name. 

Gahaya* man's name. 

Gap-ligi-atdd'l* man's name. 

Gamalukt* man's name. 

Gani-wi-na-wa' x^ , man's name. 

Gam-t'asd'n* man's name. 

Gamqagun, man's name. 

Gataxa'x, personal name. 

Gasq* man's name. 

(Janha'da, name of exogamic division. 

Gan-dE-ma'xl, woman's name (=taking copper aoross mountains). 

Gagayam nlefox* man's'name. 

Ga-guliks-gdx* man's name. 

Galksak* man's name. 

Galax * place name. 

Gddunahd'o* name of Tlingit man. 

Gaugd'ol* man's name. 

Gowagani* (Tlingit qowakd'n, deer). 

Gumdasu'mada* (Ganidasiimd'da'!) , man's name. 

Gumxm4'tad* (Gam-xindlt?), man's name. 

Gutginsa'* man's'name. 

Gus-xg'ain,* man's name. 

GunaxnesEnig'a'd, man's name. 

Gunddx* woman's name. 

Gunwa* place name. 

Gun-hu'ot, tribal division (=ninaway8). 

GulgVu, place name. 

Gulgum lax-ha'* man's name. 

Gul-danu'n* man's name. 

Gul-qd'q, man's name. 

Gwatk-sa, man's name (=frozen [?], cold day ?). 

Gwagabd'lga dzd' , place name (=red bluff). 

Gtt'ind'of, man's name. 

Gwila-gaxsdo'x* man's name. 

Katsdn* name of a mountain. 

Kdldau* {Kaul-daiv, Dorsey), name of town. 

Kiyaks* place name. 

K'ito'm (Nass), slave's name. 

Kuwask* man's name. 

Kuwd'k, man's name. 

Kumalgo* place name. 

K-wi-ts!uwanxl, man's name (=when great top). 

K-ivil-dzd'n, man's name. 

K-mil-g'iga'mk, man's name (=where there is heat). 

K-wdms, place name (=devirs-club place). 

Kungalas* probably Haida town Ku'nxalas. 

K-dani* place name. 

K-don* place name. 

K-t!dd* place name. 

KsEm-wa'tsq, woman's name (=land-otter woman). 

KsEm-hamha'm., woman's name (=pigeon). 

KsEm-dzilxs* place name. 



BOAS] APPENDIX III PROPEB XAMES AND PLACE NAMES 965 

KsEni-g-i-iax-wM'g6n, woman's name. 

KsEm-gitdz'Ex-t'd'la, woman's name. 

KsEin-gwaddq-V e' lix (Nass), woman's name (=excrement grease). 

KsEm-g-a'ml:, woman's name (=sun woman). 

KsEm-gasgo'us, woman's name (=crane woman). 

K-sand'il* man's name. 

Ksa-luOwal-giia'nEks, woman's name (=drops of a spring of water). 

K-sia'n, Skeena River. 

KsCit* man's name (=freezer ['?]) 

A'-sifu:?,* place name. 

K-sbalil* man's name. 

K-spE-ha'wali, man's name. 

Ksdiyaxl-haiwas, man's name (=proud [?] rain-\vind). 

KsE-ma'ksEii, place name. 

KsEdd's* place name. 

Ksddl* place name. 

K-ts.'Em-a'us, place name (=where in sand)- 

K-ts.'Em-adi'on, place name. 

K-nE-dsp-wd' n, place name. 

K-numd's, place name. 

K-gazoun* place name. 

K-gulkgd't* place name. 

K-givilax-la'k* place name. 

K-knaaze* place name. 

K-n-ts.'aho'mt* place name. 

K-quma'umt* place name. 

K-xaniin* name of mountain. 

K-xadzuks* place name. 

K-xUn* place name (see X'len) 

K-lax-g-lls* place name. 

K-l6'sEins, Nass River. 

K-Up-g-anlin* place name. 

K-lgu-d'l* place name (=place of little bear). 

K-lgu-sgaa-m&'lks, place name (=little crabapple-tree place). 

K!una* man's name. 

Q'am-icd'sk-e, man's name. 

Q!adu' * place name. 

Qanas* man's name. 

Qalx-st-sqa'ek (Xass), name of door (=dark passage). 

Qtsi°l,* woman's name. 

Xagigun* man's name. 

Xien, name of mountain (see K-xien). 

Xbt-ye'lk, man's name (said to be contracted from xhv-lil-hak.'uld'oq, half-hairy sea 

monster). 
X-mo'gut, name of a bird. 
X-ts.'Em-iMks n.'exlnle'xl, woman's name (=white in center killer whales). 

LEgEl-gulagum lax-ha'* man's name (=crack of heaven). 

LEg-c'ox, man's name. 

LEks-ts!uwd'nEm lax-ha', man's name (=alone top of heaven). 

Las, man's name. 

Lagobola' (Nass L6g6hold'), a mythical personage. 

Lax-a'us, place name (=on sand). 



966 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Lax-ani's, man's name (=on the branch). 

Lax-an-batsa'xi , place name. 

Lax-ald'n, place name. 

Lax-6'm, mythical bird. 

Lax-ungvla* (Dorsey), village. 

Lax-tvau* place name. 

Lax-ha-l.'i-t.'d' bsbd'tx, name of island (=whereon are ghosts). 

Lax-mBs-6'l, place name (=red-bear village). 

Lax-mwd* place name. 

Lax-duxdt* man's name. 

Lax-t.'id'ql, tribal division. 

Lax-se'ola, tribal division (=on the ocean). 

Lax-skl'ok (from lax-x-ski'ok), name of an exogamic division (=on the eagle). 

Lax-ts!Eme'lix-, tribal division (=on the beaver). 

Lax-h-ebo' {Lax-g'ibu'°), name of an e.xogamic division (=on the wolf). 

Lax-gaya'un* name of an island. 

Lax-gulwal* place name. 

Lax-kspaxl* place name. 

Lax-q'al-ts!a'p, place name (=on the town). 

Lax-16'ohst, tribal division. 

Lax-lpo'n, woman's name (=on the whale). 

Lax-lgu-sbd'il * place name (=on the.little — [?]). 

LExye'wun* man's name. 

Lax-lgu-gald'ms, Rose Island (=on the little rose). 

Laxax-wd'sl (Nass; =Was at each end). 

LegunVsk* man's name. 

Li-g-a'aniEXsk (Nass), man's name ( = lying on). 

L!t-t!dvi lax-da'u, woman's name (=8itting on the ice). 

Ligi-yu'on, man's name. 

Lu-mEkmVgum ts.'Em-sait* ((s.'jsni-sF?), man's name (=rain under knee[?]). 

Lu-tgi-na-baulkioa* name of a channel. 

Lu-na-gisEm gdd, man's name ('=changing mind). 

Lu-xsmdks* woman's name. 

Lagunus, man's name. 

Lax (Clah?), slave's name. 

Lgu-ivd' Iksgura n.'c°xt, man's name ( = prince of killer whales). 

Lgum* (=Ma3set Igam, butterfly), slave's name. 

Lgu-dzak, man's name (=little nose). 



APPENDIX IV— GLOSSARY 

(N signifies Nass dialect; for asterisk (*) see Appendix III. Numbers refer to pages of this Iwok.J 

a, preposition 122, 168, 172, 173, 174 
a v'il, l)ecause 133 
amw'ksa, only 161 
a dzE, if 173 

(See also at, as, asga, gsga, gssga, deda, (d, whirh are derivatives of a) 
a, exclamation 556 
a, a, a, ye, burden of song 142 

ai-yu'wa hod hi, yea, ha-ha-ha-n, burden of song 294 
ailh ( = etk), to call by name 109 
n'lis, sand 217 (inEs-a'us ocher) 
ay En, not 543 

ayea a yea-ha ye ho yea, burden of song 265 
ayea a yea-ha ye a ye, burden of song 265 
a yl yl, burden of song 265 

ayuu, shout uttered when salmon are seen jumping (see hayv, eyii) 202 
awd', proximity 155, 161, 162, 172 
db, father (said by girl) 490, 493, 495 
am-, only 174, 217 
dm, good, well 174 

ama-wd'l, rich (=doing well) 17 1 

ama-p!a's, handsome, pretty (=well grown) 148 
ami, if 174, 281 
amnksa, only, except 161 
ada, and then 148, 149, passim 
ada'ox, myth 565 
aO(Z-, night 161, 174 

txas-d'oth, all night 174 
as, see o 155, 172, 213 
asga, see a 149 
asl, while 148, 173 
asi'o, foot, 543 

asi-wd'l-gad, a fabulous bird 505 
dosh, to promise 155 
an&'y, to permit, to agree 281 
an'6'n, hand 148, 149 
{dEp)anqa, my dear ones 264 
agiui-, outside 

agwi-lulct/a'en, great grandchild 191 
ahs (N), water 563 
aks, water 174, to drink 50 1 

ts.'sm-a'ks, inside of water 174, 503 
al, but 162 
dolks, attendant 496 
a'lgix, to speak 148 

967 



968 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [IWH. ann. 31 

dlx, brave, warrior 496 

al, see a 158, 606 

al, not, in interrogative sentences 158 

ala-, in the dark 504 

a'lga, not 158 

e, exclamation 556 

ei(?),71 

td'o (generally nid'o), grandfather 490, 49:?, 495 

^a'»^s(?), 197 

o, exclamation 133 

oi, to throw 197 

o yi yi ye a haa yi yi yea ha yi yea a, burden of song 133 

ohi, exclamation 514, 557 

uhuia/ (N), exclamation 563 

op, lest 174 

61, bear 

mEs-6'l, red bear 505 
yoKs, great-grandfather 490, 493 
ul (?), 350 
ya, exclamation 350 
yd<>, to go (sing.) 122, 174 

tgi-yd'osat, the day goes down 122 
yfdn, excrement 122 
ydoJc, potlatch 511, 537 
yfagai, however 174 
yalala, exclamation 312 
ye, burden of song 350 
yei, fat 505. 

ye'dl, a kind of grass (?) 240 
y&ts, to strike, to chop 109 
yiyiyea hayiyeaa, burden of song 133 
yoob, ground 503 

y.'dot, y.'d'ota, man 148, 149, 155, 162, 172, 213 
ma-, without 

a dEm wa-gik-gd'o , that he would be without taking; i.e., that he would not take 155 

wa-dzagEin gdd, without dead heart; i. e., not covetous 173 

l:!ul-wa-di-hau' En , you are here and there without on your part saying; i. e., you 
never say 161 

wa-di-txax-d'oil: , not the whole night 174 

wa-d'ien, or wadi-ganai, people without relatives or known ancestors 496 

wa-na'lci, without wife 281 

wa-la'xsEn, without washing 174 
wai (exclamation), well! 155 
waiya, burden of song 109 
waik, brother of man 490, 493, 495 
wadi-, like 174 
xoatk, to come from 524 
wdf's, a monster 504 
vmn (<w'aZ-n), you do 174 
ri'doh, kid of mountain goat 133 
wagawd'x, jellyfish 505 ' 

wax* (?) 

glgum wax,* flying monster 504 
iml, to do 155, 168, 213 



BOAS] APPENDIX IV GLOSSARY 969 

ipulb, house 162, 168, 506 

ha-l!i-t!d'om ivdlb, house with raised foundotion 504 

lu-tgu-wd'lb, those who live in a house 162 

wa'lhEm ts!Em-t!d'o^ lake house 504 

x-ski'ogEm wdlb, eagle house 504 
walks, nobleman of highest rank, prince, princess 161, 496 

Igu-ivd'llcs, pi. k/abEwd'lkx, prince 496 

sEl-wd'lks, prince's companions 496 
wl-, great (sing.) 

vn-sBni'd'gid, great chief 162, 496 

vn-gal-tsla'b, great town 265 

wi-bsbu'o, to wait long 174 
xvEda (?), stem (?) 480 
wusEn-, along 506 
wund'i, food 503 
wul, wil-, verbal noun 149, 161, 162, 197, 213, 265, 524, 563 

uil-bd'Iga gd'oq, raven spiead out 504 

wil-ma'dEmtk mEdi'ok, snow grizzly bear 504 

ml-mVs, a sea monster 505 

wul-do'g'itk, warrior 496 

vml-na-t!d'l, company 488, 496 

vAl-nVsillk ha'yatsk, copper going up river 506 

vnl-ligi-sgE'rEl na'qi, where my hoof lay 133 

G'id-wul-g'ig-d'mh' (N), people of warmth 563 

wul-lo-d'd' (N), where he is in 563 

wul-dz6'x, camping-place 488 
wila, wula, subordinating particle 162, 174, 213, 524 
wula'isk, pi. wulwula'isk, relatives 488, 524 
wuVam-, out of water 

wul' am-yd'o , to go out of water 171 
imld'ogV', to be done 217 
ivdms, devil's-club {Fatsia horrida) 174 
M'o wu, exclamation 89 
u'hoo, exclamation 557 

wola ha, a wila ha, o o, rnila ha hoa, burden of song 350 
ha, air 

lax-ha', sky 505 
ha-, means, instrument 

hawd'l, arrow 504 

ha-hida'k, bow 504, 506 

ha-l!i-t!d'o, raised foundation ( = means of sitting on) 504 

ha-lE-md'th, means of saving, savior 545 

ha-wild'gU'du, my means of doing 217 
haa, burden of song 133, 350 
haa, exclamation 67 
hai'iras, south wind 122 
haie, yes (a chief's word) 555 
hau, exclamation 114 

hau, hau, cry of woodpecker 635 
hau, to say 161, 174 
hauliau, a fabulous animal 102, 504 
hauls, cormorant 503 
ha'yatsk, a copjier plate 506 
hawa'l, arrow 504 



970 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

hap ka'bEks- (?), 122 
hama, exclamation 61, 644 

hamaxa' (N), exclamation 644 
hadadhd* flying children (?) (a crest) 505 
hdos, dog 505 

hd'osEm lax-ka', heavenly dog 505 
has, fireweed 505 
hasd'x, hasa'ga, to wish 155, 174 
halsaE'rElt, snail 161 
ha-ls.'a'U, de\dlfish 503 

hand'ox, woman 148, 149. 155, 162, 168, 173, 174, 281 
hana'qs, purchase price for wife {ha-na'ks [?], means of marriage) 531 
haguha* 

sgan-hagu'ha, tree with moving raven on top 506 
haxha'k.'ux (N), to close, to meet 56" 
halai'l, shaman 350, 562 
halops* fin [?] 504 
halha'l (N), spinning top 409 
hahla'vnt (N), witch 563, 564 
hellc, to stand 503, 504 
hi-, to begin 

hi-SE-t.'d'o, to begin 524 

hi-ga'od, to begin first 281 

hi-k.'a-da'ol d'otgut, the night begins to vanish 161 

hi-nd'k, to begin to lie down 172 

hi-sa-ba', to begin to come to an end 281 
hi, hi, hi, burden of song 90 
hi, hi, hi, hi, exclamation 552, 557 
hiyti uila ha, o o, mila ha, burden of song 350 
Ml for al (?) 350 
h&i'gigo, like 174 
hd'op.'El, evening 161 
hdon, salmon 349 

nExnd'gsm hdn, supernatural salmon 503 
houstst,* exclamation 514 
Ml (wuo'!), to nm away 504 
hn 'ts!Ex, brook 174 
hE, bs, bE (a noise) 852 
bslha', abalone 504, 505 
ban, belly 71, 148 
bdl, to spread out 504 
hid'h, star 505 

610/), mother's brother (see nE-Woii) 490, 493, 495 
bl'oUsEk, red sky 122, 505 
buo, to wait 158 
buo, number 

sga-bii'", a number 174 
ptdx, exogamic group, clan 488, 524 
pisdn, memorial column 536 
p.'as, to grow 

ama-p.'a's, handsome (=well grown) 148 

nt-p.'a's, young (=recently grown) 148, 149, 155, 162, 172 
plaxs, leggings 505 
??!-, niE-, thou (transitive subject) 173, 174 



BOAS] APPENDIX IV GLOSSAKY 971 

mEdi'oh, grizzly bear 505 

viEdl'ogEin tsfsm-a'ks, grizzly bear in water 503 
mBs-, red 

m,Es-a'us, red sand (i. c, ocher) 217 

inBs-6'l, red bear 192, 505 

mEsa p.'a'.n, red leggings 505 

■mEsi'<'7i, copper 505 
rriEsia'l, chest 

mBsxa'l'Em bElha', abalone chest 505 
m.Exme'x, grouse 506 

7710 (itiE 642) (N max 642), receptacle in which the sun was kept 61, 642 
maigesint (?), perhaps from mla'ga, to catch fish 265 
ma'dEvi, snow 

mil ma'dBratk mEdx'oh, snow grizzly bear 504 
mada' (N), hoop game 409 
via'li, mountain sheep 505 
mMsd'n (N), guessing-game 409 
man-, up 543 
man, to be left over 544 
Tnagdzxgan* (?), "grease of precipice" 506 
mdksf:, to wash 174 
mag, to put down one object 281 
md'.d, rainbow 505 
ma.rlE-, through, over 

maxlB-kpi'°lEm x-skl'ok, over ten eagles 503 
ma!, to tell 349 

ma'lEsk, historical tale 565 
me'eq, duck 635 
mia'n , master 496 
miyu gumlk, song of thrush 91, 696 
mlg{T) 

wd'sEm mxg, rainstorm 

lu-mEkml'guin ts!Em-sa'<>t, rainstorm under knee 122 
7nign (N migd'}, raven's imitation of song uf thrush 92 
mlok, lirown-headed duck 506 
mi'ksH, wea-sel 503, 505 
mlolg, to dance 

gam-ml'olg, to play 14S 
msla-, each 

mEla-klE'rEl, one to each 281 
hmAmx, to smile 149 
indtk, pi. Is-md'tk, to save 545 
indlks, crabapple 240 

k-lgu-sgan-md'lks, place of little crabapple trees 365, 389 
viAlwilnEm (?) 199 
dsp, plural 264 

dEp-nd'ot, mothers 492 

dsp-riEgwd'od, fathers 492 

dEp-n-id'ot, grandfathers 495 
dsm, future 148, 155, 158, 173, 174, 197, 240, 265, 3-50 
dEda. preposition (see a) 148, 161 

da then; also preposition (see a) 149, 156, 161, 168, 174, 213, 281 
daol, to leave 

hi-k.'u-da'ol-a'otk, the night begins to go 161 



972 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

ddmh (?) 281 
ddmx{^) 217 
ddmil 

da'milda (from dam, to toiirh) 148 
dasx, squirrel 504 
dadzU* green seaweed 505 
dag, platform of house 506 
dC, on his part, also 149, 158, 162, 281 
dlo 

gan-iia'tsEm di, ladder of revolving slabs 505 
di{l), and 174, 524 
ddl, helmet 504, 505 
dumk (?), 213 
t'in, the one who 133, 543 
tgi-, down 

Igi-ya'osat, it goes down, west (?) 122 

tgi-ni'o, to look down 543 
tgu-, around 162 

n-tgu-li'lhE'ksk, whirlpool 503 

lu-tgu-wa'lh, those in the house 162 
tia-, all, entire 

txa-gd'th,* whale's body (?) 503 

txa-gioa-n.'d'oxs, fins all over 505 

txan/i, all 168 

txanH lit-tgu-ird'lb, all in the house 162 

txan!i-gd', everything 174 
txad', children of mother's brother 490, 493, 495 
ixa'o, halibut 503 
txamd'n, your body 174 
txas-, along, through 

txas-a'tl-, the whole night 174 
txal-, against 

txal-gd', to go to, against 174 
tlEm-ga'us, head 504 
t!do, to be, to sit 168 

ha-l!i-t!a'm wdlp, house on raised foundation (=on sitting house) 504 

U'ul-na-t.'dol (pi. wul-na-t!Ell!a'ia 524), company 488, 496 
l!do, lake 350 

wd'lbBrn ts!Em-t!d'o, lake house 504 
n-£/a;i(?),240 
l!dl, to put on 217 
tH'obsn, sea lion 504, 505 
t!6, to sweep 543 
SEm-, very 148, 155, 162, 168, 496 

sEm-ama-p.'a'sEm, very handsome 148 

sEm-n-lahd'sEt, he was much afraid 168 

sEtn-g-a'd, a nobleman 496 

sEmg-ig-a'd (=the real people), pi. to SEm'd'g-id, chief 496 

sEm-g-ad vul-na-t.'d'ol, chief company 496 

SEm-g-idem hd'nax, chieftainesses 496 ' 

sEm-g-Vok* (?), woodpecker 503, 504 
SEin'd'g-id, chief 162, 543 
sE-nlaVduks, sign 168, 500 
sEn (?), 265 



BOAS] APPENDIX IV GLOSSARY 973 

seI-, sil-, together 

sila-n&'h, to lie together 15() 

sil-nd'h, to lie together 155, 158, 281 

sil-hahalaUl, shaman companions 350 

SEl-wd'lks, attendants, prince's companions 496 

sila-gam-ml'olk, to play together 148 
sa- to make 

dagEm sa-hahda'lc* "platform of bow" 500 

SE-wi-hd'n, twins (making plentiful) 545 

sa-klE'rEl, made one (?) 240 

sa-qagd'od, to pity 213 
sa-, off 

sa-oi, to throw off 197 

sa-McLcs, to kick off 133 

sa-go'lik, scalp 505 
sa-, suddenly 

sa-sis'a'xsit, she laughed suddenly 148 

sa-sit-ya'hsa, to turn suddenly into something 148 
sdo, day 174, 281 

na-sdont, your days 174 
sait, knee (?) 122 
sa'me-, Vjear 504 
sale-, to pull 543 
salcsh, clean 

sEsa'ksgum sa", clean, clear day 122 
sa-dzihaa,* name of a position near chief 571 
sagait-, together 264 
sdk (X), olachen 563 
sl'op.'En, to love 155, 162 
sip, bone 264 

sit-ya'ksa, to turn into (compare ski-yd'ux, to reciprocate) 148 
sU'a'xs, to laugh 148 

sig-idEmna'x, pi. sig'idEm lid'nax, chieftaiiiess 496 
*i- 

tslEin-slo-tld'o, in new lake 350 
sit-, new 

su-p.'d'os, young (=newly grovra) 148, 149, 155, 162, 173, 213 

sit-ma'ksEm , young (pi.) 168 

su-sga'n, new mat 281 
suonl, summer 503 
spE-, spa-, dwelling-place 480 

spE-dd'sx, squirrel den 504 
sments (N), hoop game 409 
std, side 133 

riE-stdks, side 172 
sts!dl, beaver 503 
sgE'r, to lie 133 
sklfk, (a bird) 

x-skV^k, eagle (=eating sklok) 503 
sga-, across 

sga-hu'o, a number 174 

sga-na'k, a long time 174 

sga-ni'os, mountain 122, 133 
sgan, a particular tree 

sgan-hagu'ha* tree (with mo\'ing raven?) 506 



974 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth.ans.3J 

slePs, man's sister's child 491, 493, 495 

he, uncertainty of statement 71, 172, 173, 174, 197 

dzaplc, crest 500, 524 

dzalz, dead 173 

clzagEm gd'd, covetous ( =dead heart) 173 
dzaxl (see ts.'ul), 122 
dziob, to disappear 174 
dzeOfk, grandmother 490, 493, 495 
dzox, ashamed 506 

dzus, woman's brother's wife, husband's sister 490, 493, 495 
ts.'al, face 217 

ts.'dru, thy face 543 
tsal {"!), 350" 
tsiap, this way ! 97 
tsidan, raven's word for arrow 96 
ts.'EiH-, inside of something 174 

ts.'Ein-ai, ancestor 492 

tsfem-a'hi, inside of water 174, 503 

ts/Em-t.'d'o, inside of lake 504 

ts.'Erru-slo-t.'do, in new lake 350 

ts!Em-hu'°ls!Ex, in brook 174 

ts.'Bm-saiot, knee? 122 

ts.'Em-gm'et, in (?) 168 

q!ala-ts!Em-hu'ts!Egat, brook 174 
ts.'ElEm-, into 350 
ts.'alaks, inside of sea (?) 506 
ts.'ap, tribe 265, 488 

gal-is.'ap, town 265 
tsiagdxU (?) crystal nose 504 
Isfuwan, top 122 
s.'uob, tail 504 
n-, I, transitive subject 158 

n-sl'op.'Ent, I love you 155 

aln dsm gan-gdhi, shall I not take thee 158 
n{E)-, prefix in terms of relationship 

n-id'ot. grandfather 495 

riE-hi'op, mother's brother 490, 493 

ns-gwd'od, father 174, 490, 493, 495 

riB-kt.'a. father's sister (said by girl) 490, 493, 495 
n(B)-, possessive prefix 

UE-ga'dssgE K-sm'n, people of Rkeena 487 

n-lii'lgEm SEin-gl'oTc, nest of woodpecker (?) 504 

n-SEnlm'duhs, its sign 168 

na-awd'ot, his proximity 155 

na-hsl'urM, its bark 174 
n-, locative 

na-std' sga-nl'sda, side of mountain 133 

nE-std''k's, side 172 

n-tgu-le'lbEhsh, whirlpool 503 

n-lgaqa* spring in heaven 505 

n-t'alkC!), 240 

na-wnsEn-dz6x, where one is ashamed to walk to the rear 506 

wul-na-t.'d'l (pi. na-tfElt.'a'l 524), company 488, 496 

na-u'il-nd'k, where one lies down 149 

na gogd'ot n.'doxl, when killer whales join 505 

na-nETno'xHe (?), 350 



"0*s] APPENDIX IV — GLOSSAKY 975 

nE'rEn, thou 161, 217 

UExnd'x, supernatural 174, 349, 503, 505, 543, 544, 562 

nai, mother of girl 490, 493, 495 

nahe'ngan* "long-nosed giant grizzly bear" 505 

nagagask (?), 503 

nak, long 168 

rwks, husband, wife 240, 281, 490, 493, 495; to marry 173 

naPq, hoof 133, 504 

nicfix, fin 503, 505 

naxs, ladder 505 

n.'doxl, killer whale 505 

ndlk, breath 543 

nin.'i', that 149, 155, 524 

n.'i'at, he, she, it, that 155, 172, 213, 217 

m, to see, to look 149, 174 

(nw) 
sgdnt's, mountain 122, 133 

nVsihk, to go up river (?) 506 

ni'skat, to mock 217 

iieskirol-saont, summer without care 503 

nd, mother 158, 490, 492, 493, 495 
ndn, thy mother 158 

■ndk, to lie down 149, 155, 156, 158, 161, 162, 172, 281 

ndat!dl(l), 349 

nlaiduks, sign 
SB-nlai' duks , she made sign (i. e., was menstruant) 168 
n-sB-nlai' duks , her sign (i. e., menstruation) 168 
g-a'wim, now 155, 158, 161, 172 
gam, a kind of wood 384 
g'amk, sun, moon, hot 168, 174, 505 
gad, person 155, 161, 487, 496 
g'aks, calm 543 
gd'lks, to feel 161 
gibs'TElk, monster crawfish 503 
g'iba'u, keho', wolf 504 
gid, people 480 (see tribal names) 
gtdi-, fast, right there 281 

g-tdi-q.'6'dz, to cut off deaths 535 » 

git, git, git ginsa-a-a-a' , bird's cry 635 

gisox, 75 ♦ 

gisguuts gut ginsai 309 
gion, to give food 172, 544 
gik, again, also 155, 161, 162, 174, 524 
gik 
gigum wax,* "flying monster'' 504 
SEin-gi'ok, woodpecker? 504 
g'ill'olgEt, eutside, behind the house 168 
gild', don't 173, 174 

gilhak (?), perhaps error for gilEks-, backward 122 
gA'ba,' to eat something 174, 544 
gdo, to take 155, 158, 281 

' The order of the sounds g, t, k!, g, q, q.', is uncertain, since they are not clearly distinguished in 
Mr. Tate's orthography. 



976 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

go, to join 505 

gu, that 240 

gu'p.'El, two round objects 174, 281 

gumih, 91 

gus-, blanket, garment 265, 503, 504, 505 

gus-mVkfd, weasel garment 503 

giis-nd'oq, hoof garment 504 
gund'da, behold ! 265 
gun-, towards 

gun-gd', to go near 158 
gounM* (?), 266 
gonl, a ball game 409 
gukgulam (?), 173 
gul-hauts (?), 265 

guldana, a magic arrow 313, 315, 504 
gwdo, poor 174 
^im 

txa-gua-n!doxs, fins all over 505 
gwa'a, this 543 
gu'ai, this 168 

gwdod, father (see nEgwd'd) 490, 493, 495 
gwath, cold 122 
gwa'riEks, spring of water 122 
gwiot, this 155, 168, 217 
ga-, plural 

ga-ls!uwa'n, top 122 

ga-nEga'th, parents 492 

ga-xbESEin-laxla'xl, 265 

ga-liblVbEm lax-ha', thunder 505 
gauda* sts.'dl, beaver's dam, den 504 
gaus, head, hair 

t.'Em-ga'us, head 504 
kpiol, ten round objects 174, 281, 503 
Mak, to shoot 504 

ha-tida'k, bow 504 
kt.'d, father's sister (said by girl) 490, 493, 495 

(see nE-kt!a') 
ks-, extreme 

ks-gdg, first 174 
ksEr, to go out 168 ' 
ksa-ga-sgant, new mats 283 
ksa-, out 

ksa-Uifiii'al-gua'nEks, drops of a spring of water 122 

ksa-n-lgaqa,* spring of ifater in heaven 506 

ksi-ldlkl, appeared outside (?) 265 
ksi'wut (?), bark 174 
ksiolk, lizard 505 

ksdt (perhaps ksu°t), fall of year 122 
ktsdoks, canoe boards 505 
IMaxs, to kick 133 
klgEr, children 491 , 493 
• k.'E'TEl, one round object 240, 281 



BOAS] APPENDIX IV — GLOSSARY 977 

kta-, extreme, only 161 

k.'a-sem'd'gid, head chief 496 

k.'a-sila-gam-mi'olh, only to play 148 

hi-k.'a-da'ol d'otk, very beginning of night 161 
k.'abs-, small (pi.) 

k.'abE-wd'lks, princes 496 
k.'d'i, me 161, 217 

k.'dtks, woman's sister's husband, man's brother's wife 490, 493, 495 
k.'dt, one person 149 
k!dl, year 174 
k.'ul-, about 

k!ul-lu-k!d'l, she was in there alone 149 

k!ul-tL'a-dl-hau'En, without your saying 161 
ga'odi, finished (=after) 155 
gap-, really, must 174 
gam-, useless 

gam-nagagask,* tree gnawed by beaver 503 

gam-nn'olk. to play 148 

gam-gd'd, to pity 543 
gamd'ts, starfish 504, 505 
gasgd's, crane 504 
gan-, therefore, reason 155 

gan-lu-gaxl, therefore it was lost 265 
gan, and 281, 524 
gan, tree 

ganEm kts.'Em-a'us, tree of sand place 505 
gan-tsal, ancestors to the sixth generation 492 
gana'u, frog 504 
ganl-, always 174 
ganla'q, morning 122 
gakslatnd'o , behold! 149 
gaPq, raven 71, 504, 506 
gaxl, to be lost, open? 265 

gadgo'dEt (?), 240 
gal-, empty 

id-gal-ts.'ap, great town 265 

gal-su-p.'d'os (?'», unmarried youth (?) 173 
galgaldza'sEm (?), 197 
galh, helmet, headdress 503, 505, 506 
galksi-, through 

galksi-wu'ot, running away through 504 
gd, to go to 158, 161, 281 

txal-gd', to go towards 174 

Gilhak-gd'sk (perhaps GilEka-gd'sk), going back 122 
gd, what 

txani-gd. evervthing 174 
igdgv 

ks-gd'g, first 174 
^rforf,' heart, mind 173 , 

(fzag'sm (/dorf, covetous (=dead heart) 172 

sa-qa-gd'od, he took pity 213 
gogogo' (N), voice of cormorant 679 
goi'dEksk, to come 162 
gd'lik, scalp 505 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 62 



978 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 

gunaxhaa, 67 
qal-i^eegal-), 487, 488 
qidluogAn* rotten fern 176 
q.'d'id, hat 504 

q.'d'idEin g'iba'ii, -woWshatbOi 

qld'tdsm n-lgaqa, spring-of-heaven hat 505 
qlaye'ot, bullhead 505 
qld'wutse, olachcn oil 506 
qfaedek gad, forked man 505 
qldots, cane 503 
q.'ala-, up river 

q.'cda-lldm, swimming up river 349 

q'ala-ls.'Em-hii'ts.'Egat, brook 174 
qlald'n, man's sister's husband, husband's brother 217, 490, 493, 495 
q!6dz, to cut 535 
X-, to eat 

x-ska'msEm, hawk (=eatingsi'a'ms£)7i) 503 

x-sK'ol\ eagle (=eating skiok) 503 

xs-payd'sks, to smoke 543 
xd"}, a fabulous animal 120 
xbESEtn-, 265 
xbi-, partly 

xbi'ya gd'bEmio, part of our food 543 

xbi-sts.'dl-mEdi'ok, partly beaver, partly grizzly bear 503 
xsan, guessing-game (with set of sticks) 409 
xsd, canoe 505 

xsdm niEsl'on, copper canoe 505 
xtsend'sii* caterpillar 506 
xdzilaga'sEm (?), 197 
xgdot* four-tailed halibut 503 
Isoi, remote ancestor 492 
Isha'l, guessing-game 409 
lEp-, self (subject) 281 
lEkla'xs, various 524 
lEk.'aga'd, people of noble birth 496 
la-, unlucky 

la-vild'ok, to happen in an unfavorable manner 174 

la-he' tk, to have bad luck 174 
laioa', exclamation 67, 450, 546 
lawe^l, behold (?) 563 
lagadil (?), 483 

lagwa-q.'d'wutse' , burning olachen oil 506 
[agax-, on both sides 

lagax-wd'og, on each side, wdos (a monster) 504 
lax-, surface, top 

lax-ye'dl, place of knife-grass (?) 240 

lax-hn', sky (from ha, air) 350, 505, 524 
laxs, to bathe 174 

xoa-la'xs, without bathing 174, 281 
laxla'xl 

ga-zbESEm-laxla'xl (?), 265 
Idlk, to lie down (pi.) 149, 162 
Hi-, on 

ha-l!i-t!d'm wdlb, house on raised foundation 504 



BOAS] APPENDIX IV GLOSSARY 979 

libd's (pi. of bds), to be afraid 168 
(libli'b), thunder 

ga-VMVbEin lax-ha', thunder 505 
liotsx, to count 174 
ligi- 

ligi-an'o'n, to beckon 149 

ligl-hand'ox, any woman 155 

ligi-wd'll, to do something 168 

ligi-sgE'r, it lies somewhere 133 

ligi-lEp-uild's, he himself does something 281 

ligi-lEpld'b, to attain 174 

Ugi-dVl. turning head (?) 505 
le'lbEhsh, to turn 

n-tgu-li'lbEksi, whirlpool 503 
Ud, to swim 349 

q!ala-lld, to swim \\p river 349 
Mb, stone 503 
lu-, in 

Ivrwd'l, to do inside 168 

lu-ma'ksk, to wash in (water) 174 

lu-t.'do, to be in 168 

lu-t.'a'mxsgut, slaves 531 

gan-lu-gaxl, because it is lost 265 

k!id-lu-k!d'l, alone inside 149 

lu-tgu-wd'lb, those in the house 102 

lu-wuts!e^on, mouse inside 506 

lu-mEhnl'gum-ts! Em-sail, rain under knee 122 

lu-k!ind'm, to give marriage present 532 
Ivfival, to drip 122 

lEmkdV, sister of man, brother of woman 490, 493, 495 
IsFdn,* calm 505 
lEkld'ok,* glittering 503 
Iet, underneath 543 
la, when 155, 161, 162, 174, 350 
lab (?) 

lEpld'b, to attain 174 
lams, parents-in-law, rhi!dren-in-law 490, 493, 495 
laxs, claw 504 
ie«/(N), ball game 409 
Uqwi-yo'ob, burning ground 503 
IdP, to slide 

Idm g'ad, sliding people 503 
Idtk 

ksi-ld'lk, 265 
lukt!a'c-n, grandparent, grandchild 491, 493, 495 
Igauk, woman's sister 490, 493, 495 
(Igaqa*) 

ksa-n-lgaqa, spring of water in heaven 505 
Igu-, small 

!gu-yd'oks, noble 496 

Iqy-wd'lks, prince 161, 496 
Iguolk, child (sing.) 491, 493 



APPENDIX V— INDEX TO REFERENCES 



In the following pages is given a list of all the references used in our comparative 
study. The material is arranged in the order in wliich it appears in the books cited, 
while following a brief description of each incident cited is given the page of the 
present work on which it is discussed. , In those cases in which the incident has only 
been mentioned, the reference to the present work is given in parentheses. Since 
many stories and their discussions extend over several pages both of the original and 
of the present work, the first pages of the longer tales and of the discussions are gen- 
erally referred to, wliile most of the briefer incidents are referred to the particular 
pages on which they occur. The list of references is preceded by a list of the tribes 
whose folk- tales have been cited. 



List of Tribes 



Achomawi. 

Ainu. 

Apache. 

Apache (Jicarilla). 

Apache (Mescalero). 

Arapaho. 

Assiniboin. 

Athapascan (northern). 

Bellabella. 

Bellacoola. 

Biloxi. 

Caddo. 

Carrier. 

Chehalis. 

Cherokee. 

Chilcotin. 

Chinook. 

Chippewa (=Ojibwa). 

Chippewayan. 

Chukchee. 

Comox. 

Coos. 

Cora. 

Cowichan. 

Crow. 

Dakota. 

Eskimo. 

Fox. 

Fraser Delta. 

Gold. 

Haida. 

Haida (Kaigani). 

Haida (Masset). 

Haida (Skidegate). 

Hare (Athapascan). 



Hitchiti. 

Hopi. 

Kathlamet. 

Kickapoo. 

Klamath. 

Kodiak. 

Koryak. 

Kutenai. 

Kwakiutl. 

Lillooet. 

LkuiigEn. 

Loucheux. 

Maidu. 

Malecite. 

Micmac. 

Nanaimo. 

Nass. 

Natchez. 

Navaho. 

Newettee. 

Nez Perc6. 

Nisqually. 

Nootka. 

Okanagon. 

Osage. 

Pawnee. 

Penobscot . 

Pentlatch. 

Ponca. 

Puget Sound. 

Puyallup. 

Quilleviite. 

Quinault. 

Rivers Inlet. 

Seshelt. 



980 



BOAsl APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 981 

Shoshoni. Tsimshian. 

Shuswap. Uta'mqt. 

Squamish. Ute. 

Tahltan. Wasco. 

Takelma. Wichita. 

Ten'a. Wishram. 

Thompson. Yana. 

Tillamook. Yuchi. 

Tlingit . Various tribes of Old World. 

TslEtsla'ut. 

List of References 

GENERAL 

Boas, Franz. Tsimshian Texts, New Series. Publications nf the American Ethno- 
logical Society, iii. 1912. Cited Ts 1 (=Boa8 13). 

pp. 71-83: Asdi-wa'l. The meeting on the ice, 792; 793. 
p. 73. Helpful beings, 750; 758. 

pp. 83-87. Asdi-wa'l pursues the magic bear, 7G0; 794. 
p. 89. Men who marry supernatural beings, 759. 

Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 794; 797; 815. 

Test tale: Youth is sent to hunt on the mountains, 803; 815. 
p. 91. Feast of the Mountain Goats, 738; 739; 803. 
p. 97. The closing cave, 798; 815. 
p. 101. Test tale: The falling tree, 800; 815. 
p. 103. Heat test, 806; 807; 815. 
p. 109. Asdi-wa'l's return from heaven, 760; 817. 
p. 111. Test of man's faithfulness, 780; 817. 
p. 113. Father revives husband of his daughter, 780; 817. 
p. 115. Asdi-wa'l's marriages, 817. 

p. 121. Asdi-wa'l marries among the Git-qxa'la, 817; 818. 
pp. 125-129. The sea-lion rock, 818. 
pp. 129-131. Visit to the house of the Sea Lions, 819. 
p. 131. The invisible arrow, 819; 820. 
pp. 133-135. Sea Lions send visitor home, 822. 
p. 137. Killer whales made of wood, 822; 823. 
p. 143. Asdi-wa'l goes back to Skeena River, 825. 
p. 147. Girl is taken away by the Bears, 752; 753; 836; 838. 
p. 151. Mouse Woman as ad\-iser, 752; 753. 
p. 153. Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 
p. 155. Woman escapes from the Grizzly Bears, 755; 838. 
p. 157. Woman marries lake-being, 838-840. 
p. 159. Self-mox-ing canoe, 832. 

p. 171. Woman carried away by Killer Whales, 840-845. 
p. 175. Meeting with blind women, 593, No. 24. 
p. 177. The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 189. Raven invites the monsters, 718. 
p. 193. Gau'6. The faithless woman, 847-850. 
p. 199. Gau'6. Helpful animals, 750; 758. 
p. 209. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors, 850-854. 
p. 227. Beaver and Porcupine, 724-726. 
p. 237. Story of Porcupine, 724. 
p. 243. The Deluge, 641; 727. 



982 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etu. ann. 31 

Boas, Franz. Tsimshian Texts. Bulletin 27 of the Buiaiu of American Ethnology. 
Cited N (=Boa8 7). 

p. 7. Introduction to Raven myth, 634; 635; 639; 781. 
p. 10. Origin of daylight, 641-645. 
p. 14. Raven puts his cap on a rock (575, No. 122). 
p. 15. Origin of turning of tides, 649; 652. 

Raven causes Nass River to turn back, 572, No. 60. 

Ra\en threatens to let out the ihiylight, 649. 
p. 16. Txii'msEm and Logobola', 666; 721. 
p. 17. Water flows at roots of tree.s, 651; 653. 

p. 18. Logobola' and Raven have a shooting-match, 580, No. 211; 721. 
p. 21. Origin of dayHght, 641-645. 
p. 23. Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649. 
p. 25. Raven obtains fresh water, 651. 
p. 27. Origin of the olachen, 653; 654. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 
p. 30. Crows or gulls are blackened, 677. 
p. 31. Origin of fire, 660; 661. 
p. 32. Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668; 671. 

Origin of the olacheu, 653; 654. 
p. 34. Crows or gulls are blackened, 677. 
p. 35. Olachen is stolen, 676. 
p. 36. Origin of light, 641; 642. 

Raven is made voracious, 636; 637; 639. 
p. 37. Origin of the bullhead, 685. 

p. 38. Raven believes that he has found a beautiful blanket, 580, No. 212; 722. 
p. 39. Raven meets a .slave who disobeys him, 689; 690. 
p. 40. Slave eats food offered to Raven, 690. 

Raven kills his slave. 691. 
p. 42. Raven steals blubber from children, 686. 
p. 43. Raven and Cormorant, 678; 679. 
p. 44. Raven steals club (580, No. 213). 
p. 46. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 
p. 48. Birds produce salmon eggs by striking the ankle, 696. 
p. 49. Birds produce food by their song, 696, 
p. 50. Fishermen break off Txa'msEm's jaw, 684. 
p. 52. Raven catches the steelhead salmon, 674; 675. 
p. 54. The Stump eats the salmon, 675. 
p. 56. Raven kills Grizzly Bear, 680-682. 
p. 58. Raven kills Little Pitch, 683. 
p. 60. Raven visits the town of the air, 702; 703. 
p. 63. Raven kills Deer with a hammer, 703. 
p. 64. Raven is catight in the smoke hole, 677. 
p. 67. The Stump eats the salmon, 675. 
p. 68. Raven enslaves the Stump (580, No. 214). 
p. 69. Raven calls the salmon (577, No. 167). 
p. 70, Porpoise Woman acts as listener. 577, No. 167; 687. 

Raven mistakes moss for a beautiful Idanket, 580, No. 212; 722. 
p. 72. Stone and Elderl^erry Bush, 663. 
p. 73. Beaver and Porcupine, 724-726. 
p. 83. Tl]^ Wolves and the Deer, 863. 
p. 86. The stars, 863. 
p. 88. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 



BOAS] APPEJy^DIX V ITSTDEX TO EEFEEENCES 983 

Boas, Franz. Tsimshian Texts— Continued. 
p. 89. Figures carved of various kinds of wood, 824. 
p. 90. The swelling slave, 843; 845. 
p. 93. Chain of arrows, 8G4; 8G7. 

p. 94. How a feather carried the people up into the sky, 734-730. 
p. 96. The magical origin of children of the survivor, 734; 735. 
p. 102. The cliildren on the drifting log, 831. 
p. 104. Person consisting of one side of body onl)', 831. 

The wliirlpool at the end of the world, 831. 
p. 106. The self-moving canoe, 831. 
p. 108. The sea-lion rock, 822. 
p. 109. Sea lions carved of wood, 822; 824. 
p. 111. War between the dwarfs and the birds, 867. 
p. 116. Man acquires supernatural strength, 729; 730. 
p. 117. Wren kills the Bear, 718; 719; 8G8. 
p. 121. Boy uses grandmother's vulva for bait, 585, No. 18; 868. 
p. 122. Ts'ak' takes revenge on Wolves, 869. 
p. 123. The invisible arrow, 820. 

p. 126. Ts'ak' marries supernatiiral being, 759; 761, 869. 
p. 129. Mouse Woman as adviser, 752. 
p. 130. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-iu-law, 797. 

The snapping door, 797; 815. 

The spine seat 799; 815. 
p. 131. Heat test, 806; 807; 815. 
p. 133. Wedge test, 801; 815. 

p. 134. Test tale: Youth pushed into whirlpool, 804; 815. 
p. 137. Deserted child as introduction to a story, 784; 869. 
p. 139. Magic sling, 855. 
]). 150. Putting on skin of an animal, 869. 
p. 169. Child who feeds eagles is deserted, 785-787. 
p. 179. Deserted child sends bird with food to relatives, 788. 
p. 182. Gift of food is discovered when child chokes, 788-790. 
p. 184. Return of tribe, 790. 
p. 188. She Who Has A Labret On One Side, 870. 
p. 196. An awkward man is made beautiful, 870. 
p. 200. The man who married the Bear, 742: 743; 7-59. 
p. 211. Squirrel girl takes away a man, 762; 870. 
p. 221. Gau'6. The faithless woman, 847-850. 
p. 222. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors. 850-855. 
p. 225. Asi-hwi'l. The meeting on the ice, 792; 793. 
p. 226. Tiny but powerful dogs, 742; 793. 
p. 227. Asi-hwi'l pursues the magic bear, 793; 794. 
p. 228. Asi-hwt'l's return from heaven, 817. 

Asi-hwiT marries among the Tsimshian, 817; 818. 

The sea-lion rock, 818. 
p. 229. Visit to the house of the Sea Lions, 819. 

The invisible arrow, 820. 

Sea Lions send visitor home, 822. 

Killer whales made of wood, 822; 823. 

Girl elopes with the chief of the Grouse, 751; 757; 758. 
p. 231. TsEgu'ksk", 870. 
p. 233. Shaman revives in form of owl, 871. 

Magical origin of children, 734; 736. 



984 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [bth. ax.n. 31 

Boas, Franz. Tsimsliian Texts — Concluded, 
p. 234. Grindstone eats berries and becomes a mountain, 737. 

Boys meet a witch, 737. 

Boys meet a mountain that obstructs their way, 738. 

Magical origin of children, 734-736. 
p. 235. Spirit of Bleep, 871. 

Swanton, John R. Tlingit Myths and Texts. Bulletin .39 of the Bureau of American 
Ethnology, ^\'ashiugton, 1909. Cited Tl (=S wanton 5). 
p. 3. Introduction to Raven myth, 621; 622; 639. 

Origin of daylight, 641-643; 645. 
p. 4. Raven obtains fresh water, 651. 

Raven is caught in the smoke hole, 652; 677. 
Origin of rivers, 651; 652. 
p. 5. Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649. 
Origin of animals, 649. 
Raven steals blubber from children, 686. 
Raven catches salmon, 674; 675. 
Raven sends the birds to get leaves, 675. 
Painting of birds, 677. 
Food steaming iu oven stolen, 676. 
p. 6. Origin of colors of birds, 664. 

Raven kills Grizzly Bear, 680; 681; 682. 
Bear slits the backs of his hands, 695; 696. 
p. 7. Raven and Cormorant, 678. 
p. 8. Fishermen break off Raven's jaw, 684; 685. 

Raven steals deer fat (578, No. 172). 
p. 9. Raven calls animals to be his companions, 580, No. 200; 851. 
Raven kills Deer, 691; 704. 
Origin of the tides, 656; 657. 
p. 10. Raven thinks nature mourns with him, 577, No. 164. 

Raven is lost in fog made by Petrel, 666. 
p. 11. Origin of fire, 660; 662. 

Raven obtains fish by means of a magical staff, 677, No. 160; 665. 
p. 12. Raven kills killer whales by putting canes into their necks, 578, No. 173 
671; 674; 762. 
Raven set adrift, 720. 
WTiale swallows Raven, 687; 688. 
p. 13. Raven steals the whale, 688. 

Origin of a dangerous place at sea (675, No. 117). 
Origin of the olachen, 653; 654. 
p. 14. Raven's gizzard is torn out, 706. 

Raven marries the daughter of Fog Over The Salmon, 668. 
p. 15. Raven's magical club kills seals (578, No. 174). 
Nass River (575, No. 118). 

Raven transforms men into stones (675, No. 119). 
Raven cheats the Ground Hogs (578, No. 175); 729. 
p. 16. Raven tries to make privates of females, of bark and leaves, 575, No. 124. 
Raven invites the monsters, 718. 
Raven finds a support for the world, 572, No. 52. 
p. 17. After Deluge people transformed into stones, 575, No. 120. 
Raven and Eagle gather red and black cod, 692. 
Raven set adrift, 720. 
Wren kills the Bear, 718; 719. 
Raven is made voracious, 636; 637. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO HEFEEENCES 985 

Swanton, John B. Tlingit Mj-ths and Texts— Continued, 
p. 18. Origin of death, 6G3. 

Raven uproots dangerous animals (E72, No. 61). 

In olden times roots grew already cooked in the ground, 574, No. 84. 

De\'ilfish is made tough (573, No. 74). 

Origin of algae (575, No. 123). 

Origin of pupils of eyes (576, No. 131). 

Origin of the bullhead, 685; 686. 
p. 19. Raven's blanket becomes a plant (574, No. 85). 

A basket becomes a stone (574, No. 90). 

Raven tries to obtain water (572, No. 53). 

Raven places women at head of creek (572, No. 54). 

Raven makes Bear afraid of Porcupine (573, No. 75). 

Raven makes West Wind (572, No. 58). 

A practice to gain strength in paddling (576, No. 135). 

Raven is grandchild of Mouse (574, No. 83). 

Adventure with North Wind, 572, No. 59; 733. 

Raven makes the Indian tribes (576, No. 132). 
p. 20. Origin of the dog (573, No. 77), 728; 729. 

Raven causes "fat on the sea" to sink (580, No. 204). 

Origin of wild celerj^ (574, No. 86). 

Raven and Tree call each other names (580, No. 203). 

Raven transformis a clam (573, No. 76). 

Raven uses beaver's leg as support for the world, 572, No. 52; 731; 732. 

Raven transforms whale and canoe into stone (575, No. 121). 

Raven names places, 574, No. 08. 
p. 22. Half-person, 831. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 608. 
p. 25. Killer whales made of wood, 822, 823. 
p. 26. Woman carried away by the KiUer Whales, 840; 843; 845. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843; 844. 
pp. 28-30. The Land Otter, 862. 
p. 38. Woman marries the Halibut, 748; 752; 753. 

The offended animal, 749; 757. 
p. 39. Brother of woman cuts off Halibut's head, 756. 
p. 41. Feather carries people up into the eky, 734. 
p. 42. Woman swallows root-sap and becomes pregnant, 734-736; 738. 

Canoe-maker kills people by knocking out thwart, 738. 
p. 43. The protracted local winter, 829; 830. 

Beaver and Porcupine, 724-726. 
p. 49. The man who mairied the Bear, 742-744. 
p. 50. The sea-lion rock, 818; 819. 
p. 51. Man visits the sea-spirit, 846. 
p. 53. Woman marries the Frog (=T1 236; M 554), 748; 752; 753. 

The offended animal, 749; 757. 

Woman taken away by the Frogs is rescued by her people, 756. 
p. 55. Man marries the Brant Ducks, 762. 
p. 56. War among birds, 867. 

p. 58. Hunter is taken into house by the Mountain Sheep, 738; 739. 
p. 80. Introduction to Raven mj^h. 621-623. 
p. 81. Introduction to Raven myth, 623. 

Origin of dayUght, 641-643. 

Origin of death, 663. 

Raven arranges life after death, 572, No. 55. 



986 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [etii. ann. 31 

Swanton, John R. Tlingit Myths and Texts — Continued, 
p. 82. Raven tale: Woman \-isits the Ghost country (581). 
Origin of daylight, 641-643. 
Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649. 
]). 83. Origin of animals, 650. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651. 
Origin of fire, 660; 662. 
p. 84. Raven as cultiu'e-hero (576, No. 133). 

The houses of the Fish people (580, No. 205). 
Fishermen break off Raven's jaw. 684. 
p. 85. Raven catches the king salmon, 674. 

Raven takes l)irds for his ser\'ants, 677. 
Raven institutes war (576, No. 134). 

Raven meets Grouse and Sea Lion and instructs the liirds (573. No. 78'i. 
p. 86. Raven instructs Land Otter (573, No. 79). 
p. 87. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 89. Adventure with North Wind, 572, No. 59. 

Miscellaneous incidents of Raven tale (576, No. 136). 
neatte.st (.580, No. 206); 806; 807. 
Raven instructs the Chilkat (576, No. 137 1. 
Raven teaches use of tobacco (576, No. 138). 
Story of a cannibal (581). 
p. 91. "\MiaIe swallows Raven, 687; 688. 

Raven steals the whale, 688. 
p. 92. Raven steals blubber from children, 686. 
Raven visits the Ghost town, 702; 703. 
Raven and the Cannilwl (573, No. 80j. 
Origin of mosquitoes (573, No. 81). 
p. 93. Raven spears the house of Fishes, 655. 
p. 94. Fire Drill's son (581). 

p. 95. Arrows with points made of fireweed pods, 742. 
p. 99. Dog children (581); 640. 
p. 101. Half-person, 831. 

Boy enters sldn of salmon, 870. 
p. 103. Closing passage, 798. 

Sinews of the tomtit, 655. 
Sinews of the wren, 656. 
The head of the sea monster, 783. 
p. 104. The blind hunter, 825; 827. 
p. 106. Origin of Pleiades (572, No. 56). 

p. 107. Fishermen transformed into constellations (572, No. 57). 
Raven kills the seals, 706. 
Raven kills Deer, 691; 704. 
Origin of the seasons, 728; 729. 
p. 108. Raven and the Salmon Woman^ 668-671. 

Woman marries an old man and is taken by the Ducks (578, No. 176). 
p. 113. Girl transformed into a fox is recognized by her ornaments. 777. 
p. 114. Raven transforms himself into a woman, 692; 693. 

p. 116. Raven kills killer whales by putting canes into their necks, 578. No. 173; 
671; 674; 762. 
Raven »nd Fish Hawk (578, No. 177). 
p. 117. Raven and the industrious bird (.578, No. 178). 

Raven marries among the Gcoose people, 578, No. 179. 
Institution of feast customs (576, No. 139). 



BOAS] APPENDIX V — INDEX TO REFERENCES 987 

Swanton, John R. Tlingit Myths and Texts— Continued. 
13. 118. Raven's f easting-house (574, No. 89). 
p. 119. Raven and Nas-CA'ki-yel, G21-624; 639. 

Test tale: Jealous husband, 796; 797. 

Test tale: The falling tree, 800. 

Wedge test, 801. 

Raven is subjected to heat test. 80G; 807. 
p. 120. Test tale: Flood, 810. 

Origin of tlie tides, 65(i; 657. 

Raven and Nas-CA'ki-ye), 624; 625. 
p. 121. Raven and C.^.qi^k!" gather fish, 692. 

Raven set adrift, 720. 
p. 122. The Wolf arrow (581); 857; 858. 
p. 124. Animals praise their abilities (581). 
p. 125. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors, 850-854. 
p. 126. Girl is taken away by the Bear (581 1; 748-750; 757; 836-838. 

Motise Woman as adviser, 752. 
p. 127. Wet wood gi\'es good fire, 837. 

Old woman as ad\'iser, 752. 

Woman marries lake-being, 838-840. 
p. 130. Woman manies Bevilfish (581); 748-750; 752; 758. 
p. 131. Woman abducted by a Devilfish returns, 757. 
p. 132. Girl marries a wealthy man who is apparently poor (581); 758. 
p. 133. Origin of secret societies (581). 

p. 134. Men become shamans by sleeping among driftwood (581). 
p. 135. Origin of sea-birds (574, No. 82). 

Raven helps a man to win in gambling (581 ). 
p. 139. Raven learns a dance from the Grouse (581). 
p. 142. Men are transformed into land-otters and ducks (581). 
p. 144. Death predicted (581); 834. 
p. 145. Child carried away by Man With A Burning Hand (581). 

Man acquires supernatural strength (581); 729; 730. 
p. 147. The sea-lion rock, 818; 819. 
p. 149. Visit to the house of the Sea Lions, 819. 

The in\-isible arrow, 820. 
p. 150. Sea Lions send visitor home, 822; 823. 

The monster de^^lfish (581). 
p. 151. Origin of the Woodworm crest (581"). 
p. 152. Shaman called by the Land Otters (581). 
p. 153. The imisible arrow, 820. 
p. 166. Man dons the skin ot a sea monster, 870. 
p. 170. Chief invites sea monsters. 718. 
p. 173. The child of the lake woman, 746. 
p. 175. The woman taken away by the Snail, 747-750; 752; 757. 

Bird made of wood, 822; 824. 

Woman is rescued from the Snails, 755. 
p. 177. Child originates from a felon, 734: 735. 
p. 178. Test tale: The dangerous animals, 804; 805. 
p. 181. The hunter and his wooden wife. 744; 746. 
pp. 187-188. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 192. A qmll carries the people up into the sky, 734. 

Woman swallows root-sap and becomes pregnant, 734-736. 
p. 193. Woman swallows root-sap and becomes pregnant, 735. 

Contest with rock, 738. 



988 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY (hth. ann. 31 

Swanton, John B. Tlingit Myths and Texts — Continued, 
p. 194. Supernatural birth of Mucus child, 730. 

Man acquires supernatural strength, 729; 730. 
p. 198. The jealous uncle, 640; 795; 79G. 
p. 199. Test tale: The dangerous devilfish, 804. 
p. 200. Test tale: Closing clam, 805. 
p. 201. Revenge of the animals, 810. 

Test tale: Uncle throws youth down from, a tree, 803. 

Youth is set adrift on a lioard, 792; 810. 
p. 202. The man who is sent adrift marries, 796. 
p. 203. The man deserted on the seal rock, 818; 819. 
p. 204. Man taken to the Eagle's house, 734. 

Man marries the Eagle, 762. 

A person enters the skin of an eagle, 870. 
p. 206. Man marries the Brant Ducks, 762. 
p. 209. Boy is taken up to the sky, 863. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 

A person enters the skin of an eagle, 870. 
p. 210. Arrow-chain, 867. 
p. 211. Magic flight, 867. 
p. 214. Origin of mosquitoes, 741. 
p. 215. Woman carried away by the Killer 'WTiales, 840-843; 845. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 219. The east and north winds, 7.32; 733. 
p. 220. Beaver and Porcupine, 724-726. 
p. 222. Girls who marry Mountain Dweller, 758. 
p. 228. The man who married the Bear, 742-744. 
p. 229. Man marries the Eagle, 762; 796. 
p. 230. Man deserted on an island, 818; 819; 822. 

Killer whales made of wood, 822; 823. 
p. 232. The man who married a Frog (=Kai 260; M 557), 759; 761. 
p. 236. Woman lives with a Frog (=T1 63, M 554), 748; 752; 753; 756; 757. 
p. 237. The girl who married the l!al!, 748-750; 752; 754; 757. 
p. 238. Spruce Tree marries a girl, 748; 751; 752; 754; 758. 
p. 239. The gifl who married a Fire Spirit, 748-750; 752; 753; 756; 757. 
p. 243. The rejected lover, 759; 760; 767; 768. 
p. 244. ilen who marr>' supernatural women, 759; 760; 779; 780. 
p. 245. Plume test for faithfulness of husband, 780. 

Woman pretends to die, 781. 
]). 247. The woman that married a Half Head, 748-750; 752; 754; 757. 
p. 252. Girl is taken away by the Bear, 748-750; 757; 835; 836. 

Mouse Woman as adviser, 752. 
p. 253. Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 

Mouse Woman as adviser, 752. 
p. 254. Woman marries lake-being, 838. 

Cannibal woman is thro^vn down on a Tsimshian town, 839. 
p. 255. Self-moving canoe, 832. 
!>. 256. Plume test of faithfulness of husband. 780. 
p. 262. A deserted boy is helped. A whale kills the people, 785. 
p. 264. Gift of food is discovered when a ciiild chokes, 788-790. 
p. 265. The deserted boy, 790. 
p. 266. The deserted boy, 791. 
p. 280. Girls who marry Mountain Dweller, 758. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO EEFEEEXCES 989 

Swanton, John R. Tlingit Myths and Texts— Concluded, 
p. 289. Man acquire.* supernatural strength, 729; 730. 
p. 292. Children of a lake woman pluck out eye.s, 746. 
p. 295. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors, 850. 
p. 301. The boy who is taken away by the Salmon. 770; 772. 
p. 302. Boy's journey to the Salmon village, 772. 

Fish eggs in Salmon village are dung, 773. 
p. 303. The return of the salmon, 775. 
p. 306. Boy who has assumed the form of a salmon is caught by his father, 776. 

Boy is recognized by means of his copper necklace, 776. 
p. 311. The boy who is taken away by the Salmon, 770; 772. 
p. 312. The Salmon village, 773. 
p. 313. Fish eggs in Salmon \'illage are dung, 773. 

Dancing herring spawn on face, 774. 

Revived children. 698; 773. 
p. 314. The return of the salmon, 775. 

The moving horizon, 798. 
p. 315. Boy in the form of a salmon is speared by his father, 776. 
p. 316. Son is recognized by means of his copper necklace, 776. 
p. 359. Self-mo%'ing canoe, 832. 
p. 368. Spirit of wealth, 740. 

Krause, Aurel. Die Tlinkit-Indianer. Jena, 1885. Cited Tl 4. 
p. 254. Introduction to Raven myth, 621-625. 

Test tale: Man kills the ten sons of his sister, 796; 797. 
p. 256. Test tale: Chief tries to cut the neck of his nephew with a saw, 799. 

Test tale: Glass falls down from tree, 800. 

"Wedge test, 801. 
p. 257. Test tale: The dangerous devilfish, 804; 805. 

Test tale: Raven is thrown overboard, 804. 

Revenge of the animals, 810. 

Test tale: Flood, 810. 
p. 259. Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 
p. 260. Raven and Kanuk, 666. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651. 
p. 261. Raven is caught in the smoke hole, 652; 677. 

Origin of daylight, 641-643. 
p. 263. Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649. 

Origin of animals, 650. 

Origin of fire, 660; 662. 

Origin of the olachen, 653; 654. 
p. 264. Raven catches the steelhead salmon, 674; 675. 
p. 265. Raven blackens the crows, 675-677. 

Raven kills Pitch, 683. 

Raven kills Grizzly Bear, 680; 681; 682. 
p. 266. Raven and Cormorant, 678. 
p. 268. The supporter of the world, 731; 732. 
p. 271. Girl is taken away by the Bear, 836; 837. 
p. 272. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 275. (Ts) Woman carried away by Killer WTiale, 840-843. 

(Ts) The bUnd Ducks, 593, No. 24. 
p. 277. (Ts) The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 288. Land Otter, 862. 



990 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann.31 

Swanton, Jobn B. Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida. Publications of 
the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, v. 1905. Cited 8 (=Swanton 2). 
p. 12. Man acquires Bupernatural strength, 729. 
p. 14. "The one below," "chief above," Christian concepts, 630. 
p. 30. Half-person, 831. 

p. 74. Introduction to Raven myth, 625; 026; 633. 
p. 75. After Deluge Haida ancestors were seated on reefs, 630. 

Raven made voracious, 639. 
p. 94. Story of Dji'gwa, 832; 833. 
p. 233. Raven marries Sea Gull, 577, Noa. 163-166. 
p. 234. Porpoise Woman acts as listener, 687. 

Raven is killed, 710. 
p. 235. Raven and Eagle, 666. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 
p. 236. Origin of the salmon, 653; 655. 

Origin of death, 663; 664. 

Raven marries among the Goose people, and is deserted by them (575, 
No. 112); 578, No. 179. 

Raven kills Beaver (577, No. 108). 
• p. 237. Raven takes a girl to be his sister, 570, No. 146. 

Digging-slick transformed into stone, 575, No. 107. 

Killer whale transformed into stone (575, No. 113). 

Raven's house-timbers are transformed into stones, 574, No. 104. 

Origin of a harbor (575, No. 114). 

Raven's sister transformed into stone (575, No. 115). 

Origin of cripples (576, No. 128). 
p. 238. Raveii makes hermaphrodites (576, No. 129). 

Origin of a sea-plant (573, No. 71). 

Origin of death, 663; 664. 

Origin of daylight, 641; 646. 

Fishermen break off Raven's jaw, 684; 685. 

Transformation of a woman into an owl, 826. 

Grizzly Bear and Beaver, 723; 724. 
p. 240. The invisible shaman, 778. 
p. 243. The boy who is taken away by the Salmon, 770; 772. 

Salmon eggs in Salmon village are dung, 773. 

Revived children, 698; 773. 
p. 244. Dancing herrings spawn on the face of a boy, 774. 

The return of the salmon, 775. 
p. 245. Salmon Boy is caught by his mother, 776. 

Boy is recognized by his Copper neck -ring, 770. 
p. 249. A person enters the skin of a brown eagle, 870. 
p. 250. Man acquires supernatural strength, 729; 730. 
p. 251. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 253. Land Otter, 862. 

Death predicted, 834. 
p. 254. Land Otter (=Ts 166), 747-749; 751-753; 755; 758; 862. 
p. 255. Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 
p. 260. Woman who marries Devilfish (=M 560, Tl 232), 748, 751; 752; 756; 757; 

759; 761. 
p. 261. Children originate from mucus, 734; 735. 
p. 263. Blind man maltreated recovers eyesight, 825; 826. 

Woman pretends to die. 781. 
p. 265. Winter hunters and the mosquito, 740; 741. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 991 

Swanton, John B. Haida Texts— Masset Dialect. Publications of the Jesnp North 
Pacific Expoiition, x, part ii. 1908. Cited M (=Swanton 3). 
p. 293. Introduction to Raven myth, 62.5. 

Raven creates land (581, No. 219), 630. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 

Raven makes a house for liimself and lives alone, 581, No. 220. 
p. 294. Whale swallows Raven, 687; 688. 

Raven tries to start an everlasting fire (572, No. 51). 
p. 295. In olden times roots grew already cooked in the ground, 574, No. 84. 

Raven's house-timbers are transformed int* stones, 574, No. 104. 

Raven splits a rock (574, No. 105). 
p. 296. Raven is thrown into the sea (581, No. 218); 625; 629. 

Raven transforms waves into mountains (574, No. 106). 

Slave eats food offered to Raven, 690. 
p. 297. Raven kills his slave, 691. 
p. 298. Raven steals blubber from children, 686. 

Raven catches the salmon, 674-676. 
p. 299. The Stump eats the salmon, 675; 677. 

Shrew's inexhaustible food-supply (577, No. 156). 
p. 300. Heron makes a canoe (579, No. 198). 

Raven and Cormorant, 678; 679. 
p. 301. Raven deserts Master Fisherman on a lonely island, 710. 
p. 303. Origin of the tides, 656; 657. 

Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668; 671. 
p. 304. Raven bums a girl's groins, 707; 708. 

Raven builds a house and is adopted (.581, No. 221); 626. 

Raven crawls into a child's skin at Rose Spit, 579, No. 191. 

Raven creates the four northern coast tribes, 573, No. 62. 

Raven is made voracious, 636; 637. 

Raven is turned out of the house of Qefig», 581, No. 222; 626. 

Raven steals salmon eggs, 705. 

Wliy shellfish are poisonous (580, No. 199). 

Raven flies up into the sky (581, No. 223); 625; 626. 

Origin of daylight, 641-644. 

Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649; 650.- 

Raven breaks up moon and jnits it in the sky, 651. 

Raven kills Grizzly Bear, 680-682. 
p. 312. Raven visits the Shadows, 702. 
p. 313. Raven makes ear-ornaments (570, No. 144). 

Raven marries Mink (576, No. 145); 577, No. 157. 
p. 314. Raven makes Butterfly his servant, 689; 690. 

Slave eats food offered to Raven, 690. 

Raven takes a girl to be his sister, 576, No. 146. 
p. 315. Digging-stick transformed into stone, 575, No. 107. 

Butterfly eats roots dug by Raven's sister (577, No. 158). 

Origin of fire, 660, 662. 
p. 316. Raven's feast (.581, No. 224), 718. 

Animals called praise their abilities, .580, No. 200; 8-51. 
p. 317. Why sea eggs are eaten (576, No. 147). 
p. 318. Raven transforms herrings into human beings (575, No. 108). 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 

Raven marries an inland Indian (575, No. 109). 
p. 319. Origin of death, 663; 664. 

Raven throws away two arms of the de^'ilfi8h (573, No. 68). 



p- 


305. 


p- 


306. 


p- 


307. 


p- 


308. 


p- 


310. 


p- 


311. 



992 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Swanton, Jobn B. Haida Texts — Masset Dialect — Continued, 
p. 320. Raven's sister turned into atone (577, No. 159). 

Raven kills fish by throwing stick at them, 577, No. 160; 655; 656. 
p. 321. Raven makes Masset Inlet (575, No. 110). 

Raven is pelted with sea egss, 686. 
p. 322. Raven turns into a woman, 692; 693. 

Raven spears West Wind (574, No. 87). 
p. 323. The host lets oil drip oxit of his hands, 695; 696. 

Raven establishes the Tsimshian clans (576, No. 149). 
p. 324. People originate from a clamshell, 572, No. 49; 631; 633. 

The cawing of crows predicts sunshine (573, No. 69). 
p. 325. Why woodpeckers live in trees (573, No. 70). 

Raven makes a passage through a promontory (575, No. 111). 

Raven makes a lake (576, No. 150). 
p. 326. Origin of the olachen, 653; 655. 

Wliy canoes capsize (576, No. 148). 

Raven makes a sandbar (575, No. 112). 
p. 327. Raven calls Butterfly out to sea (577, No. 161). 

Raven steals provisions (577, No. 162). 
p. 328. Raven's slave disobeys him, 689. 

Slave eats food offered to Raven, 690. 

Raven kills Mallard Duck (577, No. 153). 
p. 329. Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649; 650. 

Raven makes a water-hole with his bill, 574, No. 100. 

Raven creates a slave wlio disobeys him, 689; 690. 
p. 3.30. Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668-670. 
p. 332. Raven fights against the birds (581, No. 225). 

Raven steals salmon eggs, 705. 
p. 333. Raven tiUTis himself into a woman, 692; 693. 
p. 335. Raven \'isits the Shadows, 702; 703. 
p. 336. Raven kills Deer with a hammer, 703. 

Sea Lion is killed by Raven, 577, No. 152; 578, No. 173; 762. 
p. 337. Raven kills Little Pitch, 683. 
p. 338. Raven is recognized by his tail, 692; 693. 

Fishermen break off Raven's jaw, 684; 685. 
p. 340. Raven \-isits the Shadows, 702; 703. 
p. 341. Raven turns into a woman, 692; 693. 
p. 347. Man kills Steelhead Salmon, 674; 675. 
p. 348. The salmon is stolen, 676; 677. 
p. 349. Vagina dentata, 773; 809. 
p. 350. Heat test, 806; 807. 

p. 353. Blind man maltreated recovers eyesight, 825-827. 
p. 361. Cormorant gives olachen to people, 827. 
p. 364. Qiiig'' invites the Ocean people, 718. 
p. 365. Man acquires supernatural strength, 729; 730. 
p. 366. Person dons the skin of a fish, 870. 
p. 370. Hunters find themselves in a deep pit, 861. 
p. 376. Stor>' of Laguadji'na, 640. 
p. 378. The sinews of wren, 655; 656. 
p. 380. The sea monster that overturns an island, 783. 
p. 385. The sea-lion rock, 818; 819. 
p. 388. Sea Lions send visitor home, 822. 
pp. 388-390. Killer whales made of wood, 822; 823. 
p. 392. War on Giant Devilfish, 739. 



BOAS] APPEXDIX V INDEX TO REFEREXCES 993 

Swanton, John B. Haida Texts— Masset Dialect— Continued, 
p. 396. The four gi-eat chiefs of the winds, 732; 733. 
p. 405. Miraculous birth, 734; 73-5. 

p. 408. Being with dorsal column like that of a chiton, 734. 
p. 41.5. Child who feeds eagles is deserted, 785. 
p. 417. The boy who acts as shaman, 869. 
p. 419. The in\-isible arrow, 820. 

Raven makes West Wind, 572, No. 58. 
p. 421. The closing cave, 798. 

Heat test, 806; 808. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843; 844. 
p. 422. Man hidden in fagot is carried into house, 844. 

Test tale: Biu-ning bark, 806; 807. 
p. 423. Test tale: Youth sent to kill an eagle, 805. 
p. 424. Woman dips her feather into water to see whether her husband la faithful 

780. 
p. 426. The sleep power, 871. 
p. 433. The stupid monster, 762; 763. 
p. 446. Deer and Beaver, 724; 726. 
p. 448. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 450. Woman is taken up to the sky, 863; 864. 

Figure made of wood, 822; 824; 867. 
p. 460. The prince who was deserted. Deserted boyfinds food at a cedar, 785; 787. 
p. 466. The helpful Skunk Cabbage, 820. 

p. 472. Gift of food is discovered when a child cries for fat, 788; 789. 
p. 473. People return to deserted prince, 791. 

p. 488. By removal of blood from a person's eye his sight is improved, 825. 
p. 495. Woman carried away by the Killer Whales, 840-843. 
p. 498. Meeting with blind women, 593, No. 24. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 500. Girl is taken away by the Bear, 748-750; 836-838. 
p. 501. Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 
p. 505. Woman marries lake-being, 838; 839. 
p. 508. Grizzly marries a girl, 748; 751; 752; 7-56; 757. 
p. 513. Boy set adrift, 7:}4; 810. 

Eagles are pulled under water by whale, 734. 
p. 514. Hero dons skin of an eagle, 870. 
p. 517. Land Otter, 862. 

p. 518. Bears make war on htiman beings, 761; 762; 859. 
p. 522. Stockades built against animals, 859. 
p. 523, 536. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 545. Land Otter, 862. 

p. 554. Man takes a girl to the Frog town (=T1 53, 236), 748; 749; 751; 756; 7-57. 
p. 557. The man who married a Frog, 759; 761. 

p. 560. Woman who man-ies Devilfish (=Kai 200), 748; 751; 752; 756; 7-57. 
p. 565. The invisible shaman, 778. 
p. 589. Birds produce food by their song, 696. 
p. 601. Land Otter, 862. 

p. 614. A person enters the skin of a sea monster, 869; 870. 
p. 624. A person enters the skin of a sea monster, 869; 870. 
p. 625. The woman who married the dead man (=T1 247), 748; 749; 751; 752; 754; 

7.57. 
p. 630. Protracted local winter, 829; 830. 

50G33'— 31 ETH— 16 63 



994 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Swanton, John R. Ilaida Texts — Masset Dialect — Concluded. 
]i. 610. How a feather carried people into the sky, 734. 
p. 642. The tree-spirit, 736. 

Magical origin of eliildren, 734. 
p. 644. The hunters taken down to the house of the sea-spirit, 846. 
p. 649. By the removal of blood from a person's eyes his sight is improved, 825. 
p. 6.53. Land Otter, 862. 

p. 654. The princess who rejected her cousin, 767; 769. 
p. 657. Man dons sea-lion skin, 870. 

p. 677. People maltreat blind chief. Gulls restore his eyesight, 829. 
p. 679. Sea Gull removes blood from a blind man's eyes, 825. 
p. 692. Copper salmon, 857. 
p. 701. The copper salmon, 857. 
p. 705. Deserted boy helps a heron, 787. 

p. 714. Deserted youth marries girl that has been kind lo him, 791. 
p. 728. Heaverdy chiUlren revenge their ancestors, 847; 850-855. 
p. 732. The children of the chief in heaven receive gifts, 8.53. 

Swanton, John S. ILvida Texts. Bulletin 29 of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 
Washington, 1905. Cited Sk (=Swanton 1). 
p. 7. The boy who is taken away by the Salmon, 770; 772. 

Boy's joiu-ney to the Salmon village, 772. 
p. 8. Fish eggs are dung, 773. 

Revived children, 698; 773. 
p. 9. Man looks into house when people are dancing, and his head becomes full of 

herring eggs, 774. 
p. 11. The return of the salmon, 775. 

Sahnon shout "E'yo! " 675; 775. 
p. 12. Salmon youth is caught by his mother, 776. 

Youth is recognized by means of his copper necklace, 776. 
p. 26. Deserted child as introduction to a story, 784. 
p. 32. Master Carpenter and Southeast Wind, 660. 

Canoe made of various kinds of wood, 822; 824. 
p. 36. Hunters find themselves on a steep mountain, 861. 
p. 44. Beaver and Porcupine, 724-726. 
p. 64. Land Otter, 8G2. 

The in\asible arrow, 820. 
]). 70. Faithless woman pretends to die, 781. 
p. 74. Raven's jaw is torn off, 685. 
p. 78. Arrow-chain, 864. 

A woman enters the skin of a surf scoter, 870. 
p. no. Introduction to Raven myth, 625; 630; 633. 

Raven crawls into a child's skin, 579, No. 191. 
p. 111. Plucking Out Eyes, 746; 747. 
J). 112. ^Vhy the Tsim.shian are industrious, 575, No. 125. 

Origin of witchcraft among the Ninstints. 576, No. 127. 
Raven catches the Steelhead Salmon, 674; 675. 
Raven blackens the crows, 675; 676. 
p. 113. Raven removes Beaver's lake to the country of man, 572, No. 50. 

Raven blackens crows, 677. 
p. 115. Raven meets an ancestress of the Haida (579, No. 197). 

Raven is unable to see on account of a blood-clot in his eye (577, No. 155), 

825. 
Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 



""'^s' APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 995 

Swanton, John R, Haida Texts— Continued. 
p. IIG. Origin of daylight, 641-644. 
p. 117. Raven and Cormorant, 678; 680. 

Origin of the olachen, 653-65-5. 

Raven tears out a hair from Fern Woman's armpit (579, No. 193). 

Raven threatens to let out the daylight. 649; 650. 
p. 118. Origin of the seasons, 728; 729. 

Raven breaks up moon and puts it in the sky, 651. 

Raven walks over the water (.^74, No. 103). 

Raven crawls into a child's sldn, 579, No. 191. 

Introduction to Raven myth, 625; 626. 
p. 122. Raven creates the four northern coast tribes, 573, No. 62. 
p. 123. Raven obtains food for a feast (579, No. 194). 

Raven is made voracious, 636; 637. 
p. 124. Myth-telling contest (579, No. 195). 
p. 125. Fishermen break off Owl's jaw, 684; 685. 

Raven scares people, 688; 689. 
p. 126. Raven spears (the privates) for his sister, 575, No. 124. 

Raven and Cloud Woman, 668-670. 

Raven steals salmon eggs, 705. 
p. 127. Raven Ijurns Siwa's's legs, 707; 708. 

JIagical origin of children, 734. 

Raven's son vanishes, 708; 709. 

Cedar-bark roofing transformed into stone (574, No. 93). 

Raven is pelted with sea eggs, 686. 

Porpoise interprets Raven's speech, 686. 

Raven makes nostrils for birds, 6(i4. 
p. 128. Origin of colors of birds, 604. 

Raven makes water muddy (574, No. 88). 

Raven and the Crab, 579, No. 190; 721. 

Origin of the tides, 656; 657. 

Raven and Eagle gather red and black cod, 692. 
p. 129. Bluejay's head pulled long (573, No. 66); 658. 

War on the South Wind, 658. 

Halibut placed in front of doorway, 659. 

Raven steals blubber from children, 686. 
p. 130. Origin of flicker (573, No. 67). 

Raven deserts Master Fisherman on a lonely island, 710; 711. 
p. 131. Whale swallows Raven, 687; 688. 

Raven steals the whale, 688. 

Raven marries Hair-Seal Woman, 702. 

Raven travels with Eagle, 689; 690. 
p. 132. Raven turns into a woman, 692; 693. 

Raven transforms excrement into man (579, No. 192); 693. 

Birds produce salmon eggs by strildng the ankle, 696. 
p. 133. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Sea Lion becomes Raven's brother-in-law, 577, No. 152; 704. 

Raven kills Sea Lion, 680; 683. 
p. 134. Raven and Cormorant, 678; 679. 

AMiy ravens do not eat sea-anemone [o''. No. 1.54). 

Raven visits the Shadows, 702; 703. 

Raven gathers herring spawn on hemlock branches, 774. 



996 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ETH. ANN. 31 

Swanton, John R. Haida Texts — Continued, 
p. 13.5. Raven gathers herring spawn on hemlock branches, 576, No. 143; 774. 

Origin of fire, 660; 661. 

Raven replaces beak of owl by nose of devilfish, 673, Ko. 65. 

Raven kills Eagle, 691. 
p. 136. Skinshifter, 606. 

Raven and«the basket-weaver (579, No. 196). 

Raven pulls off the arm of a chief, 719. 
p. 137. He obtains by fraud good looks (5?5, No. 126), 651. 

Origin of white rocks (574, No. 92). 
p. 1.38. Raven names places (574, No. 98). 

Short incidents of Raven tale, 574, Nos. 91, 94-101. 

Introduction to Raven myth (,Masset), 625-629. 
p. 141. Raven creates the four northern coast tribes (Masset), 573, No. 62. 

Raven is made voracious (Masset), 636; 637. 
p. 142. Arrow-chain (Masseti, 864. 

Adventure of the singing women (Masset), 628. 
p. 143. Plucking Out Eyes (Masset), 746; 747. 

War on the South Wind (Masset), 658-660. 

Raven deserts Ma.ster FLsherman on a lonely island (Masset;, 710; 711. 
p. 145. Whale swallows Raven (Masset), 687; 688. 

Raven steals the whale (Masset), 688; 689. 

Raven removes Beaver's lake to the country of man (Masset), 572, No. 50. 
p. 146. Origin of a point of land (Masset) (574, No. 102). 

p. 151. Man in hair-seal canoe marries girl who refuses all suitors, 748; 749; 751. 
p. IGO. Skin-shifter, 606. 
p. 166. The faithless woman, 847-850. 
p. 167. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors, 850-854. 
p. 172. (Xote 32.) The disbeliever, or ''the one without ears,'' 783. 
pp. 173, 174. Deserted boy, 78.5-787. 
p. 176. The invisible arrow, 820. 

p. 182. Deserted child sends bird with food to his relatives, 788; 790. 
p. 183. Gift of food is discovered when a child chokes, 788; 789. 

People returii to deserted prince, 790; 791. 
p. 184. The man who raanied the Bear, 742-744. 
p. 186. The man who married the Bear, 742-744. 
p. 190. Man acquires supernatural strength, 729; 730. 

Stone Ribs, 572, No. 52; 731. 
p. 191. Am'ala' and duck grease, 731. 
p. 192. Sinews of the wren are strong, 655; 656. 
p. 194. Man becomes the supporter of the world, 572, No. 52; 731. 
p. 196. A person enters the skin of a haUbut, 870. 

A person enters a child's skin, 579, No. 191. 
p. 201. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 

p. 220. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 
1). 221. Test of swallowing red-hot stones, 682; 809. 

Test tale: Poisonous food, 809. 
p. 223. Woman dips her feather into water to see whether her husband is faithful, 

780. 
p. 227. Deserted child as introduction to a story, 784. 

Magic birth, 734; 735. 
p. 240. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 

Burning-food test, 809. 

Test tale: Tree closes over woodchopper, 800. 



BOASi APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 997 

Swanton, John R, Haida Texts— Continued, 
p. 241. Test tale: The dangerous de^^lfish, 804; 805. 

Test tale: Youth is sent to kill a sea lion, a seal, and an eaglo, 805. 
p. 243. Test tale: The dangerous clam, 805. 

Heat test, 806; 807. 
p. 244. Self-moving canoe, 832. 
p. 245. Woman carried away by the Killer UTiales, 840-843. 

The wood-splitting .slave, 8 13-845. 
p. 246. Slaves of Killer Whale assist visitor, 844. 
p. 252. Story of Laguadji'na, 640. 
p. 255. Sinews of wren are strong, 655; 656. 
p. 256. The head of the sea monster is cut off, 783. 

Fast canoe, 832. 
p. 258. The four great chiefs of the winds, 732; 733. 

Boys kill a sorcerer who catches breath of visitors, 737. 
p. 259. North puts his brothers-in-law on a tree, 861. 

Man marries Ground-Hog Woman, 762. 
p. 260. Man in form of marmot is recognized by means of his ornameut.s, 777. 

Woman marries Devilfish, 758. 
p. 264. Man marries a bird, 761. 
p. 2G6. A person enters the skin of a mouse, 870. 
p. 267. Half-person, 831. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 608. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843; 845. 
p. 269. Land Otter, 862. 
p. 271. Man is set adrift, 734; 810. 
p. 272. Eagle carries people to sky, 734. 

Eagles are carried under water, 734. 
p. 273, Boy set adrift (Massetl, 734; 810. 
p. 274. Eagles pulled under water (Masset), 734. 

p. 275. Men hanging one to another are carried out to sea (Masset), 734. 
p. 277. Test tale: Jealous uncle, 640; 792; 795; 796. 

Wedge test, 801. 

Youth is set adrift,, 792. 

Test tale: Uncle pushes boy down precipice, 803. 
p. 278. Test tale: Uncle pushes youth into fire, 806. 

Test tale: Youth is thrown into a cockle, 805. 

Youth is set adrift in a box, 792; 810. 
p. 279. A person dons an eagle skin, 870, 
p. 282. The sea-lion rock, 818. 

Visit to the house of the Sea Lions, 819. 
p. 283. Sea Lions send visitor home, 822. 

A person enters the skin of a sea m'uister, 869; 870. 

Killer whales made of wood, 822; 823. 
p. 288. Deserted child as introduction to a story, 784. 
p. 289. Slave hides food tor his child, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted prince, 791. 
p, 292. The man who mamed the daughter of the Devilfish chief, 759; 761. 
p. 294. The in-visible shaman, 778. 
p. 311. SAqaiyu'l as protector of a shaman, 709. 
p, 316. Story of Dji'gwa (Masset), 832, 

Death predicted, 833. 
p. 320. Raven finds a clam containing people, 572, No. 49; 633. 
p. 327. Death predicted, 834. 



998 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY- [eth. anx. 31 

Swanton, John R. Haida Texts — Concluded, 
p. 328. 8tui)id monster, 762; 763. 

p. 329. Fugitive sits on tree. His reflection on water is mistaken for fugitive him- 
self, 741. 
p. 330. How a feather carried the people up into the sky, 734-736. 

ilagical origin of children of the survivor, 7M; 735. 
p. 331. Local snowfall, 738; 829; 830. 

Boys meet a raccoon, 736. 
p. 332. Boys meet a witch, 737. 

Boys reach a big thing which falls on them, 738. 

Boys meet a small dog and try to jump over it, 738. 

Edge of sky, 737; 798. 
p. 336. Girl is taken away by the Bear, 748-750; 836-838. 

Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 
p. 337. Woman marries lake-being, 838-840. 
p. 338. Woman carried away by Killer Whales, 840-843. 

Meeting with l>lind women, 593. 
p. 339. The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 341. The faithless woman, 847-850. 

p. 342. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors, 850-855. 
p. 346. Copper shot down from mountain, 855; 850. 
p. 348. Slaughter-lover, 781; 782. 

Child originates from the thigh, 734; 735. 
p. 349. Fire issuing from a copper neck-ring and copper bow kills people, 781; 783. 
p. 352. Woman pretends to die, 781. 
p. 354. The rejected lover, 767; 769. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 

Raven made beautiful, 670. 
p. 356. Boy who feeds the eagles is deserted, 785-787. 
p. 357. Gift of food is discovered when child chokes, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted prince, 790. 
J). 362. Order misunderstood, 825. 

Song Sparrow kills the Bear, 718; 719. 

Boy uses grandmother's vulva for bait, 585, No. 18. 
p. 363. Song Sparrow kills the Bear, 718; 719, 

Deans, James. Tales from the Totems of the Ilidery. Archives of the International 
Folk-Lore Association, ii. Chicago, 1899. Cited 6. 
p. 25. (Hal) Origin of the earth, 630. 

(Hai) Origin of daylight, 641-644. 

(Cow) Origin of daylight, 646; 647, 
p. 26. (Ts) Origin of daylight, 644, 
p. 27. (Hai) Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649, 

(Hai) Origin of daylight, 644. 

(Tl) Raven obtains fresh water, 651. 
p, 28. (Tl) Raven is caught in the smoke hole, 677. 

(Hai) Raven removes Beaver's lake to country of man, 572, No. 50. 
p. 29. (Ts) Origin of the olachen, 653. 

p. 30. (Hai) People originate from a clamshell, 572, Nu. 49; 033. 
p. 31. (Hai) Origin of fire, 660; 662. 

(Tl) Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668; 671. 
]). 32. (Tl) The Deluge and origin of man (573, No. 63). 

(Hai) The island of women (573, No. 64). 
p. 33. (Hai) Raven creates the four northern coast tribes, 573, No. 62. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 999 

Deans, James. Tales from the Tcitems uf the Hi dery— Concluded. 
11. 34. (Hai) Raven twists Eagle's beak, 573, No. 65. 
p. 35. (Hai) The eagles are pulled under water, 734. 
p. 37. (Ts) The rejected lover, 767; 769. 
p. 60. (Hai) Man dons skin of sea monster, 870. 
p. 66. (Ts) Keel-coonuc. 846; 847. 

p. 71. (Hail Woman carried away by the Killer \\TiaIes, 840-845. 
p. 73. (Hai) Meeting with blind women, 593; 842. 

(Hai) Wood-splitting slave, 843; 844. 
p. 81. (Ts) The boy who is taken away by the Salmon, 770, 776. 

(Ts) Boy is recognized by means of his copper bracelet, 776. 

Dawson 1 (see Bibliography). Cited Hai Dawson 1. 
p. 149 B. Introduction to Raven legend, 625. 

Raven finds a clam containing people, 572, No. 49; 633. 
p. 150 B. Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 

Origin of fire, 663. 
p. 151 B. Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 641; 649. 

Origin of the olachen, 653; 654. 
p. 152 B. Wliale swallows Raven, 687. 

Boas, Franz. The Mythology of the Bella Coola Indians. PuhUealions of the Jesup 
North Pacific Expedition, i, pp. 2.5-127. Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1S98. Cited BC 
(=Boas 15). 
p. 45. The arrogant and the mode.st hunters, 716; 717. 
p. 62. Origin of fire, 660; 662. 
p. 63. Origin of daylight, 641; 646. 
p. 69. Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 
p. 74. Salmon take boy to their country, 777. 

The boy who is taken away by the Salmon, 770; 777. 
p. 75. The snapping door, 797. 

p. 76. Vagina dentata, 604, No. 63; 614, No. 12; 773; 778; 809. 
p. 77. Salmon youth assumes human form after being caught, 776. 
p. 78. The ascent of the Salmon Boy to the sun, 779. 
p. 79. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 

Heat test, 806; 807. 
p. 80. Precipice test, 803. 

Sun gives his son-in-law arrows with points made of coal, 742. 
p. 81. Test tale: Youth is thrown into whirlpool, 804. 

Test tale: Son-in-law is caught under the ice, SOI; 802. 
p. 82. Test tale: Ferocious bird, 806. 

Revenge of the animals, 810; 811. 
p. 84. Magical origin of children, 734; 735. 

Monster sees reflection of boy in water, 741. 

The stupid monster, 762; 764. 
p. 90. Raven burns a girl's groins, 707; 708. 
p. 91. Raven scares away people, 688; 689. 
p. 92. Raven pushes Deer over a precipice, 704. 
p. 93. Raven visits Chief Echo, 702. 

Birds produce salmon eggs by cutting the ankle, 696. 

The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Birds produce food by their song, 696. 



1000 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Boas, Franz. The Mythology of the BeUa Coola Indians— Concluded, 
p. 94. Raven abducts daughter of Salmon chief, G71; 672. 

Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668; 670. 
p. 95. Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1; 640. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 
p. 97. Raven teaches the winter ceremonial (576, No. 142). 
p. 102. Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1. 
p. 106. Test of f;iJthfiilness of husband, 780; 781. 
p. 111. Girl is taken away by the Bear, 834: 8.36; 837. 

Selection of peculiar material for a bed, 837; 838. 
■ p. 113. Woman transformed into a bear, 837. 

Boas, Franz, and Hunt, George. Kwakiutl Texts — I. Publications of the Jesup 
North Pacific Expedition, iii. 1902 and 1905. Cited 10 (=Boaa 8). 
Kwakiutl (K). 

p. 11. Feast of the Mountain Goats, 738. 
. p. 17. The one-horned mountain goat, 738; 739. 
p. 25. Bears carrj' away the owner of a fish trap, 762. 
p. 39. Magic hunting-dogs, 742; 793. 
p. 45. Brains sucked out through the ear, 711. 
p. 87. The stupid monster, 762: 763. 
p. 94. Transformer iruirries daughter of Dza'wadalalis, 592, No. 16. 

Transformer throws something out of canoe, which becomes deer, 592, No. 21. 

Transformer gives mussels to a man, 592, No. 17. 
p. 95. Transformer meets the blind Ducks, 593, No. 24. 

Transformer meets the blind Geese, 593, No. 23. 
p. 96. Transformer reaches a blind woman who is making a canoe, 594, No. 25. 

Test tale: Dza'wadalalis, 795; 797. 

Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 97. The spine seat, 799. 
p. 98. Wedge test, 801. 

p. 99. Test tale: Dolphins kill father-in-law, 811. 
p. 100. Transformer meets Qla'mtalal, 589, No. 5; 590. 
p. 103. Thief shot, 821. 
p. 106. Origin of death, 664. 
p. 122. The wooden wife, 744; 745. 
pp. 167-171. Transformer meets ancestor, (.590, No. 7). 
p. 249. The Wood Man, 862. 
p. 278. Origin of tides, 585, No. 24: 656; 657. 
p. 282. Sawbill-Duck Woman (580, No. 217; 581). 
p. 286. Raven pretends to die, 569, No. 40; 586, No. 28; 706; 707. 
p. 287. Raven bums a girl's groins, 707; 708. 
p. 291. Raven and Cormorant, 678; 680. 
p. 295. Hoop-rolling game, 813. 
p. 298. Birds produce food by their song, 696; 712. 
p. 299. Thunderbird steals the wife of another bird, 712; 713. 
p. 308. A nim als make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714-718. 
p. 322. Raven creates a salmon river, 651 : 652. 
p. 323. Raven marries the dead twin, 667; 668. 
p. 329. Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668-670. 
p. 330. Raven abducts daughter of Killer WTiale, 071; 673: 674. 
p. 332. The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 339. Fire test, 673; SOe': 807. 

p. 343. Killer Whale is induced to have himself cut open, 762. 
p. 346. Revival of children 579, No. 189; 698; 774. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1001 

Boas, Franz, and Hunt, George. Kwakiutl Texts, I— Concluded. 

Newettee (Ne). 
p. 350. War on the South Wind, 658-660. 

p. 358. Enemy slips on haUbut placed in front of doorway, 659. 
p. 361. The wooden wife, 744; 745. 
p. 365. Test tale: Jealous brother or uncle, 640; 795; 796. 

Wedge test, 801. 

Test tale: Youth is set adrift, 792. 
p. 368. Test tale: The ferocious dogs, 805. 

Test tale: Youth is swallowed by the cockle, 805. 
p. 369. Test tale: Brother throws boy down a precipice, 803. 
p. 370. Test tale: Youth is set adrift, 792; 810. 
p. 378. Two men are transformed into stones, 596, No. 36. 
p. 391. Revival of animal whose bones are thrown into the water, 774. 
p. 393. Origin of daylight, 640; 647. 

Boas, Franz, and Hunt, George. Kwakiutl Texts: Second Series. Puhlirations 
of the Jesup North Pacific E.rpedilion, x. Cited 11 (=Boas 9). 

Kwakiutl (K). 

p. 3. Transformer encounters Qa'mxulal, 592, No. 15. 

p. 10. Youth takes away the canoe of his father-in-law, 811; 812. 

p. 12. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 795; 797. 

Son-in-law brings home a pine tree, 800. 

Son-in-law is sent out to pick boiTies in winter, 806. 
p. 13. Berries are inexhaustible, 811. 

Revenge of the animals, 810; 811. 

Test tale: Ferocious woodpeckers, 806. 
p. 15. Jealous Bear kills children of rival, 587. 
. p. 24. The invisible bark, 820; 821. 

p. 53. The hunter and his wooden wife, 744; 745. 

p. 80. Mmk and Sun, 585, No. 1; 040. 

p. 84. Arrow-chain, 864. 

p. 88. Mink gets tides, 585, No. 23; 656; 657. 

p. 94. Origin of tides, 585, No. 23; 656; 657. 

p. 98, War on the South Wind, 60S; 660. 

Halibut lies down in front of door, 659. 
p. 103. Mink kills the sons of the Wolf, 585, No. 9. 
p. 113. Jlink man-ies the princess of the spirits (585, No. 10). 
p. 117. Mink maiTies Kelp, 585, No. 2. 
p. 119. Mink marries Frog Woman, 585, No. 3. 
p. 122. Mink marries Diorite Woman, 585, No. 4. 
p. 124. Mink wants to marry Sawbill-Duck Woman, 585, No. 5. 
p. 127. Mink makes war on Land Otter, 585, No. 7. 
p. 131. Mink creates a slave who disobeys him, 689; 690. 
p. 135. Deer and Sawbill-Duck Woman (585, No. 11); 722. 
p. 140. Mink gets sea eggs, 585, No. 22. 
p. 144. Mink and Starfish Woman (585, No. 12). 
p. 148. BeiTies produced by song, 696. 

p. 150. Birds produce salmon eggs by striking the ankle, 696. 
pp. 153-159. Diving for fish, 699. 

p. 159. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695; 696. 
p. 161. Jlink tries to make a mountain (585, No. 13). 
p. 170. Raven burns a girl's groins, 707; 708. 
p. 177. Magical origin of children, 734. 



1002 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

Boas, Franz, and Hunt, George. Kwakiutl Texts. Second Series — Concluded. 
KwAKiuTL (K) — Concluded. 
p. 180. Raven kills Little Pitch, 683. 

Thunderbird abducts Raven son, 708; 709. 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 712; 711; 71o. 
Newettee (Ne). 
p. 185. Introduction to Transformer tale, .586; 588, No. 1. 
p. 192. Transfonner kills double-headed .serpent, 594, No. 26. 

Transformer makes a house for his brother, 595, No. 27. 
p. 193. Transformer kills whales, 594, No. 27. 
p. 195. Transformer meets Shaman, 589, No. 1. 

Transformer meets Oldest One In The World, 591, No, 10. 
p. 196. Transformer meets Greatest Shaman, 589, No. 5. 

Test tale: Gwa'^nalalis, 592, No. 14; 795; 797. 
p. 201. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 
p. 202. Test tale: The wedge test, 801; 802. 
p. 205. Berries grow out of the father-in-law's body, 811. 
p. 207. Transformer returns to Klwa'^ne^, 595, No. 28. 
p. 210. Transformer meets Shaman, 589, No. 1. 
p. 211. Origin of the deer, 599, No. Ifi. 

pp. 212-214. Origin of the raccoon, land otter, and mink, COO, No. 17. 
p. 215. Transformer meets the blind Ducks, 593, No. 24. 
p. 216. Transformer puts sexual organs in their present place, COl, No. 24. 
p. 217. Transformer kills the water monster, 595, No. 31. 
p. 220. Transformer meets Mouth Body, 596, No. 32. 
p. 221. Transformer meets Oldest One In The World, 591, No. 10. 
p. 222. Tran.<fonner meet'. O'-meal, 589, No. 2. 

p. 223. Transformer meets Greatest Shaman, .589, No. 5; 602, No. 17; 685; 686. 
p. 224. Transformer meets Greatest Shaman, 589, No. 5. 
p. 225. Transformer meets blind ancestor, 591, No. 12. 
p. 227. Transformer meets Fastest One, 589, No. 5; 590. 
p. 228. Tr.insformer meets ancestors, 591, No. 11. 
p. 229. Origin of perch, 589, No. 5. 

Transformer meets Dza'wadalalis, 592, No. 16. 

Transformer turns people into deer, 592, No. 21. 
pp. 230-232. Transformer gives mussels to a man, 592, No. 17. 
p. 233. Transformer meets the blind Geese, 593, No. 23. 
p. 234. Transformer meets the blind Ducks, 593, No. 24. 

p. 235. Transformer reaches a blind woman who is making a canoe, 594, No. 25. 
p. 238. Vagina dentata, 795; 809. 

Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 795; 797. 
p. 240. The spine seat, 799. 
p. 242. Heat test, 806; 807. 
p. 243. The spine seat, 799. 
p. 244. Wedge test, 801. 
p. 249. Transtormer meets Mouth Body, 596, No. 32. 

Boas, Franz. Kwakiutl Tales. Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology. 
n. Cited as 9 (=Boas 9). 

KWAKITJTI, (K). 

p. 3. Transformer meets ancestor (590, No. 6). 

Double-headed serpent ai< food, 809. 
p. 9. The one-horne'd mountain goat, 738; 739. 
p. 39. Child originates from a boil, 734; 735. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1003 

Boas, Franz. Kwakiutl Tales— <jontiuued. 
KwAKiuTL (K) — Concluded. 
p. 53. The invisible arrow, 820; 821. 
p. 79. Supernatural woman lets her husband drown, 780. 
p. 117. The stupid monster, 702; 763. 
p. 123. Mink and the sun, 585, No. 1; 640. 

Chain of arrows, 864. 
p. 127. Mink marries Kelp, 585, No. 2. 
p. 129. Mink marries Frog Woman, 585, No. 3. 
p. 131. Mink marries Diorito Woman, 585, No. 4. 

Mink wants to marry Sawbill-Duck Woman, 585, No. 5. 
p. 133. Mink is deserted by his wife (585, No. 6i. 

pp. 135, 139. Mink pretends to die (580, No. 217; 581); 586, No. 28; 706; 707. 
p. 137. Mink gets sea eggs, 585, No. 22. 
p. 141. Raven catches the salmon, 674; 675. 

Salmon shout, "Hayu'!" 675; 775. 
p. 143. The salmon is stolen, 676. 

Mink's musk-bag torn out, 586, No. 27; 706. 
p. 147. Mink and Seal (585, No. 21). 
p. 151. Birds produce food by their song, 696. 
p. 153. Birds produce salmon eggs by striking the ankle, 696. 
p. 155. Diving for fish, 699. 

p. 157. Mink and Land Otter go to war, 585, No. 7. 
p. 159. Mink creates a slave who disobeys him, 689; 690. 
p. 167. AVater found at roots of trees, 6.53. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 
p. 169. Raven abducts daughter of the Salmon chief, 671; 673. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843; 845. 
p. 171. A'agina dentata, 809. 
p. 173. Test: Spine seat, 673; 799. 

Revival of children, 673; 698; 773; 774. 
p. 175. Killer AMiales are induced to submit to the operation of cutting their 
stomachs, 673; 762. 

Raven abducts the daughter of the Salmon cliief, 673. 

Newettee iNei. 
p. 1S7. Introduction to Transformer tale, 586; 588, No. 1. 
p. 191. Transformer obtains fish, 596, No. 37. 
p. 193. Transformer kills double-headed serpent, 594, No. 26. 

Transformer kills whales, 594, No. 27. 

Transformer mak^s a house for his brother, 595, No. 27. 
pp. 193-195. Transformer meets tribal ancestors, 589, Nos. 1, 3, 5. 
p. 195. Test tale: Gwa'=nalalis, 592, No. 14; 795; 797. 
p. 197. Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Test tale: Dolphins attack father-in-law, 811. 
p. 199. Transformer meets tribal ancestors, 589, No. 1. 
p. 201. Transformer kills the water monster, 595, No. 31. 

Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16. 
p. 203. Origin of the mink and the raccoon, 600, No. 17. 

Transformer meets the blind Ducks, 593, No. 24. 
p. 205. Transformer puts sexual organs in their present place, 601, No. 24. 

Transformer meets Mouth Body, 596, No. 32. 
p. 207. Transformer meets Oldest One In The World, 591, No. 10. 

Transformer meets 0'"'meal, 589, No. 2. 

Shaman is transformed into codfish, 589, No. 5; 602, No. 17; 685; 686. 



1004 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieih. axn. 31 

Boas, Franz. Kwakiutl Tales — Continued. 
Newettee (Ne) — Continued, 
p. 209. Introduction to Raven myth, G34-636; 781. 
p. 211. Test tale: Raven tale, 795; 797. 
The spine seat, 799. 
Raven is made voracious, (i3(i; 637. 
p. 213. Raven steals crabapples (57S, No. ISO). 

Raven catches the salmon, C74; 675. 

p. 21."). Raven kills Grizzly Bear, 680; 681. 

Raven and Cormorant, 678. 

Raven kills Gum, 683; 684. 

p. 217. Raven marries the dead twin, 667. 

Raven abducts dau,!i;hter of the Salmon chief, 671; 673. 
p. 219. The wood-splitting slave, 843; 845. 

p. 221. Killer \\'halcs are induced to have their stomachs cut open, 672; 762. 
p. 223. Raven gets the soil, 641; 674. 
p. 225. Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 
p. 227. War on the South Wind, 658-660. 

Halibut lies down in front of door, 659. 
p. 229. Origin of tides, 585, No. 23; 656; 657. 
p. 233. Origin of colors of birds, 664; 665. 

Origin of daylight, 646. 
p. 235. Origin of the olachen, 653; 654. 
p. 237. Thru.-^h pulls berries out of his anus, 697; 698. 

The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 
p. 239. Diving for fish, 699. 

p. 241. Raven is given red-hot coals instead of food, 578, No. 182. 
War on the Thunderbird, 712. 

Animals use the whale mask and kill Thunderbird, 714-716. 
p. 249. Girl who steals sea eggs is deserted, 785. 
p. 259. Deserted child sends bird with food to relatives, 788. 

Food is discovered when a person eats secretly, 788; 789. 
p. 279. Self- moving canoe, 832. 
p. 287. Origin of colors of birds, 664; 665. 
p. 335. Two men are transformed into stones, 596, No. 36. 
p. 401. (K) The jealous husband, 848. 

p. 447. (K) Blind man maltreated recovers his eyesight, 825; 826. 
p. 453. (K) Transformer meets tribal ancestor, 589, No. 5; 590. 
p. 455. (K) Dza'wadalalls, 592, No. 16. 
p. 456. (K) Clothing transformed into islands (592, No. 20). 

Transformer throws sometliing out of canoe which becomes deer, 

592, No. 21. 
Transformer gives fish to a man, 592, No. 17. 
p. 457. (K) Person is transformed into a mountain (592, No. 22). 
Transformer gives salmon to a man, 592, No. 17. 
Transformer meets the blind Geese, 593, No. 23. 
p. 458. (K) Transformer reaches a blind woman who is making a canoe, 594, 

No. 25. 
p. 459. (K) Test tale: Dza'wadalalls, 795. 

Vagina d en tato, 809. 
p. 460. (K) Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 
The snapping door, 797. 
The spine seat, 799. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFEEENCES 1005 

Boas, Franz. Kwakiutl Tales — Concluded. 

Newettee (Ne) — Concluded. 
p. 461. (K) Wedge test, SOI. 

Te.st tale: Sea monsters frighten father-in-law, 811. 
p. 480. (Ne) TraMformer meets tribal ancestor, 589, No. 5; 590. 
p. 487. (K) The faithless woman, 847; 848. 
p. 491. (K) Raven marries the dead twin, 0(57. 

Raven and the Salmon Woman. 6(iS-671. 
p. 492. (K) Raven pushes Deer over a precipice, 704. 

(K) Great Inventor and his wife (580, No. 217; 581). 
p. 493. (K) Raven bums a girl's groins, 707; 708. ■ 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714-710. 

Origin of tides, 585, No. 23; 656; 657 
p. 494. (K) Origin of fire, 660; 661. 

War on the South Wind, 658. 

Mink and Land Otter go to war, 585, No. 7. 
p. 495. (K) Mink recognized aa father of a child, 585, No. S. 

Dawson, George M. Notes and Observations on the Kwakiool People of Van- 
couver Island. Trans. Roy. Soc. of Canada, v. Section ii, pp. 1-36. Montreal, 
1888. Cited Ne Dawson, 
pp. 20, 21. Birth of Transformer, 586. 
p. 20. Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16; 600. 

Transformer meets the blind Ducks, 593, No. 24. 

Transformer meets Mouth Body, 590, No. 32. 

Transformer puts sexual organs in their proper place, 601, No. 24. 

Depression in a bowlder is footprint of the Transformer, 596, No. 33. 

Transformer kills whales, 594, No. 27. 

Transformer kills the water monster, 595, No. 31. 

Transformer returns to K!wa'-ne-, 595, No. 28. 
p. 21. Transformer meets Mouth Body, 596, No. 32. 

Transformer meets tribal ancestors, 589, No. 1. 

Transformer marries a Nimkish girl, 592, No. 14. 

Transformer returns to Klwa'^ne^, 595, No. 28. 

Introduction to Transformer tale, 58G. 
p. 22. Origin of fire, 663. 

Origin of fresh water, 053. 
p. 23. Water near roots, 653. 

Hill-Tout, C. Report on the ethnology of the Si'ciatl of British Columbia. Journal 
of the Anthropological InstitiUe of Great Britain and Ireland, xxxiv, 1904, pp. 20-91 . 
Cited Se (=Hill-Tout 4). 
p. 44. Youth meets blind women, 593, No. 24; 594. 
p. 49. -The cUff ogre, 598, No. 14; 599. 
p. 50. The stupid monster, 762; 764. 
p. 51. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Raven kills the seals, 706. 
p. 52. Woman carried away by the Killer AMiales, 840-843. 
p. 53. The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 54. Jealous chief , 795; 796. 

Boy sent adrift, 810. 
p. 56. Test of faithfulness of husband, 781. 
p. 57. Mink kills sons of Wolf, 585, No. 9. 



1006 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. anx. 31 

Hill-Tout, C. Notes on the Skqo'mic of British Columbia. Report of tht seventieth 
meeting of the British Associntionfor the Adimncement of Science, pp. 472-549, Brad- 
ford, 1900. Cited Squ Hill-Tout 3. 
p. 518. Introduction to Transforiiier tale, 588, Nos. 4a, 10. 

Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16; 600. 
p. 519. The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 607. 

Transformer teaches how to catch fish, 605, No. 65; 606. 

Origin of the crane, 600, No. 20. 
p. 520. The Transformers visit the Salmon chief, 776. 

Revival of children, 698; 774. 
p. 522. Arrow-chain, 864; 865. 

p. 523. Men or fish transformed into stone (603, Nos. 38-42). 
p. 524. Visit in heaven, 795. 
p. 525. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 

The snapping door, 797. 
p. 526. The spine seat, 799. 

Wedge test, 801; 802. 
p. 527. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to drown youth by tempest, 804. 
p. 528. Loon frightens father-in-law, 811. 

Berries in winter, 806. 
p. 529. nummingbird. Bumblebee, and Wren ripen berries, 696. 

Berries grow out of the father-in-law's body, 811. 
p. 532. Deserted boy. Deserted boy is helped by Sun, 785. 
p. 534. Sun's robe contains fish, 596, No. 37; 597. 

Deserted boy gives Crow herrings to take to his grandmother, 788. 
p. 535. Food is discovered when a person eats secretly, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted prince, 791. 
p. 541. Salmon are transformed into women, 541. 
p. 542. Blind women guarding child in cradle, 594, No. 25. 
p. 543. Mink kills the Wolf, 585, No. 9. 
p. 544. Origin of rain, 660; 663. 
p. 545. Origin of daylight, 646; 647. 

Hill-Tout, C. Report on the StsEe'lis and Sk'au' lits tribes of the Halkome'lEm divi- 
sion of the Salish of British Columbia. Journal of the Anthropological Institute 
of Great Britain and Inland, xxxiv, pp. 311-376. Cited St3 Hill-Tout 5. 
p. 343. The blind canoe-builder, 594, No. 25. 
p. 345. Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1. 
p. 349. Skin-shifter, 606, No. 66. 
p. 3.54. The blind canoe-builder, 594, No. 25. 

Transformer meets blind women, 593, No. 24. 

The youth who changed his face, 769; 770. 
p. 360. Thief is caught by means of a magic rope, 820; 821. 

Introduction to Transformer tale: 586; 587; 588, Nos. 2c, 9, 12, 

Transformation into stone (602, No. 19). 

Transformers meet dangerous woman, 604, No. 63. 
p. 361. Sealer transformed into stone (602, No. 20). 

Transformations into stones and springs (602, No. 21). 

Novices transformed into stones (602, No. 22). 

Waves transformed into stones (602, No. 23). 

Origin of the deer, .599, No. 16; 600. 

Transformers visit a man who controls the north wind, 605, No. 64. 

Body part of shaman transformed into stone, 602, No. 24. 
p. 362. Transformer teaches how to catch fish, 605, No. 65; 606. 
p. 371. Tran.sformer teaches how to roast flounders (Sk'au'lits), 606, No. 66. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1007 

Telt, James. Mythology of the Thompson Indians. Publkntions of the Jesup Xorlh 
Pacific Expedition, vm, pp. 218 (t seq. Leiden, 1912. 

Utamqt. Cited U. 
p. 206. Magpie catches deer in a net, 690; 700. 
p. 207. Wood Tick strikes a rock with a staff, 699; 700. 
p. 209. Test tale: Cannibal tests his son-in-law, 797. 

Dangerous animals watch the door, 798. 

Heat test, 806; 808. 

Wedge test, 801; 802. 
p. 210. Test tale: Man tries to drown youth, 80-1. 

Test tale: Cold test, 810. 
p. 211. Wood Tick strikes rock with a staff, 700. 
p. 218. Introduction to Transformer tale (588, 26). 

Transformers are children of Black Bear, 587. 
p. 220. Introduction to Transformer tale, 588, No. 11. 
p. 221. Woman transformed into stone (604, No. 54>. 

Vagina dentata, 614, No. 12; 809. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67. 

Transformers cross river in a canoe made of horse tail (610, No. 73). 

Transformers quarrel, 60S, No. 68. 
p. 222. Transformers teach men not to cut open their wives, 609, No. 70. 

Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
p. 223. Transformer becomes a dog covered with arrow-points, 610, No. 3; 611. 

Arrow-points of leaves substituted for good points, 742 
p. 224. The end of the Transformers, 615, No. 17 

Hog Fennel, 615, No. 1; 616. 
p. 226. Origin of the sun, 727; 728. 

Transformers of the L'ta'mqt (618, No. 5). 

Origin of the woodpecker (600, No. 19.) 
p. 227. Origin of the deer, .599, No. 16. 

A hunter transformed into stone, 603, No. 30. 

Transformer teaches how to catch fish, 605, No. 65. 

Footprints transformed into stone (G03, No. 31). 
p. 228. Woman giving birth transformed into stone (603, No. 32). 

Gamblers transformed into stone (603, No. 33). 

Old One, 617, No. 3. 
p. 230. The Sun and the boy, 785; 788. 
p. 231. Transformer obtains fish, .596, No. 37; 597. 
p. 234. Skunk makes war, 585, No. 7. 

Skunk makes a slave that disobe}-s liini, 689; 690. 
p. 239. The skin-shifter, 606, No. 66. 
p. 240. The faithless woman, 847. 
p. 242-. The skin-sliifter, 60G, No. 66. 

p. 243. Woman offers to marry the man who helps lier, 838. 
pp. 244, 245. Wrestling in the air, 813. 
p. 246. Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 250. Dangerous animals watch the door, 798. 
p. 252. Transformers kill monster woman, 598, No. 14; 599. 

The stupid monster, 762; 765. 
p. 253. Heat test, 808. 

pp. 2.58, 261. Marriages among the Goats, 738; 739. 
p. 266. The skin-shifter, 606, No. 66. 
p. 282. A monster swallows Mink, 612, No. 4; 687. 
p. 283. Skai>-a'm, 605, No. 64. 



1008 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axx. 31 

Teit, James. Mythology of the Thompson Indians — Concluded. 

Utamqt. Cited U — Concluded, 
p. 284. Woman ties up her wrinkles, 8C1. 

The blind woman and her child, 594, Xo. 25. 
p. 285. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 
Thompson. Cited Ntl Teit 3. 
p. 298. Coyote makes the princess sick and cures her, 722. 

p. 301. Coyote and his guests, Bear, Kingfisher, Magpie, abstract, 695; 699; 700. 
p. 304. Transformer kills the elk monster, 611, No. 4; 612 

Origin of tobacco, 612, No. 6. 
p. 307. Dangerous animals watch the door, 798. 
p. 309. The skin-shifter, 608, No. 66. 
p. 315. Introduction to Transformer tale, 587; 588, Nos. 4rf, 11. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 607. 
p. 316. Transformers make a spring (010, No. 75). 

Cannibal tries to boil the Transformers in a kettle, 610, No. 74. 

Transformers quarrel, 60S, No. 68. 

Transformer meets Coyote, 618, No. 4. 

Tracks transformed into stone (604, No. 55). 

Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
p. 317. Heat test, 808. 

Origin of Transformers, 587. 
p. 318. Transformer teaches how to catch fish, 005, No. 65. 

Transformers teach men not to cut open their \rfves, 609, No. 70. 
p. 319. Hog Fennel, 615, No. 1; 616. 
pp. 320-328. Old One, 617, No. 3; 618. 
pp. 329-330. Origin cf death, 601. 
p. 331. Man is transformed into a wliitefish, 602, No. 16. 

Grasshopper kills Elk, 718; 719. 
p. 334. Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 339. Vagina dentata, 809. 

p. 340. Wren and the Eagle, 013, No. 11; 614; 813. 
p. 342. Wren kills the Elk, 704; 718; 719. 
p. 345. Woman offers to marry the man who helps her, 838. 
p. 349. People swallowed by monster, 612. 
p. 3G1. Muskrat makes the princess sick and cures her, 722. 
p. 364. Smoke test, 808; 809. 

Heat test, 808. 
p. 366. Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 367. The Sun and the boy, 785. 

Transformer obtains fish, 596, No. 37. 

Sun purchases blankets, 597, No. 37. 
p. 369. Fat is discovered when cliildren qiiarrel over it, 790. 
p. 384. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 

Teit, James. Traditions of the Thompson River Indians of liritish Columbia. Me- 
moirs of the American Folk-Lore Society, vi. 1898. Cited Ntl Teit 2. 
p. 27. Liberation of salmon, 610, No. 72. 

p. 28, note 73. Coyote makes the princess sick and cures her, 722. 
p. 30. Coyote's dog covered with an-ow-heads, 611, No. 3. 
p. 39. Test tales: Cannibal tests his son-in-law, 797. 
Heat test, 806; 808. 
Wedge test, 801; 802. 



BO^*l APPEXDIX V IXDEX TO REFERENCES 1009 

Teit, James. Ti-aditions of the Thompson River Indians of British Columbia— Con. 
p. 40. Father-in-h^w tries to drown youth, 804. 

Cold test, 808. 

Coyote and father-in-law have a trial of fire, water, wind, and cold, 810. 

The host lets oil drip out of hia hands, 695. 
p. 41. Di\-ing for fish, 699. 
p. 42. Magpie catches deer in a net, 699; 700. 

Introduction to Transformer tale, 587; 588, Xo. 4c. 

Transformations (604, No. 56"). 

Kokwe'la (Hog Fennel), 615, No. 1. 

Note 125. Giant jumps across the river, 607, No. 67. 

The stolen harpoon. 606, No. 67. 
p. 43. Coyote transformed into stone (603, No. 46). 

Transformers quarrel, 60S, No. 68. 
p. 44. Transformer meets Coyote, 618, No. 4. 

Transformations into stone (603, Nos. 47-51). 

Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
p. 45. Fir branches transfoi-med into stone (604, No. 52). 

Children transformed into stone (604, No. 53). 

Transformers make hollows in rocks, 614, No. 13. 

Transformer encounters an eagle, 613, No. 11; 614. 

Transformer encounters a skunk, 613, No. 10. 

The end of the Transformers, 615, No. 17. 

Kokwe'la, 615, No. 1; 616. 
p. 46. Transformer kills the bush-tail rat, 013, No. 9. 
p. 49. Old One, 617, No. 3. 
p. 51. The boy and the Sun, 785; 7S8. 
p. 52. Sun purchases blankets, .596, No. 37; 597. 
p. 55. The hot and the cold winds, 732; 733. 
p. 59. Skunk and his sisters-in-law, 585, No. 7. 
p. 61. Bear and Chipmunk, 615, No. 17. 
p. 67. Wrestling in the air, 813. 
p. 69. The grizzly bears and the black bears, 587. 
p. 72. Men marry Grizzly Bears. 837. 
p. 75. The eagle cUff, 613, No. 11; 614. 
p. 95. (Lil) Tsu'ntia fHog Fennel), 615, Ne. 1 ; 617. 

Hill-Tout, C. "Sqaktktquacit," or the benign-faced, the Cannes of the Ntlaka- 
pamuq, British Columbia. Folk-Lore, x, 1899, pp. 195-216. Cited Ntl Hill- 
Tout 1. 
p. 195. Introduction to Transformer tale, 587. 
p. 198. Youngest is carried on back of elder brothers, 588, No. 11. 
p. 203. Transformer kills the elk monster, 611, No. 4; 612. 
p. 204. Transformer kills the beaver, 612, No. 8; 613. 

Transformers quarrel, 608, No. 68; 609. 
p. 205. Transformers teach men not to cut open their wives, 609, No. 70. 
p. 207. Liberation of salmon, 610, No. 72. 
p. 209. Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
p. 210. The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 608. 
p. 213. Men transformed into stone (603, No. 44). 

Transformer encounters an eagle, 613, No. 11; 614. 
p. 214. Transformer kills Grizzly Bears, 610, No. 3; 611. 

50633°— 31 ETH— 16 64 - 



1010 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth ann. 31 

Hlll-Tout, C. " Sqaktktquaclt," or the benign-faced, etc. — Concluded. 

p. 215. Man is transformed into a .seal, 602, No. 18. 
Shaman transformed into stone (603, No. 45). 
Transformers create the falls of Bridge River, 604, No. 57. 

Teit, James. Traditions of the I.illooet. Journal of American Folk-Lort , xx\ , 
pp. 287-371. Cited Lil. 
p. 292. Introduction to Transformer tale, 588, Nos. 4e, 12. 

Transformers meet a dangerous woman, 604, No. 63; 614, No. 12. 
p. 293. TraiLsformers vi.sit S'cxei, 605, No. 64. 
p. 294. Person transformed into stone (602, No. 26;>; 605, No. 64. 

Old woman who ties up her wrinkles, 861. 

Transformer teaches how to catch fish, 605, No. 65; 606. 

Transformers teach men not to cut open their wives, 609, No. 70. 
p. 295. Origin of a river (604, No. 60). 

Man is transformed into a whitefish, 602, No. 10. 
p. 296. Origin of the fish hawk (601, No. 6). 

Why the Lillooot go trading east and west (610, No. 70). 

The end of the Transformers, 615, No. 17. 

The Sun and the bo)^ 785. 
p. 297. Sun's robe contains fish, 596, No. 37. 
p. 300. Origin of daylight, 646; 647. 
p. 301. Origin of fire, 660; 663. 
p. 302. Mink fights with ghosts, 585, Nos. 20, 24. 
p. 305. Deer obtains food by heating his back, 696; 697. 
pp. 305, 306. Diving for fish, 099. 
p. 309. Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
p. 310. The four great chiefs of the winds, 732; 733. 

Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 
p. 311. Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 312. Wren kills Deer, 718; 719. 
p. 315. The stupid monster, 762-764. 
p. 317. Raven steals his sisters' berries, 705. 
p. 318. Woman offers to marry man who helps her, 838. 
p. 319. Wrestling in the air, 813. 
p. 320. Youth is set adrift, 810. 

Test tale: Jealous chief, 795; 796. 
p. 321. Self-moving canoe, 832. 

Water test for faithfulness of husband, 780; 781. 
p. 322. The jealous Bear Woman, 587. 
p. 325. The Salmon is induced to jump ashore, 674; 675. 

The Sahnon is stolen, 676; 677. 
p. 335. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 
p. 336. The girl who rejected her suitor, 769; 770. 
p. 339. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 
p. 345. Test of son-in-law, 797. 

Youth is sent to get firewood, 801; 802. 
p. 346. Test tale: Boy sent to hunt on mountain, 803; 804. 

Test tale: Man tries to drown youth, 804. 
p. 348. Test tale: Supernatural people test the Wolf, 797. 

Heat test, 806; 808. 
]). 349. Wedge test, 801 ; 802. 
}). 350. Transformers are diildrcn of Black Bear, 587; 588, No. 45. 

Tsu'ntia (Hog Fennel), 615, No. 1; 616; 617. 



BOAS] APPEXDIX V INDEX TO EEFEKENCES 1011 

Teit, James. Traditions of the LiUooet — Concluded. 

p]), 354, 355. The Sun and the boy, 785. 

Sun's robe given as present, 596, No. 37; 597. 
p. 356. Origin of death, 664. 
p. 357. Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
ji. 370. The stupid monster, 598, No. 14; 599; 702; 765. 

Hill-Tout, C. Report on the ethnology of the Stlatlumn of British Columbia. 
Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, xxxv, 1905, 
pp. 126-218. Citetl Lil Hill-Tout 0. 
p. 1S5. Skaiya'm, 605, No. 64; 861. 
p. 187. Transformer reaches a blind woman, 594, No. 25. 
p. 188. Children originate from the bedding of a cradle, 734; 735. 
p. 191. House of the Mountain Goats, 738; 739. 
p. 201. The Sun and the boy, 785. 
p. 202. Blanket containing fish, 596, No. 37; 597. 
]>. 204. The four great chiefs of the winds, 732; 733. 

Teit, James. The Shuswap. Puhlkatioiis of the Jcsup North Pacific Expedition, ii. 
Cited Sh C=Teit 4). 
p. 624. The four great chiefs of the winds, 732; 733. 
p. 625. Bear tries to catch Chipmunk, 615, No. 17. 
p. 626. Origin of the seasons, 728. 
p. 627. Fat man lets Coyote bite a piece out of liis back, 696; 697. 

The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Beaver makes wood meat, 698. 
p. 628. Diving for fish, 699. 

p. 637. Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668; 671. 
p. 642. Old One, 617, No. 3. 

p. 644. Introduction of Transformer tales, .587; 588, No. 7. 
p. 645. Transformers warned against dangers. 610, No. 2. 

Transformer kills monster with arrow-flaker, 610, No. 1. 

OrigtQ of arrow-stone, 612, No. 5. 

Contest with bears, 610, No. 3; 611; 812. 
p. 646. Origin of tobacco, 612, No. 6. 

Transformer kills the elk monster, Gil, No. 4. 
p. 647. Transformer kills the bighorn sheep, 612, No. 7. 

Transformers are warned against dangers, 610. No. 2; 615, No. 17. 

Transformers kick rock-slide down on a man, 606; 608, No. 67. 
p. 64S. Transformer kills the Beaver, 612, No. 8; 613. 

Trai:isformer kills the Marmot, 613, No. 9. 
p. 649. Transformers make hollows in rock, 614, No. 13. 

Transformer encounters a skunk, 613, No. 10. 

Transformer encounters an eagle, 613, No. 11; 614. 
p. 650. The kicking hare, 615, No. 15. 

Woman with toothed vagina, 614, No. 12. 

Bird forms bridge with its legs, 615, No. 14. 

The end of the Transformers, 615, No. 17. 
p. 651. Ca'wa, 617, No. 2. 
p. 652. Transformers teach men not to cut open their wives, 609, No. 70. 

Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 
p. 654. Beaver and Porcupine, 724; 727. 
p. 660. The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 608. 
pp. 661, 662. Bluejay attacks a lake monster, 612, No. 8; 613. 



1012 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. axn. 31 

Telt, James. The Shuswap — Concluded, 
p. 671. Hou.se kills by cold, 808. 
p. 676. Skin-shifter, 606, No. 66. 
p. 679. Wren and his grandmother, 718; 719. 
p. 681. Grizzly Bear and Bear, 587. 

Beai- kills Beaver's children, 587. 
p. 684. Food discovered when children are eating, 788; 789. 
p. 685. Woman offers to marry helper, 838. 
p. 686. Arrows of man spoiled by bears, 742. 
p. 690. The Sahnon boy, 770; 779. 

p. 694. Skin-shifter. Boy instructed to enter old man's body, 60fi, No. 66. 
p. 708. Child originates from mucus, 735. 
p. 710. The deserted boy, 785. 
p. 711. Food dLscovered when children quarrel over it, 788; 789. 

The blind women, 593, No. 24. 
p. 715. Woman becomes a bear, 837. 
p. 720. The man who married the Bear Woman, 742; 744. 
p. 738. Bear tries to catch Chipmunk, 615, No. 17. 

Origin of the .seasons, 728. 

Origin of the sun, 727. 
p. 739. Diving for fish, 699. 

Beaver transforms wood into meat, 698. 

Bungling-host tale: Bear lets Coyote bite a piece out of his back, 696; 697. 
p. 741. Coyote makes the princess sick and ciu-es her, 722. 
p. 743. Coyote and the Salmon Woman, 668; 671. 
p. 744. Protracted local winter, 829; 830. 
p. 746. Old One, 617, No. 3. 
p. 749. Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 752 .Wolf killed by hot meat, 680: 683. 
p. 753. Reflection in water mistaken for person, 741. 

Dawson, George M. Notes on the Shuswap People of British Columbia. Trans. 
Roy. Soc. Can., 1891, section ii, pp. 3-44. Cited Sh Dawson, 
p. 31. Introduction to Transformer tale, 588, No. 7. 

Transformers cause a rock-slide, 606, No. 67; 608. 
p. 32. Transformers make hollows in rock, 614, No. 13. 

Transformer encounters an eagle, 613, No. 11. 

Transformer kills the elk monster, 611, No. 4. 

Woman with toothed vagina, 604, No. 63; 614, No. 12. 
p. 33. Transformers meet a badger (615, No. 16). 

The end of the Transformers, 615, No. 17. 
p. 35. Origin of arrow-stone, 612, No. 5. 

Origin of the sun, 727. 

Transformer encounters a skunk, 613, No. 10. 

Farrand, Livingston. Traditions of the Chilcotin Indians. Publications of the 
Jesup North Pacific Expedition, ii. Cited Chil (=FaiTand 1). 
pp. 7-9. Introduction to Transformer tale, 586; 588, No. 8. 
p. 7. The deserted girl, 785. 
p. 10. Food discovered when child chokes, 788; 790. 

Transformer kills the moose monster, 611, No. 4; 612. 
The stolen haiiioon, 606, No. 67; 608. 



^°*^1 APPENDIX V INDEX TO REPEBENCES 1013 

Farrand, Uvingston. Traditions of the Cliilcotin Indians— Concluded. 
l->. 11. Transformers teach men not to cut open their wives, 609, No. 70. 

Bird forms a bridge with its legs, 615, No. 14. 

Transformer carries an arrow-flaker (ptox), 610, No. I. 
p. 12. Transformer encounters an eagle, 613, No. 11; GI4. 

Transformer kills the marmot, 613, No, 9. 

Origin of tobacco, 612, No. 6. 
p. 13. Vagina dentata, 604, No. 63; 614, No. 12; 800. 

Transformer kills Moose, 610, No. 3; 611. 

Transformer kills the Beaver, 612, No. 8; 613. 

Transformers warned against dangers, 610, No. 2. . 
p. 11. The end of the Transformers, 606, No. 67; 608; 615, No. 17. 

Origin of daylight, 641-643. 
p. 15. Origin of fire, 660; 662. 

p. IC. Raven cuts out the intestines of people, 671 ; 674; 762. 
p. 17. Raven burns a girl's groins, 707; 708. 

Raven pretends to be dead, 706; 707. 
p. 18. Birds produce berries by magic, 690. 

Raven fills dish with excrement, 697; 698. 

Birds produce salmon eggs Ity striking the ankle, 696. 

Raven and the Salmon Woman, 66S; 671. 
p. 19. The protracted local winter, 829; 830. 

Woman becomes a bear, 837. 
p. 23. Raven pulls off the arm of a chief, 719; 720. 
p. 24. The boy who was taken away by the Salmon, 770; 772. 

Children revived, 698; 773. 

The salmon start upstream, 775. 

Salmon Boy is captured, and resumes human form, 777. 

The ascent of Salmon Boy to the sun, 779. 
p. 25. Heat test, 806; 807. 

Sun tries to drown a boy, 801; 802. 
Arrow-points made of soft bark, 742. 
p. 26. Precipice test, 803. 

p. 33. The arrogant and the modest hunters, 716; 718. 
p. 34. Small but powerful dog, 742. 

p. 35. Blind man maltreated recovers his eyesight, 825; 827. 
p. 39. Plume test of faithfulness of husband, 780. 
p. 44. The faithless woman, 847-849. 
p. 46. Meeting with blind person, 593, No. 24; 594. 
Hero kills the water monster, 595, No. 31. 

Farrand, Livingston. Traditions of the Quinault Indians. Publications vf the 
Jesup North Pacific Expedition, ii. 1902. Cited Quin (=Farrand 2). 

p. 81. Origin of Transformer, .587. 

p. 82. Transformers kill monster woman, 598, No. 14; 599. 

p. 84. Transformers transform dogs into men, .597, No. 1. 

Transformer aids people in their mode of Ufe, 597, Nos. 2, 3. 

Transformer transforms cuticle into people, 597, No. 4. 

Transformer is swallowed by a monster, 597, No. 5; 598. 

Transformer finds people provided with weapons. 598. No. 6. 

Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16; 600. 
p. 85. Transformer meets people who walk upside down. He turns them right-side 
up, 598 (Nos. 7-8), No. 9. 

Transformers become stone (599, No. 15). 

Magpie takes a salmon egg out of his hair, 099; 700. 



1014 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY lETir. ANN. 31 

Farrand, Livingston. Traditions of the Quinault Indians -Concluded, 
p. 86. Cliildren go bathing and return with fish, 698. 
p. 87. Bear cuts the sole of his foot, G96; 697. 
p. 88. Children go bathing and return wdth fish, 698. 

Beaver makes good meat. Beaver places sprunts and mud before his guest, 
698. 
p. 89. Birds obtain berries, 696. 

Di\-ing for fish, 699. 
p. 90. Seal kills his children, 698. 
p. 92. Why crow is black, 677; 678. 

Origin of colors of birds, 6G4; 665. 
p. 102. Grouse makes a wooden seal which drags men across the sea, 822; 824. 
p. 103. Travelers are challenged to contests, 797; 816. 

CUmbing-match, 812. 

DiWng-match, 812. 
p. 104. Heat test, 806; 807. 

Waking-match, 813. 
p. 108. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 
p. 111. Origin of death, 664. 
p. 112. The opening and closing horizon, 77.5. 

Children revived, 698; 774. 
p. 113. Test tale: Ferocious animals, 806; 815. 

Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Hoop-rolhng game, 813. 
p. 116. Monster woman swallows red-hot stones, 682. 
p. 121. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 
p. 126. Wren kills the Bear, 718; 719. 
p. 127. Girl who marries a Dog is deserted, 785; 791. 
p. 128. The gift of food is discovered when a child chokes, 789. 

Boa.s, Franz. Chinook Texts. Bulletin 20 of the Bureau of Ethnolnf/ij. Cited 
Chin (=Boas 16). 

p. 17. Origin of the Transformer, 587. 

p. 20. Transformer swallowed by monster, 597, No. 5; 598. 

Transformer teaches people to fish and build houses (598, Nos. 10. 11). 

Transformer transforms cuticle into people, 597, No. 4. 

Origin of salmon (598, No. 6). 

Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16; 600. 
p. 21. Transformers Idll monster woman, 598, No. 14; 599. 
p. 31. Visit of the monster, 741. 

p. 32. Boy promises to marry daughter of person who helps him, 838. 
p. 33. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797; 815. 

WhaUng-contest, 813. 

Test tale: Ferocious animals, 806. 
p. 34. Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Hoop-rolling game, 813. 
p. 51. The prince who was deserted. A girl has a child from an unknown father, 

785. 
p. 53. The gift of food is discovered when a child chokes, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted prince, 791. 
p. 55. Dangerous animals watch the door, 798. 
J). 56. Travelers are challenged to contests, 816. 

Smoke test, 808; 809. 

Berries in -\dllage across the ocean are excrement, 773. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO KEFERENCES 1015 

Boas, Franz. Chinook Texts— Concluded, 
p. 57. Travelers are challenged to contests, 797. 

Diving-match, 812. 

Climbing-match, 812. 
p. 58. Shooting-match, 812. 

Heat test, 806; 807. 

Whaling-contest, 813. 
p. 119. Bird kills Elk, 704; 718; 719. 
p. 178. Magpie finds an egg on the floor, 699; 700. 
p. 179. Childi-en go bathing and return with fish, 698. 
p. 180. Bear cuts foot and thigh and cuts meat off, 696; 697. 

Beaver places willows before his guest, 698. 
p. ±81. Seal kills his clrildren, 698. 

Bluejay visits the Shadows, 702; 703. 
p. 194. Children originate from branches, 734; 735. 

Boas, Franz, Kathlamet Texts. Bulletin 26 of Ihc Bureau of American Ethnology. 
Cited Kath (=Boas 17). 
p. 11. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 
p. 24. Diving for the soil, 674. 
p. 44. Origin of colors of birds, 664; 665. 
p. 67. Spear-thromng contest, 812. 
p. 87. Coyote's anus torn out, 700. 

p. 107. Mink is swallowed by a monster, 597, No. 5; 598. 
p. 113. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law. 797; 816. 

Test tale: Tree falls on Mink, 800. 
p. 114. Mink is thrown into the water, 803; 804. 
p. 115. Waking-match, 813. 
p. 116. Test tale: Ferocious animals, 806. 
p. 118. Robin kills cliildren of Salmonberry, 587. 
p. 138. Wrestling in the air, 813. 
p. 146. The stupid monster, 762; 765. 

p. 149. Coyote induces Grizzly Bear to swallow hot stones, 682. 
p. 158. Father kills all his sons, but spares daughters, 857. 
p. 216. Local snowfall in summer, 829; 830. 

Sapir, Edward. Wishram Texts together with Wasco Tales and Myths, coUected by 
Jeremiah Ciu-tin, and edited by Edward Sapir. Publications of the American 
Ethnological Societi/, u. Cited Wish and \\'asco. 
Wishram. 
p. 11. Coyote makes the princess sick and cm-es her, 722. 
p. 25. Coyote sets man right who stands on head, 597, No. 4'. 
p. 37. The stupid monster, 762; 765. 
p. 41. People swallowed by monster, 612. 
■ p. 47. Origin of the sun, 727; 728. 

p. 75. Animals tow people across the ocean, 824. 
p. 77. Helper addressed as "wife," 838. 

Travelers are challenged to contests, 797; 816. 

Smoke test, 808. 
p. 81. Test tale: Bone game, 812. 
p. 83. Heat test, 806; 808. 
p. 85. Endurance test, 812. 
p. 87. Test tale: Ferocious grizzly l)ears, 806. 

Wrestling-match, 812. 



1016 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Sapir, Edward. Wishram Texts, etc. — Concluded. 
WisHRAM — Concluded, 
p. 89. Wrestling in the air, 813. 
p. 99. Crow is blackened, 677; 678. 
p. 105. Coyote pretends to be dead, 586, No. 28. 
p. 111. Skin-sliifter, 606, No. 66. 
p. 115. Origin of death, 664. 

p. 139. Deserted child as introduction to a story, 784. 
p. 141. Magpie blanket helps to procure fish, 596, No. 37; 507; 785. 
p. 145. Deer cuts meat from liis body, 696; 697. 

Deer draws blood, 697. 
p. 163. The stupid monster, 762; 765. 

p. 165. Coyote induces Grizzly Rear to swallow hot stones, C82. 
p. 171. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 

Wasco. 

p. 244. Protracted local winter, 829; 830. 

p. 260. Deserted child as introduction to a story, 784. 

p. 261. Magpie blanket helpful in obtaining fish, 596, No. 37; 597; 785. 

p. 267. People swallowed by monster, 612. 

p. 269. Diving for fish, 699. 

p. 270. Mountain Sheep pulls blood out of Ids wife's nose, 697. 

p. 281. Raven pulls off the arm of a chief, 719. 

p. 285. The stupid monster, 762; 765. 

p. 288. Di^dng for fish, 699. 

p. 299. Brothers are given leaves in place of arrow-points, 742. 

p. 303. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 

p. 308. Origin of the sun, 727; 728. 

Boas, Franz. Traditions of the TiUamook Indians. Journal of American Folh-Lore, 
.XI, 1898. Cited Till, 
p. 25. Whaling-conteat, 813. 
p. 28. AVoman walks over water, 781. 
]). 30. Travelers are challenged to contests, 797; 816. 

The closing door, 797; 798. 

Heat test, 806; 808. 
p. 31. Hoop-rolling game, 813. 

Visit to the house of Shadows, 702; 703. 
p. 134. Children originate from arrow-heads, 734; 735. 
p. 136. Heat test, 806; 808. 
p. 137. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 
Skin-sMfter, 606, No. 66. 
p. 138. The faithless woman, 847. 

p. 141. Transformer makes the princess sick and cures hor, 722. 
p. 142. The bumblebees, 585, No. 19. 
p. 144. Origin of the herrings, 653; 655. 

Frachtenberg, Leo J. Coos Texts. Columbia University Contribulions to Anthro- 
pulo(jy, I. 1913. Cited Coos, 
p. 12. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 
p. 27. Test tale: The falling tree, 800. 

Chief tries to catch youth under the ice of the sea, 801; 803. 
p. 43. Origin of death, 664. 
p. 91. Climbing-conte.st, 812. 
p. 103. Woman swallowed by bear kills him, 719. 



Bf'-^sl APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1017 

Frachtenberg, Leo J. Coos Texts— Concluded, 
p. 109. Cliildren original^ from a hammer, 734; 735. 

Child jumps into mouth of monster and tills it, 719. 
p. 127. The invisible torch, 820; 821. 
p. 151. Chain of arrows, 864; 8G6. 

Skin-sliifter, 600, No. GO. 
p. 155. The faithless woman, 847. 
p. 169. Skin-sliifter, 606, A'o. 66. 

Sapir, Edward. Takelma Texts. University of Pcnmyhania, Anthropological Pub- 
lications of the University Museum, ii, Xo. 1. 1909. Cited Takelma. 
p. 39. Visit to the house of the salmon spear-shaft, 702; 703. 

KilUng of the water monster, 595, No. 31. 
p. 51. Deer pro\'ide meat by cutting flesh off of hLs body, 696; 697. 
p. 52. Panther's pancreas used as ball, 70G. 
p. 81. People swallowed by monster, 612. 
p. 99. Origin of death, 664. 
p. 117. Jealous Bear kills children of rival, 587. 
p. 161. Skin-shifter, 606, Xo. 66. 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Xord-Pacifischen Kii.-te Amerikas. Ber- 
lin, 1895. Cited 5 (=Boas 4). 

Shuswap (Sh). 
p. 1. Introduction of Transformer tale, 587; 588, Xo. 7. 

^Voman throws medicine on her three sons, 587. 

Transformer kills the woodchuck, 613, Xo. 9. 

Woman \vith toothed vagina, 614, Xo. 12. 
p. 2. Transformer kills Grizzly Bears, 610, Xo. 3; 611. 

Climbing-match, 812. 

The kicking hare, 615, Xo. 15. 

Transformer kills the elk monster. 611, Xo. 4. 
p. 3. Origin of tobacco, 612, Xo. 6. 

Transformer kills the bighorn sheep, G12, Xo. 7. 

Transformers kick a rock-slide down hill, 606, Xo. 67; 608. 
p. 4. Transformers make hollows in rock, 614, X'o. 13. 

Transformer encounters an eagle, 613, Xo. 11. 

The end of the Transformers, 615, Xo. 17. 
p. 5. Origin of the sun, 727. 

p. 8. The house of the hair and of the comb, 702; 703, 
p. 10. Food supply discovered by quaiTel of children. 788; 789. 
p. 12. The house of the Mountain Goats, 738; 739. 
p. 13. The stolen harpoon, 606, Xo, 67; 608. 
p. 14. The man with the new head. 769; 770. 

Thompson- (Xtl). 
p. 16. Transformers are children of Black Bear, 587 (588, Xo. 2d). 

Men transformed into stone (604, N(». 56). 

G-6k-oe1a (Hog Fennel), 615, Xo. 1. 

The stolen harpoon. 606. Xo, 67; 607. 

Transformers quarrel, 608, Xo. 68. 

Transformer kills Grizzly Bears. 610, Xo. 3; 611. 
p. 17. Man marries trees, 609, No. 69. 

Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 

The Sun and the boy, 785. 

Sun gives boy lucky bow, 596, No. 37; 597. 
p. 18. Meeting with blind women, 593, No. 24; 594. 



1018 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. .">! 

Boas, Fraiiz. Indianische Sagen vou der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas — Con. 
Stsee'lis (Sts). 
p. 19. Transformers children of Black Bear, 586 (588, No. 2a). 

Transformer comes down to Harrison Lake, 588, No. 9. 

Transformers travel with Mink, 588, No. 12. 

Youngest wears a beaver cap, 588, No. 13. 

Origin of flag (eOl, No. 1). 

Deserted boy is helped by the Sun, 785. 
p. 20. Deserted boy gives herring to Crow to carry to person who pitied him, 788. 

People return to deserted boy, 791. 

Ancestor transformed into stx3ne, G03, No. 30. 

Origin of constellation (C03, No. 30; 604, No. 01). 
p. 21. Origin of constellation (604, No. 62). 

Transformers ^isit Sxiii, 605, No. 64. 

Body-parts of shaman transformed into stone, 602, No. 24. 

The jealous husband, 610, No. 77; 847; 849. 
p. 22. Origin of swallow (610, No. 77). 

Man is transformed into fish, 602, No. 16. 

Origin of snake (601, Nos. 2 and 3). 
■p. 23. Origin of a fish and a newt (601, Nos. 4 and 5). 

Transformer puts sexual organs in their present place, 601, Nos. 24 and 25; 
(609). 

Coyote's wife is a knot-hole, 609, No. 69. 

Transformers quarrel, 608, No. 68. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 607. 

One Leg transformed into stone (602, No. 25); 606, No. 07; 607. 
p. 24. Vagina dentata, 604, No. 63; 809. 

Seal-hunter transformed into stone, 602, No. 20. 
p. 25. Origin of sturgeon, beaver, and badger (001, Nos. 11-13). 

Mink makes a girl sick aiid cures her, 722. 
p. 26. Transformation into a stone (602, No. 27). 
p. 27. Transformation into stone (603, Nos. 28, 29). 

Origin of mountain goat (601, No. 10). 

Child is thrown into the water and becomes a sturgeon. 698; 774. 
p. 28. Transformer faints and is restored (609, No. 71 1. 

Child originates from fish roe, 734; 735. 
p. 29. Transformer reaches a blind woman who is making a canoe, 594, No. 25. 
p. 30. Kaia'm transformed into stone (605, No. 64). 

Old person who ties up his wrinkles, 861. 

Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 31. Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 32. Animals watching trail, 798 

p. 33. Mink pretends to die (569, No. 40; 586, No. 28); 706; 707. 
p. 34. Birds produce food by their song, 696. 

Thunderbird carries bird woman away, 712-714. 
p. 38. Meeting with blind women, 593, No. 24. 
p. 39. Moon tests a man who married the daughters of the Sun, 797; 815. 

Dangerous animals watch the door, 798. 

Spine seat, 799. 

Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Bones stick in the throat of the Moon, 811. 

Test tale: Ferocious bear, 806. 

Revenge of the animals, 810; 811. 
•p. 43. Origin of fire, 585, No. 24; 660; 663. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO EEFERENCES 1019 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas — Con. 

Stsee'lis (St.s) — Concluded. 

p. 43. Mink fights with ghost, 585, \o. 20: 603. 
p. 44. Mink marries. 585. Nos. 2. 4', and 15. 

Skunk and Coyote, 727. 
COWICHAN (Cow I. 

p. 45. No introduotion to Transformer tale recorded, 587. 

PersorLs transformed into stone (603, Ncs. 34 and 35). 
p. 4fi. Origin of the deer, 599. No. 16: 600. 

The arrogant and the modest hunters (610, No. 78); 71G; 717. 

Origin of bluejay (601. No. 7). 

Origin of elk, bear, and ducks (601, No. 8). 
p. 47. Origin of fish .and lake-being (GOl, No. 9). 

Canoe transformed into stone (603, No. 36). 

Transformer teaches how to roast flounders. 606, No. 66. 
p. 49. The hunter and his wooden wife. 744; 746. 
p. 51. \\'hale swallows Raven, 687; 688. 

Deserted boy is helped. A whale kills the people, 785. 
p. 52. Deserted boy sends Raven with food to persons who pitied him, 788. 
p. 53. Food is discovered when a person eats secretly, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted prince. 791. 

Nanaimo iNa'i. 
p. 54. Mink fights with ghosts and obtains fire, 585, Nos. 20. 24; 660; 662; 663. 
p. 55. Origin of daylight. 646; 647. 

Woman carried away by the ICiller Whales, 840, 841; 843. 

Meeting with blind women, 593, No. 24; 842. 
p. 56. The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 

SQtJAMISH (Squ). 
p. 56. No introduction to Transformer tale recorded, 587; 588, No. 4a. 

Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16; 600. 

Origin of a bird. 601, No. 14. 
p. 57. Fat drips out of hands of host, 695. 

Raven kills seal. 706. 

Lku'Sgent. 
p. 61. Male child disgiused as female, 857. 

CoMox (Co). 

p. 63. No introduction to Transformer tale recorded, 587. 

Ancestor transformed into stone (603, No. 37). 

Transformer meets Mouth Body, 596, No. 32. 

Shaman is transformed into a codfish, 589, No. 5; 590; 602, No. 17; 685. 

Mountain is caused to move (604, No. 59). 
p. 64. Transformer kills the water monster, 595, No. 31. 

Transformer paints birds, 602, No. 15; 664; 665. 

Origin of tides at Seymour Narrows (604, No. 58). 

Origin of the deer. •599, No. 16. 

Origin of the crane, 600, No. 20. 

The stolen harpoon. 606, No. 67; 607. 

Sun kills Little Pitch, 683; 684. 

Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 65. Sons of Pitch become Sun and Moon, 728. 

Test tale: Visit in hetiven, 795; 797; 814. 

Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 

Meeting with blind women, 593, No. 24. 

Bovs transformed into fish caught by Crane, 606, No. 67; 607. 



1020 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth avn. 31 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifisclieu Kiiste Amerikas — Con. 
CoMox (Co) — Continued. 
p. Gfi. The spine seat. 799. 

Test tale: Swallowing red-hot stones, 682; 809. 

Vagina dentata, 809. 

Reflection of fugitive mistaken for fugitive himself, 741. 

Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 
p. G7. Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Test tale: Fathor-in-law tries to drown boy, 804. 

Water animals frighten father-in-law, 811. 

Son-in-law lirings piece of bark, 800. 
p. G8. Son-in-law is sent out to pick berries in winter, 80G. 

Birds produce food by their song. 696. 

Bush grows out of the father-in-law's belly, 811. 

Revenge of the animals, 810; 811. 

Test tale: Ferocious woodpecker, 806. 

Test tale: Visit in heaven, 795. 

Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 69. Test tale, 814. 

Vagina dentata. G04, No. 63; 77:?; 809. 
p. 70. Youth takes away the canoe of his father-in-law, 811; 812. 

Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his ."ion-in-law, 797. 

Wedge test. 801; 802. 

^\^lales jump at father-in-law, 811. 

Revenge of the animals, 810; 811. 
p. 71. Mink marries, 585, Nos. 2, 4, 4', 14, 15. 

Mink biu-ns a girl's groins, 58G, No. 29; 707. 
p. 72. Mink makes war on Land Otter, 585, No. 7. 

Mink and women, 585, No. 16. 
p. 7.3. Mink recognized as father of a child, 585, No. 8. 

Mink pretends to be dead, 586, No. 28; 70G; 707. 

Raven catches the steelhead .salmon, G74; 675. 
p. 74. The salmon is stolen, 676. 

Wolves steal Mink's musk-bag, 586, No. 27; 706. 

Mink and Holothuria (585, No. 17). 

Mink uses vulva for bait, 585, No. 18; 688. 

UTiale swallows Mink, 687; 688. 
p. 75. Mink Idlls son of Wolf, 585, No. 9. 
p. 76. Bird pulls mountain-goat fat out of liis anus, 697; 698. 

Birds produce salmon eggs by cutting the ankle, 696. 

The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Raven steals his sisters' berries, 705. 
p. 77. Raven marries Hair-Seal Woman, 702. 

Raven pushes Deer over a precipice, 704. 

Raven and Gull, 666. 
p. 78. Raven does not recognize his son, 666; 70S; 710. 

Raven pulls off the arm of a chief, 719; 720. 

Shaman cm-es man whose arm the Grizzly Bear stole, 820; 821. 
p. 79. Diving-match, 580, No. 207; 812. 

Raven is pelted with tallow, 686. 
p. 80. Reflection of person seen in water, 741. 

Origin of fire, 660; 661. 

^\'hirlpool in mid-ocean, 832. 
p. 81. The snapping door, 797; 798. 

Jealous animal kills children of rival, 587. 



BO^s] APPENDIX V — INDEX TO REFERENCES 1021 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas— Con. 
CoMox (Co)— Concluded. 

p. 82. Thimderbird steals the wife of another l)ird, 712; 714. 

Birds produce food by their song, 090. 

Hoop-rolling game, 712; 813. 
p. 83. Animals travel in the Whale's canoe to kill Thunderliird. 714-710. 
p. 84. Children originate from mucus and tears, 734; 735. 

Woman tears out her hair, 801. 
p. 87. Seal carved of cedar wood, 822; 824. 
p. 88. Double-headed serpent as food, 809. 

The war between the dwarf and the birds, 808. 
p. 89. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 
p. 92. A girl who marries a Dog is deserted, 785. 
p. 93. The sun's blanket contains fish, 590, No. 37. 

Food secretly eaten is discovered, 789. 
p. 94. The invisible bark, 820; 821. 

Pentlatch. 

p. 90. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 

Nootka(Nu). 
p. 98. No introduction to Transformer tale recorded, 587. 
Origin of the deer, 599, No. 10; COO. 
Origin of the beaver, 600, No. 18. 

Transformer gives to tribes their languages (597, No. 38). 
p. 99. The im-isible harpoon, 820; 821. 
p. 100. Kwo'tiath marries the Pitch, 585, No. 4'. 

War on the South Wind, 658-660. 

Halibut and Skate, 659; 660. 
p. 101. Whale swallows Kwo'tiath, 087; 688. 
p. 102. Origin of fire (two versions), 600; 601. 
p. 103. Thunderbird steals the wife of another bird, 712-714. 

Hoop-rolling game, 712; 813. 

Birds produce food by their song, 696. 
p. 104. Fishbones thrown into water revive, 698; 774. 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714-716. 
p. 105. Woman made pregnant by swallowing leaf, 641; 646. 

Kwo'tiath names places (574, No. 98). 

Ra^-en pushes Deer over a precipice, 704. 

The arro.gant and the modest hunters, 710; 717. 
p. 106. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Raven scares away feasters, 688; 089. 
R. 107. Raven steals his sisters' berries, 705; 706. 

Raven is hit in knife-throwing contest, 580, No. 202; 812. 
p. 108. Raven bums a girl's groins, 707; 708. 

Privates removed from forehead (576, No. 130); 601, No. 21 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 653. 

Mink and women, 585, No. 16. 

Mink recognized as father of a child, 585, No. 8. 
p. 109. Mink and hornet-nest, 585, No. 19. 

p. 111. Test tale: Wolves test prince by throwing him on sliarp sjjines, 799. 
p. 112. The hunter and his wooden wife, 744; 740. 
p. 114. Reflection of fugitive mistaken for pursuer's own reflection, 741. 

The stupid monster, 762; 704. 

Girl who marries a Dog is deserted, 785. 



1022 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [ETii ann. 31 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas — Con. 
NooTKA (Nu) — Concluded, 
p. 115. Deserted girl gives meat to bird to carry it to person who pitied her, 788. 

Pood is discovered when a person eats secretly, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted girl, 791. 
p. 116. Children originate from mucus and tears, 734; 735. 
p. 117. Chain of arrows, 804; 865. 

Test tale, 815. 
p. 118. Mucus Boy meets the blind Snail Women, 593, No. 24; 594. 

Test tale: Father-in-law tries t j kill son-in-law, 797. 

Dangerous animals to watch tlie door, 798. 

The snapping door, 797. 

The spine seat, 799. 

Heat test, 806; 807. 

Chief tries to drown youth, 801 ; 803. 

Wedge test, 801; 802. 
p. 120. Frogs and snakes as food, 809. 

Journey across the ocean past the Salmon villages, 775. 
J). 121. Sealer deserted in cave, 822. 

Sea-lion rock, 818. 
p. 123. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 

KWAKIUTL (K). 

p. 129. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 

p. 130. Man kills the lover of his faithless wife, 781; 783; 847; 855. 

p. 132. A girl who marries a Dog is deserted, 785. 

p. 133. Deserted girl sends Raven with meat to woman who helped her, 788. 

Food is discovered when a person eats secretly, 788; 789. 

People return to deserted girl, 791. 
p. 134. Transformer meets ancestors, 591, No. 11. 
p. 135. Test tale: Dza'wadalalis, 592, No. 16; 795. 

Self-moving canoe, 832. 

Transformer gives mussels to a man, 592, No. 17. 

Transformer places poisonous clams on beach (592, No. 18). 

Whale meat transformed into stone (592, No. 19). 

Youth (Transformer) meets blind women, 593, No. 24; 594. 
p. 136. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 795; 797; 814. 

The snapping door, 797. 

The spine seat, 799. 

Heat test, 806; 807. 

Test tale: Poisonous food, 809. 
- Wedge test, 801. 
p. 137. Test tale: Fish kill father-in-law, 811. 
p. 138. Male cliild disguised as female, 857. 
p. 149. The im-isible arrow, 820; 821. 
p. 157. Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1; 640. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 
p. 158. Origin of fire, 585, No. 24; 660; 662. 

Origin of tides, 585, Nos. 23, 24; 656; 657. 

Mink marries, 585, Nos. 2-4. 

Mink makes war on Land Otter, 585, No. 7. 

Mink fights with the ghosts, 585, No. 20. 
p. 159. Mink creates a slave who disobeys him, 689; 690. 

Mink gets sea eggs, 585, No. 22. 

Mink and the Salmon Woman, 586, No. 25; 668-670. 



""is] APPENDIX V — IXDEX TO REFERENCES 1023 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von tier Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas— Con. 
KwAKiuTL (K) — Concluded, 
p. 160. Mink burns a girl's groins, 707. 

Child originates from a boil. 734: 735. 
p. 161. The iu\-isible arrow, 820; 821, 
p. 162. Thel'aithless woman, 847; 84S. 
p. 166. The snapping door. 797; 798. 
p. 167. Raven causes flood to subside, 589, No. 5; 590. 

Self-mo\'ing canoe. 832. 
p. 168. Jealous animal kills children of rival, 5S7. 

Bear frozen in pond , 741. 

Reflection of fugitive mistaken for fugitive himself, 741. 
p. 169. The house of the Mountain Goats, 738; 739. 
Newettee (.Ne). 
p. 170. Introduction to Raven myth, 634-636; 781. 
p. 171. Test tale; Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 795; 797. 

The spine seat, 799. 

Raven is made voracious, 636; 637. 

Whale swallows Raven, 586, No. 26; 687; 688. 
p. 172. Raven steals the whale, 688. 

Fishermen break off Txa'mscm's jaw, 684; 685. 

Mink and women, 585, No. 16. 
p. 173. Raven induces Mink to dive for his nose-ornament, 580, No. 215; (586, 
No. 30). 

Mink's Deluge, 585, No. 1; 640; 641. 

Chain of arrows, 864. 

Soil brought up, 674. 

Origin of daylight, 646. 
p. 174. Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 

Raven car\-es salmon out of wood, 66(5; G(J7. 

Raven marries the dead twin, 667. 

Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668-(i70. 
p. 175. Raven abducts daughter of Salmon chief. 671; 672. 

Self-mo^dng canoe, 832. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 

Origin of tides, 585, No. 24; 656; 057. 
p. 176. Raven is drowned by Dexilfish, 579, No. 190; 721. 

Raven catches the salmon, 674; 675. 

Raven's feast, 676. 

Squirrel's face is rubbed so that hair comes off, 573, No. 73. 

Raven and Cormorant, 678. 

Raven kills Cirizzly Bear, 680; 681. 
p. 177. Raven driven away by the feasters (578, No. 181). 

Di\dng for fish, 699. 

Thrush slaps his own back, and berries come out, 697; 698. 

Raven is given red-hot coal in place of food, 578, No. 182. 

Birds produce salmon eggs by cutting the ankle, 696. 

The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Raven steals his sisters' berries, 705. 
p. 178. Raven steals his sister's clams (578, No. 183). 

Raven bums girl's groins, 707; 708. 



1024 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. axx. 31 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas — Con. 
Newettee (Ne) — Continued. 
p. 179. The Thunderbiid abducts Raven's son. 708; 709. 

JIagical origin of children, 734. 

Raven goes to take revenge for the death of his son, 712. 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714-716. 

Raven kills Pitch, 683. 
p. ISO. Girl who steals sea eggs is deserted, 580, No. 208; 785. 

Deserted child sends bird with food to relatives, 788. 
p. 181. Food is discovered when a person eats secretly, 788; 789. 

Raven invites the monsters, 718. 
p. 182. Contest Ijetween Ha'yilika^we and O'^meiii, 589, No. 5; 590. 
p. 184. The self-moving canoe, 832. 
p. 186. The snapping door, 797; 798. 

War on the South Wind. 658-660. 

Halibut lies down in front of door, 659. 
p. 187. Origin of tire, 6G0-662. 
p. 189. Child originates from a boil, 734; 735. 
p. 190. The invisible arrow, 820; 821. 
p. 191. Seal takes people across the ocean, 822; 824. 
p. 192. Dwarf's halibut stolen, 867. 
p. 194. Transformer obtains fish, 596, No. 37; 785. 

Origin of Transformer, 586; 588, No. 1. 
p. 195. Transformer kills double-headed serpent and whales, 594, Nos. 26 and 27; 

595. 
p. 196. Transformer kills the water monster, 595, No. 31. 

Transformer meets He'ligiliqala, 589, No. 1. 

Transformer meets NomasE'nxeUs, 591, No. 10. 

A stone is a jierson transformed by the Transformer, 596. No. 35. 

Transformer meets O'^meiil, 589, No. 2. 
p. 197. Transformer meets tribal ancestors, 589, Nos. 3-5 (591, Nos. 8. 9; 592, 
No. 13). 

Transformer marries daughter of Gwa'^nalaUs, 592, No. 14. 
p. 198. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 795; 797; 814. 

Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Berries grow out of the father-in-law's body, 811. 
p. 199. Transformer retiu'us to place of his origin, makes a house, and marries, 
595, Nos. 28-30. 

Transformer meets ancestor who is blind, 591, No. 12. 

Test tale: Qa'mxulai, 592, No. 15; 795; 797; 814. 

Son-in-law is sent to get wood, 800. 

Youth takes away the canoe of his father-in-law, 811; 812. 
p. 200. Firewood threatens to burn the house of the father-in-law, 812. 

Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16. 

Origin of the raccoon, 600, No. 17. 
p. 201. Origin of the crane, 600, No. 20. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 607. 
p. 202. Transformer puts sexual organs in their present place, 601, No. 24. 

Transformer meets Mouth Body, 596, No. 32. 

Transformer meets the blind Ducks, 593, No. 24. 

Transformer teaches man to paddle, 598, No. 12. 

Transformer obtains fish, 596, No. 37. 

Depression in a bowlder is footprint of the Transformer, 596, No. 33. 
p. 203. A certain hole in a rock was made by the Transformer, 596, No. 34. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V — INDEX TO EEFEEENCES 1025 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas— Con. 

Newettee (Ne) — Concluded. 

p. 204. Snapping mouth, 797; 798. 
p. 206. Hoop-rolling game, 813. 

Thunderbird steals the wife of another bird, 712; 713. 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714-716. 
Rivers Inlet (Ri). 
p. 208. Origin of daylight, 641; 642; 645. 
p. 209. Origin of daylight, 641; 642; 646. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 653. 

Raven carves salmon out of wood, 666. 

Raven marries the dead twin, 667. 

Raven and the Salmon Woman, 5S6, No. 25; 668-670. 
p. 210. Raven abducts daughter of Salmon chief, 671; 672. 

Revival of children, 671; 672; 698; 774. 

Raven steals his sisters' berries, 705. 
p. 211. Raven bums a girl's groins, 707; 708. 

Magical origin of children, 734. 

The Thunderbird abducts Raven's son, 708; 700. 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 712; 714-716. 
p. 212. Raven pushes Deer over a precipice, 704. 

Wren kills the Bear, 718; 719. 
p. 214. Origin of fire, 660-662. 

Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 712; 714; 715. 

Origin of death, 663; 664. 
p. 215. Mink gets tides, 585, No. 23; 656; 657. 

Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1; 640. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 
p. 218. Human eyes as food, 809. 
p. 220. Human eyes as food, 809. 
p. 226. Girl is taken away by the Bear, 748; 836; 837. 

Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 
p. 227. Woman returns from Bears, 837. 
p. 228. Youth marries a Thunderbird girl, 792; 795. 

Test tale; Cruel chief maltreats his slaves, 796. 

Chief deserted on an island. 810. 

The biting door, 797; 798. 

Blind man maltreated recovers eyesight, 825; 826. 
p. 229. The sea-lion rock, 818. 
p. 230. Visit to the house of the Sea Lions, 819. 

Sea Lions send visitor home, 822. 
Bellabella or Heiltsuq (H). 
p. 232. Origin of daylight. 641; 642. 

Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 

Origin of the tides, 656; 657. 

Raven and Eagle gather red and black cod, 692. 

Thunderbird abducts Raven's son, 708; 709. 
p. 233. Raven kills Deer with a hammer, 703. 

The Stump eats the Salmon, 675; 705. 

Origin of raccoon (578, No. 184). 

Guests treated with excrements that are transformed into berries, 697; 698. 

Squirrel's face is rubbed so that hair comes off, 573, No. 73. 

Raven scares away people, 688; 689. 
50633°— 31 ETH— 16 65 



1026 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [kth. ann. 31 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von tier Nord-Pacifischen Kiiste Amerikas — Con. 
Bellabella or Heiltsuq (H) — Concluded, 
p. 234. Raven marries Tshi'mqalaqs (580, No. 209). 

Raven quarrels with Eagle (580, No. 210). 

Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1; 640. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 

The faithless woman, 847; 848. 
p. 237. The invisible arrow, 820; 821. 
p. 238. Self-moving canoe, 832. 

Men visit sea-spirit, 846; 847. 
p. 239. Dangerous food, 809. 

The snapping door, 797; 798. 
p. 240. Human eyes as food, 809. 
p. 241. Origin of fire, 660; 662. 
Bellacoola (BC). 
p. 241. Origin of daylight, 641; 642; 644. 

Origin of colors of birds, 664; 665. 
p. 242. Raven carves salmon out of wood, 666; 667. 

Raven abducts daughter of Salmon chief, 671; 672. 
p. 243. Raven bums a girls' groins, 707; 708. 

Raven steals his si.sters' berries, 705. 
p. 244. Raven tries to drown Yau'ntsa (578, No. 185). 

Raven and Cormorant, 678; 679. 
p. 245. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

Bird produces berries by song, 096. 

Raven pu.shes Deer over a precipice, 704. 

The arrogant and the modest hunters, 716; 717. 
p. 246. Raven and the Salmon Woman, 668. 

Raven learns to make nets (576, No. 140). 

Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1; 640. 

Arrow-chain, 864. 
p. 247. The faithless woman, 847; 849. 

The stolen harpoon, 606, No. 67; 608. 
p. 252. The brain-sucking monster, 740. 
p. 253. Reflection of fugitive mistaken for fugitive himself, 741. 

The biting door, 797; 798. 
p. 254. The invisible arrow, 820. 
p. 255. Test of faithfulness of husband, 780 
p. 256. Wren kills the Bear, 718; 719. 

The wooden wife, 744; 745. 

Half-person, 831. 
p. 257. The faithless woman, 847-849. 
p. 258. Transformer meets blind man, 594, No. 24. 

Hero kills water monster, 595, No. 31. 
p. 259. Woman caiTied away by the Killer Whales, 840; 841. 

The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 
p. 260. Test tale: Jealous husband, 796; 797; 815. 

Test tale: The falling fuel, 800. 

Chief tests his son-in-law in rock-slide, 803. 
p. 261. The magical blanket that produces fish, 596, No. 37; 597. 
. p. 202. The ascent of a boy to the sun, 770; 779. 

p. 263. A boy meets blind women in the sky, 593, No. 24; 594. 

Girl who marries a Dog is deserted, 785; 791. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO EEPEEENCES 1027 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kaste Amerikas— Con. 
Bellacoola (BC) — Concluded. 
p. 264. Gift of food is discovered when a child chokes, 788; 789. 
p. 265. People retui'n to deserted girl, 791. 
p. 266. The boy who was taken away by the Salmon, 770; 772; 773. 

Fish assume human form, 776. 

Boy's journey to the Salmon village, 773. 

Vagina dentata, 778; 809; 815. 
p. 267. Salmon Boy and his friend meet four girls bathing. 778. 

The return of the salmon, 775; 776. 
TSIMSHIAN (Ts). 
p. 272. Introduction to Raven myth, 634-636; 781. 
p. 274. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 795; 797. 

The hole in the sky, 798. 
p. 275. Raven is made voracious, 635; 636. 
p. 276. Origin of daylight, 641; 642. 

Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649. 

Raven creates a slave who disobeys him, 689; 690. 
p. 277. A bird is given red cheeks. Squirrel's face is rubl^ed so that hair comes 
off (probably a Tlingit tale), 673, Nos. 72, 73; 676. 

Raven catches the steelhead salmon, 674. 

Raven and Cormorant, 678; 680. 
p. 278. Stone and Elderberry Bush, 663. 

The Deluge, 727. 

House of Chief Pestilence, 768. 

Chain of an-ows, 864; 865. 
p. 279. Burning Leggings and Burning Snowshoes, 781; 782. 
p. 281. Gau'6. The faithless woman, 847-850. 

Animals help poor people, 758. 
p. 283. Heavenly children revenge their ancestors, 850-854. 
pp. 285-287. Asi'wa. The meeting on the ice, 792; 793. 
p. 285. Ardmals help poor people, 758. 
p. 287. Asi'wa pursues the magic bear, 794.. 

Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797; 815. 

Test tale: Youth is sent out to hunt on mountains, 803. 
p. 288. Asi'wa's return from heaven, 817. 

Asi'wa marries among the G'it-qxala, 817; 818. 

The sea-lion rock, 818. 

Visit to the house of the Sea Lions, 819. 
p. 289. The invisible arrow, 820. 

Sea Lions send visitor home, 822. 

KUler whales made of wood, 822; 823. 
p. 290. Brothers are lifted up to the sky, 861. 

The Land Otter, 862. 
p. 291. Men receive crests from sea-spirit, 846. 
p. 293. Chief invites the monsters, 718. 
p. 294. Gu-1 is taken away by the Bears, 748; 752; 753; 757; s;i5-837. 

Mouse Woman as ad\iser. 752. 
p. 295. Wet wood gives good fire, 837. 

Woman runs away from the Grizzly Bears, 755; 838. 

Woman marries lake-being, 838; 839. 
p. 297. Magical sling stones, 869. 
p. 298. Gift of food is discovered when a child chokes, 788; 789. 

GunaxnesEmga'd and Halus, 855; 856. 



1028 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ans. 31 

Boas, Franz. Indianische Sagen von der Nord-Pacifischen Kuste Amerikas — Con. 
TsiMSHiAN (Ts) — Concluded, 
p. 299. Woman carried away by Killer Whales, 840-842. 
p. 300. The wood-splitting slave, 843-845. 

Child who feeds eagles is deserted, 78.5. 
p. 302. Deserted child flies as bird to relatives to give them food, 788. 
p. 303. Child chokes, 788; 789. 

p. 304. Six hunters find them.selves in a deep pit. 861. 
p. 30-5. Beaver and Porcupine, 724-726. 
Haida (Hai). 
p. 306. Introduction to Raven myth (Kaigani), 621-629. 

Introduction to Raven myth (Skidegate), 625-629; 639. 
p. 308. Woodpecker's salmon roe becomes pitch (578, No. 169). 

Origin of the tides, 65G; 657. 
p. 309. Raven and Eagle gather red and black cod, 692. 

Raven steals blubber from children, 686. 

Raven deserts Master Fisherman on a lonely island, 710. 
p. 310. Rescue of girl from a biu-nt town (Kaigani), 832. 
Tlingit (T1). 
p. 311. Origin of daylight, 641-644. 
p. 313. Raven threatens to let out the daylight, 649. 

Raven breaks up moon and puts it in the sky, 651. 

Origin of animals, 650. 

Origin of the tides, 6.56. 

Ra.ven obtains fresh water, 651. 
p. 314. Origin of fire, 660; 661. 

Raven is blackened (.578, No. 170; 677; 678). 

Fishermen break off Raven's jaw, 684; 685. 

Raven creates a slave who disobeys him, 689; 690. 
p. 315. Slave eats food offered to Raven, 690. 

Raven pretends to die, 090; 691. 

Raven kills his slave, 691. 

Whale swallows Raven, 687; 688. 
p. 316. Raven steals the Whale, 688; 689. 

Raven cuts a canyon (575, No. 116). 

Raven visits Shadows, 702; 703. 
p. 317. Raven and Cormorant, 678; 679. 

Raven kills Grizzly Bear, 680-682. 

An animal cuts his hands and grease drips out, 696; 697. 

Raven in\-ites the monster.'), 581, No. 224; 718. 

Women supported by a log, 578. No. 171. 
p. 318. Witch steals Raven's breath, 580, No. 201; 737. 

Raven kills the One-Eyed Giant and his wife, 580, No. 202. 

Raven's shooting-match, 580, No. 211; 721. 
p. 319. Knife-throwing contest, 812. 

Raven turns into a woman, 577, No. 157; 692; 694. 

Origin of death, 663; 664. 

Man becomes the supporter of the world, 731; 732. 
p. 320. The whirlpool at the edge of the world, 832. 
p. 322. Land Otter, 802. 
p. 324. Invisible harpoon, 820. 
p. 328. The mam who married the Bear, 742; 744. 



^^^^'^ APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1029 

Boas, Franz. Tsimshian Mythology-. Appendix I of this volume. 
Bellabella. Cited H ap. 
p. 883. Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16. 
Origin of otter, 600, No. 17. 
Transformer creates man and dog, and names people and animals 600 

Nos. 21-23. 
Transformer meets the blind Geese, 593, No. 23. 
Raven burns a girl's groins, 707; 708. 
Thunderbird abducts Raven's son, 708; 709. 
Magical origin of children, 734. 
p. 884. Raven does not recognize his son, 709. 

Raven goes to take revenge for death of his son, 712. 
Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714. 
Origin of daylight, 641; 645. 
p. 885. Origin of frogs and birds, 649; 650. 

Child who feeds eagles is deserted, 785-7S7. 
Mink and Sun, 585, No. 1. 
p. 886. The boy who goes to marry the Salmon's daughter, 770; 772. 
Boy's journey to the Salmon \'illage, 772. 
Horizon passed on way to Salmon country, 775. 
Revived children, 773. 
p. 887. Child's father recognized, 778. 

Revival of children, 698. 
p. 888. Wren kills the Bear, 718; 719. 

Raven obtains herrings, 653; 654. 
The return of the salmon, 776. 
NooTKA. Cited Nu ap. 
p. 888. Origin of daylight, 641; 646. 
p. 891. Wren kills the Bear, 718. 

Raven lets out the daylight, 649; 650. 
p. 892. Raven obtains fresh water, 651; 652. 
p. 894. Origin of fire. 660; 661. 

p. 895. House of the owner of fire is set with spikes, 799. 
p. 897. Bungling host: Children of host are killed, 698. 
p. 900. Raven kills Bear, 680; 681. 
p. 902. Raven and Cormorant, 678. 

p. 904. Children originate from mucus and tears, 734; 735. 
p. 905. Stupid monster, 762; 764. 
p. 907. Arrow-chain, 864; 865. 

Blind women are \'Lsited in the sky, 593; 594. 
p. 908. Mucus Boy becomes Transformer, 587. 

Transformer creates fish, 596, No. 37. 
p. 909. Wedge test, 801; 802. 

Transformer marries a girl, 592, No. 16. 
p. 910. Dolphins kill father-in-law, 811. 
Origin of land otter, 600, No. 17. 
Origin of raccoon, 600, No. 17. 
p. 911. Origin of the beaver, 600, No. 18. 

Origin of marten and bear, 600, No. 17. 
p. 912. Origin of the deer, 599, No. 16. 



1030 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 

Boas, Franz. Tsimshian Mythology— Concluded. 
NooTKA — Concluded . 
p. 913. Origin of mink, 600, No. 17. 

Transformer puts sexual organs at their pre.sent place, 601, No. 24. 
Transformer creates man and woman by carving them out of wood, 598) 

No. 13. 
Origin of daylight. 647. 
p. 916. The invisible arrow, 820; 821. 
p. 917. Man boiled in kettle, 768. 
p. 919. The revenge of the husband, 849. 

Man who married Salmon Woman, 770; 779. 
p. 928. Revival of children, 698; 779. 

p. 930. Salmon give instruction regarding salmon taboos, 779. 
p. 934. Raven steals the salmon of feasters, 676. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

#% All titles, unless otherwise stated, refer to the Bibliof^uphy, p. 39. 

Tlingit. 

LtJTKE, FEODOR. Cited 2. 

I. 189. Introduction to Raven myth, 021-625. 
ERMAN, A. Cited 3. 

p. 304. Introduction to Raven myth, 021. 

p. 372. Introduction to Raven myth, 021. 

SW ANTON 4. 

p. 452. Man becomes the supporter of the world, 731; 732. 
Ts!ets!a'ut. 

BOAS 14. Cited Tsts. 

I. 259. Whirlpool in the middle of the sea, 832. 

I. 263. The man who married the Marmot Woman, 759; 702. 

I. 264. Man recognized by means of his bracelets, 777. 

I. 205. The man who married the <'loud Woman, 759; 702. 

I. 207. Test tale: Father-in-law tries to kill his son-in-law, 797. 

Heat test, 800; 807. 

II. 43. Beaver and Porcupine, 724; 720. 
Tahltan. 

EMMONS 4. Cited Tit. 

pp. 117, 118. Origin of daylight, 041-043. 
HAroA (Maaset). 

HARRISON. Title p. 625, note 2. 

pp. 14-29. Haida Raven legend, 625. (See pp. 630-632.) 
Tsimshian. 

BOAS. Title p. 747, note, 
p. 205. Prince Snail, 747. 

KWAKIUTL. 
BOAS 5. 

p. 324. Owl marries a girl, 871. 

p. 326. Boys become supernatural beings, 871. 

p. 372. The stupid monster, 762; 763. 

Children originate from mucus, 734; 735. 

Image in water, 741. 
p. 387. Snapping door, 797. 
p. 655. Spirit of sleep, 871. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1031 

NooTKA (Nitinath). 

BOAS. Globus, Lm, 1888. 

p. 157. Transformer is called Alis, 587. 
Origin of the crane, COO, No. 20. 
p. 316. Chain of an'ows, 864; 865. 
SPROAT. Title p. 714, note. Cited Nu Sproat. 

p. 177. Animals make an artificial whale and kill Thunderbird, 714; 716. 
p. 178. Origin of fire, 660; 662. 
p. 181. Raven and Cormorant, 678; 679. 
NooTKA (Makah). 

SWAN. Title p. 657, note. 

p. 65. Origin of tides, 656; 657. 
p. 92. War on South Wind, 658; 660. 
Stseelis. 

HILL-TOUT. Title, p. 603, note. 

p. 400. Ancestor transformed into stone, 603, No. 29. 
Chilliwack. 

HILL-TOUT. Title, p. 602, note 1. 

p. 367. Transformation into stone, 603, No. 43. 
p. 368. Origin of colors of birds, 664; 665. 

Transformer paints birds, 602, No. 15. 

KWANTLEN. 

HILL-TOUT. Title, p. 602, note 1. 

p. 414. Origin of muddy water, 604, No. 60a. 
Lkungen. 

hill-tout 7. 

p. 335. Children originate from mucus and tears, 734; 735. 
p. 344. Sea lion made of wood, 822; 824. 
p. 348. Birds produce food by their song, 696. 
Raven almost drowned, 578, No. 185. 
p. 346. The girl who rejected her suitor, 769; 770. 
Chehalis. 

BOA.S. Globus, Lxm, 1893. 

p. 155. Introduction to Transformer tale, 588, No. 6. 
p. 191. Origin of daylight, 646; 647. 

PUYALLUP. 

BOAS. Globus, Lxiii, 1893. 

p. 154. Introduction to Transformer tale, 588, No. 5. 

No introduction to Transformer tale recorded, 587. 
p. 155. Origin of the deer, 599; 600. 

NiSQUALLY. 

KANE, PAUL. Title, p. 822, note. 

p. 250. Seal is carved of wood, 822; 824. 
PuGET Sound. 

PHILLIPS, w. s. Totem Tales. Chicago, 1896. 
p. 218. Theft of the sun, 646; 647. 
Thompson. Cited Ntl. 

HILL-TOUT 2. 

p. 561. Coyote makes the princess sick and cures her, 722. 

p. 564. Hog Fennel, 615; 616. 

p. 575. The host lets oil drip out of his hands, 695. 

p. 576. Magpie catches deer in a net, 699; 700. 

p. 577. Diving for fish, 699. 



1032 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 

Okanaoon. 

HILL-TOUT. Title, p. 8G4, note 3. 

p. 145. Origin of the .sun, 727; 728. 
p. 146. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 
p. 150. Weak arrow-points, 742. 
OATSCHET, A. s. Globus, LII, 1888. 
p. 137. Chain of arrows, 864; 866. 
Carrier. Cited Car. 

MORicE, FATHER. Title, p. 641, note 3. 
p. 125. Origin of fire, 660; 662. 
p. 126. Origin of daylight, 641. 

Origin of water, 646. 
p. 171. Blind man maltreated recovers his sight, 825; 827. 

KUTENAI. 

BOAS. Title, p. 864, note 2. 

p. 164. Origin of the sun, 727; 728. 
p. 165. Chain of arrows, 864; 865. 
p. 171. The stupid monster, 762; 763. 
BOAS. Kutenai Tales. 1916. Title, p. 727, note 1. 
p. 9. Diving for fish, 699. 
pp. 49, 66, 69. Trails stop fire, 727; 808. 
p. 71. Diving-match, 812. 

p. 87. Attempt to cause Transformer to swallow red-hot stone, 680; 683. 
p. 101. The Transformer obtains the arrow-slraightener, 612, No. 7. 
p. 105. Origin of arrow-stone, 612. 
Nez Perc6. 

spiNDEN, H. J. Title, p. 716, note 1. 

p. 18. Raven catches the steelhead salmon, 674. 

The salmon is stolen, 676; 677. 
p. 23. The arrogant and the modest hunters, 716; 718. 
Shoshoni. 

LOWIE, R. H. Title, p. 694, note 1. 

p. 265. Jack-rabliit makes wood meat, 698. 
Owl draws blood, 697; 698. 
Deer shoots himself, 697; 698. 
Diving for fish, 699. 
Beaver kills his children, 698. 
Host calls the birds, 699; 700. 
Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 274. Origin of the seasons, 728. 
Ute. 

KROEBER, A. L. Title, p. 694, note 1. 

p. 264. Magpie pulls blood out of his wife's nose, 697. 
Snowbird makes wood meat, 698. 
Mountain sheep shoots himself, 698. 
Athapascan. 

RUSSELL, PRANK. Title, p. 684, note. , 

p. 15. FLshermen break off Txii'msEm's jaw, 684; 685. 
Wife kills the seducer of her husband, 762; 766. 
LoucHEUX, Hare, Chippewayan. 
petitot. Cited 7. 

p. 33. The stolen harpoon (Loucheux), 606; 608. 

p. 84. Blind man maltreated recovers his eyesight ^Loucheux) 825; 827. 



BOis] APPENDIX V INDEX TO BEFERENCES 1033 

LoccHEUx, Hake, Chippewayan — Concluded. 
PETiTOT — Concluded . 

p. 120. Man who marries animals (Hare Indians), 759; 762. 

Men who marry supernatural woman (Hare), 759; 762. 

p. 207. Women find themselves on top of a steep mountain (Hare), 861; 862. 

p. 226. Blind man maltreated recovers his eyesight (Hare), 825; 827. 

p. 234. Beaver and Porcupine (Hare), 724; 726. 

p. 256. Central support of the world (Hare), 731; 732. 

p. 299. Origin of the seasons (Hare), 728; 729. 

p. 350. Origin of colors of birds (Chippewayan), 064. 

p. 363. Half-person (Chippewayan), 831. 

p. 407. The faithless woman (Chippewayan), 847; 848. 
CAMSELL, CHARLES. Title, p. 646, note 3. 

p. 252. Grizzly Bear's daughter (Loucheux), 707; 708. 

p. 253. Origin of light (Loucheux), 646; 647. 

Raven pulls off the arm of a chief (Loucheux), 719; 720. 
Eskimo. 

BOAS. Title, p. 825, notes 2, 3. 

p. 168. Blind boy maltreated regains eyesight (Cumberland Sound), 825; 829. 

p. 625. Blind boy maltreated regains eyesight (Central), 825; 829. 
HOiM. Title, p. 825, note 5. 

p. 169. Blind boy maltreated regains eyesight (East Greenland), 825; 828. 
THALBiTZER, WILLIAM. Title, p. 825, note 5. 

p. 250. Blind boy maltreated regains eyesight (Ammassalik), 825. 
RINK. Title, p. 825, note 4. 

p. 99. Blind boy maltreated regains eyesight (Greenland), 825; 828; 829. 
KROEBER, A. L. Title, p. 825, note 6. 

p. 169. Blind boy maltreated regains eyesight (Smith Sound), 825; 828; 829. 

NELSON, E. W. 

p. 461. Origin of daylight (Bering Strait), 641; 645. 

p. 464. AMiale swallows Raven (Bering Strait), 687; 688. 

p. 465. Raven scares away people (Bering Strait), 688. 

p. 467. Wife kills the girls whom her husliand has married (Bering Strait), 
762; 766. 

p. 483. Origin of daylight (Bering Strait), 04S. 
BOAS. Title, p. 648, note 1. 

p. 205. Origin of daylight (Port Clarence), 648. 
BOGOEAS, w. Title, p. 648, note 2. 

p. 431. Origin of light (Asiatic), 648. 
Ten'a. 

CHAPMAN 1. Cited Anvik. 

p. 8. Raven. Origin of daylight, 642. 

p. 9. Origin of daylight, 641. 

CHAPMAN 2. 

pp. 22, 109. Origin of light. Account of the Ten'a, version of the \'illage of 
Anvik, 641; 643. 
JETTE 2. Cited Ten'a. 

p. 304. Origin of daylight, 641-645. 

KODLAK. 

COLDER, F. A. Title, p. 041, note 4. 

p. 85. Origin of daylight, 641; 642; 645. 
p. 90. Youth is set adrift in a box, 792. 

Test tale: Jealous uncle, 795; 796. 

Wedge test, 801. 



1034 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY Ieth. ann. 31 

KoDiAK — Concluded. 

GOLDER, F. A. — Concluded. 

p. 91. Test tale: Uncle pushes youth down precipice, 803. 
p. 92. Test tale: Youth is set adrift, 810. 
Test tale: The closing clam, 805. 
Klamath 

GATSCHET, A. s. Title, p. 587, note 1. 

p. 118. Jealous animal kills children of rival, 587. 

ACHOMAWI. 

DIXON, R. B. 

p. KK). Rope shot to sky, 864; 866. 
Maidu. 

DIXON, R. B. Title, p. 766, note 4. 

p. 69. Vagina dentata, 809. 

p. 92. The stupid monster, 762; 766. 
Yana. 

CURTIN, J. Title, p. 766, note 5. 

p. 333. The stupid monster, 762; 766. 
SAPiR, EDWARD. Title, p. 766, note 5. 

p. 127. The stupid monster, 762; 766. 
Crow. 

lowie, r. h. ms. 

Owl draws blood, 698. 

Elk asks his wife to scrape the back of his neck, 696; 697. 

Owl's wife pounds bark, 698. 

Condor has his nose pierced and grease comes out, 697. 

ASSINIBOIN. 

LOWiE, R. H. Title, p. 825, note 7. 

p. 101. Origin of the seasons, 728; 729. 

)). 204. Blind man maltreated recovers hia eyesight, 825; 828. 
Dakota. 

WATERMAN, T. T. Title, p. 809, note 1. 
Vagina dentata, 809. 
Osage. 

DORSEY, o. A. Title, p. 766, note 3; p. 825, note 9. 
p. 10. The stupid monster, 762; 766. 

p. 32. Boy lives with grandmother. He shoots deer, but his grandmother 
hides the meat, 825; 828. 

PONCA. 

DORSEY, J. OWEN. Title, p. 695, note 1; p. 766, note 1. 
p. 30. The stupid monster, 762; 766. 
p. 172. Contest story, 812. 
p. 557. Beaver kills his children, 698. 

Diving for fish, 699. 

Boiling water becomes rice, 699; 700. 

Squirrel cuts his scrotum, G97. 
.■Vrapaho. 

DORSEY and kroeber. Title, p. 695, note; p. 825, note 8. 

p. 112. Water Ousel sharpens his leg and kills buffalo with it, 699; 700. 
p. 113. Man roasts bark, which is transformed into meat, 698. 

Diving for fish, 699. 
p. 120. Animals called. Host calls for food, 699; 700. 
p. 260. Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 286. Blind man maltreated recovers his eyesight, 825; 828. 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1035 

Fox. 

JONES, WILLIAM. Title, p. 695, note. 

pp. 229, 235. Beaver kills his children, 698. 

pp. 241, 245. Skunk calls the animals, 699; 700. 

pp. 257, 261. Boiling excrements become rice, 699; 700. 

p. 267. Diving for fish, 699. 

p. 269. Woodpecker obtains honey, 699; 700. 

KiCKAPOO. 

JONES, WILLIAM. Title, p. 695, note. 

p. 5. Bungling-host tale: Visit to Skunk, 699; 700. 

p. 7. Beaver kills his children, 698. 

Kingfisher dives from a tree, 699. 
Chippewa. 

SCHOOLCRAFT, H. R. Title, p. 695, note. 

p. 43. Woodpecker obtains raccoons, 699; 700. 

pp. 43-47. Moose cuts body, 696; 697. 
RADiN, PAUL. Title, p. 695, note. 

pp. 14, 15. BoiUng excrements become rice, 699; 700. 

pp. 14, 16. Woodpecker obtains raccoons, 700. 
Skunk calls the animals, 700. 
SPECK, FRANK G. Title, p. 695, note. 

pp. 39, 40. Ice becomes potatoes, 699; 700. 

Boiling excrements become rice, 699; 700. 

p. 42. Woodpecker obtains raccoons, 699; 700. 
JONES, WILLIAM. Title, p. 716, note 2. 

p. 49. The arrogant and the modest hunters, 716; 717. 

p. 117. Person jumps at reflection of cranberries in water, 741. 

p. 207. Sturgeon swallows Niinabushu, 709. 

p. 215. The arrogant and the modest hunters, 716; 717. 

p. 299. Bungling-host tale: Man cuts meat from his wife's back, 697. 

p. 305. Woodpecker obtains raccoons, 700. 

p. 311. Squirrel obtains grease by piercing his body with an awl, 697. 

p. 317. Mallard Duck obtains rice, 700. 

p. 341. Squirrel obtains grease by piercing his body with an awl, 697. 

p. 351. Mallard Duck obtains rice, 700. 

p. 357. Woodpecker obtains raccoons, 700. 
Penobscot. 

SPECK, FRANK G. Title, p. 695, note. 

p. 52. Diving for fish, 699. 

Woodpecker obtains insects, 699; 700. 
Malecite. 

JACK, EDWARD. Title, p. 766, note 2. 

p. 198. The stupid monster, 762; 766. 

MiCMAC. 

RAND, SILAS T. Title, p. 695, note. 

p. 302. Bear cuts pieces from the soles of his feet, 696; 697. 
Diving for fish, 699. 
Woodpecker obtains insects, 699; 700. 
p. 323. Contest story, 812. 
SPECK, FRANK G. Title, p. 695, note, 
p. 64. Bungling-host tale, 695. 
Cherokee. 

MOONEY, JAMES. Title, p. 694, note, 
p. 273. Bear slits his side, 696; 697. 



■d 



^^^ I 



1036 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [btb. iNN. 31 

Natchez, Alabama. Title, p. 695, note. 
swANTON, JOHN R. Title, p. 694, note. 

p. 198. Bear cooks a piece of his own flesh, 696; 697. 

Bear invites Rabbit to smoke with him, 696; 697. 
HrrcHin. 

SWANTON. MS. 

Bear cooks a piece of his own flesh, 697. 

BiLOXI. 

DORSEY, J. OWEN. Title, p. 694, note. 

p. 49. The bungling host, 694; 699; 700. 

YUCHI. 

SPECK, PRANK G. Title, pp. 694, 695, note 1. 

p. 153. Bear cuts fat from his entrails, 696; 697. 
Caddo. 

DORSET, G. A. Title, p. 694, note. 

p. 88. Mountain Lion jumps on a young horse. 699; 700. 
pp. 88, 93. Raven shoots himself, 697; 698. 
p. 93. Bear causes fruit to fall, 700. 
p. 94. Woodpecker has a hght on hLs head, 699; 700. 
Pawnee. 

DORSEv, G. A. Title, p. 694, note, 
p. 35. Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 246. Squirrel cuts his scrotum, 698. 

pp. 245, 267. Coyote wants to cut off part of Bear's loins, 696; 697. 
Beaver cuts his scrotum, 698. 
Beaver makes wood meat, 698. 
Wichita. 

DORSEY, o. A. Title, p. 694, note, 
p. 144. Vagina dentata, 809. 

p. 285. Fi.sh Hawk has a string attached to his head, 699; 700. 
Apacfie (Mescalero) MS. 

GODDARD, PUNY EARLE (see p. 694 note). 
House burnt, 699; 700. 
Bees shake a lodge, 699; 700. 
Deer pounds bark, 698. 
Prairie Dog roasts sticks, 698. 
RUSSELL, FRANK. Title, p. 694, note. 

p. 265. Prairie Dog makes wood meat, 698. 

Cuts body. Elk cuts off steaks from his hind quarter, 696; 697. 
Buffalo shoots himself, 697; 698. 
Apache (Jicarilla). 

GODDARD, PLINY EARLE. Title, p. 694, HOte. 

p. 203. Vagina dentata, 809. 
p. 231. Diving for fish, 699. 
p. 232. Beaver and Coyote, 724; 726. 

Buffalo pulls fat out of his body, 697. 
Elk pulls meat from under his blanket, 698. 
Guest bums house, 699; 700. 
Navaho. 

MATTHEWS, WASHixGTOx. Title, p. 694, note. 

p. 87. Porcupine draws blood from his nose, 697. 
Wolf makes wood meat, 698. 



L 6d 



BOAS] APPENDIX V INDEX TO REFERENCES 1037 

Hopi. 

voTH, H. R. Title, p. 604, note. 

p. 202. Porcupine pulls blood out of his nose, 697. 
p. 209. Badger pretends to cut open his belly, 696; 697. 
Cora. 

PREUSS, TH. Title, p. 695, note. 

p. 202. Cock presses eggs out of his wife, 699; 700. 
Bee cuts itself with an ax, 696; 697. 
Bean shakes hou.se, 699; 700. 
Chuckchee. 

BOGORAS, WALDEMAR. The Chukchee. Publications of the Jesup North Pacific 
Expedition, vol. vm. 

p. 155. Origin of light, 648. 
p. 72. Vagina dentata, 809. 
BOGORAS. Title, p. 680, note 3. 

p. 644. Wolf girls tie Raven's tongue with sinews, 680. 

KOKYAK. 

JOCHELSON, WALDEMAR. Title, p. 680, note 2. 
p. 116. Vagina dentata, 809. 

p. 153. Tearing out of the tongue of the Raven, 680. 
Gold. 

GRUBE, w. Title, p. 680, note 1. 

p. 92. Cannibal tears out the tongue of a woman, 680. 
Ainu. 

CHAMBERLLN, BASIL HALL. Title, p. 809, note 3. 

Vagina dentata, 809. 
piisuDSKi. Title, p. 809, note 2. 
p. 85. Vagina dentata, 809. 
Various Parts of Old World. 

DAHNHARDT, o. Title, p. 741; p. 706, note 7. 
p. 151. Origin of mosquitoes, 741. 
p. 239. Story of the stupid monster, 76G. 
KROHN, kaarle. Title, p. 766, note 8. 

p. 83. Jackal paints Hyena (.Africa) (after Bleek), 767. 

o 









':* -^^ 




•^ 
■^^ 



'bv" 












?^V •»»• .*^\ • 










^.- ^v 



^V-^-. 






"^ o » " " » ■* 












.0" 







V s! 






>^^. «'r^. 



4^ 












r. .;/. J> 










i'c 



^0 



^"•^<^, 



c, •S' 



^c<^ :>S£ft 







.s^^ 









"-^^"^ ^':i&:'^ ^^/Sr^^'^- /•-'•^.'^ / 





^■^^ .^^ 



^°, 




a<°^ '^k>mi^^ 



-S^ 



^°-n^. 



--. ■>^.- ,' - •^- /% "^^ /•% ■;?i«- ,, 

•. \.^* ••;#%'■. \./ .--^c*:- %/ ••) 



•\ 



ci°.. 



°^ *' 



